When Noelle finished her soup, she saw Oliver, who was standing at the door and hesitating if he should come in.She glanced at him and said, "Come in.""Ms. Swanson, I really had no idea," said Oliver the moment he came in. "Mr. Garcia forced me to leave last night. He said you wanted to talk to Mr. Freeman. I swear I had no idea he would use such a despicable method!"Oliver sounded like he was wronged.Noelle did not blame him, either. She said, "Call Julio and tell him that I want to see him.""Now?""Yes, now." Noelle sounded sure, so Oliver didn't dare to ask anything else.When Julio arrived, Noelle asked Oliver and the caretaker to leave.Julio did not feel like he had done anything wrong. Instead, he seemed to be in a bad mood because his plan did not succeed."Was it you who laced my drinks with drugs?" Noelle asked.Julio glanced at her and just grinned. "I don't know what you mean.""I was admitted to the hospital last night. The doctor is fully aware of my con
Noelle's wound wasn't very serious. So, after the final checkup, she was discharged from the hospital.However, her wound hadn't fully healed yet, and there was a bandage on the corner of her forehead. The doctor said it would leave a scar.Well, Noelle didn't care. She was in the restaurant now, and the people kept giving her second glances. She just sat there silently.Outside the window were the busy streets of Vinton. The red taillights, the glowing lamps of the distant residential area, and the makeshift stalls selling fruits and hotdogs along the street created a city full of life and warmth. It felt much cozier than Coppersville, a place dominated by towering skyscrapers.As Noelle stood there lost in thought, a familiar sound of footsteps reached her ears.That sound—no matter how bustling the restaurant lobby was, she didn't need to turn around to know it was him.She had known him for many years—so many years that Noelle had forgotten when she first began secretly p
Then, Noelle looked at Hendrix. "What do you want to say?" Hendrix asked.This question caused Noelle's lips to press even tighter together. She set down her cutlery and wiped the corners of her mouth. "With this evidence, I can call the police," she said."Oh? Call the police to arrest me?" Hendrix smiled faintly.Looking at his smile, Noelle's brows furrowed even more. "What are you laughing at?""Oh? Should I not be laughing?"As if granting her wish, Hendrix quickly dropped his smile and asked again, "Since you plan to call the police, shouldn't you be at the station now? Why are you sitting here having a meal with me instead?"Noelle fell silent."Are you trying to use this to threaten me?" Hendrix continued, sliding on a pair of gloves as he began peeling shrimp with meticulous care.His actions were elegant, and his expression was composed, as though the two of them were merely on an ordinary dinner date.Then, he asked casually, "So, is this about getting me to hand
"He agreed to it?" Dylan asked.Noelle didn't seem to be in the right state of mind, so Dylan did not rush to push her. He only asked that question when they arrived at Galaxy Grove.Noelle was still in a daze, but she nodded."Are you still feeling uncomfortable?"Dylan reached out to caress her cheeks.This sudden movement spooked Noelle, and her body tensed up. But before she could dodge it, Dylan had already withdrawn his hand."Thank goodness your fever did not come back." Dylan retreated two steps and said, "But still, rest more."Noelle nodded.Before she went to her room, she turned around and said, "Thank you."Dylan raised an eyebrow and asked, "Did you thank Hendrix a lot when you were with him?"Noelle didn't expect him to ask this question, so she didn't know what to say.Dylan continued asking, "I'm actually quite curious. If Hendrix hadn't agreed to your conditions, would you still report him?""I… I will," answered Noelle, but her voice was weak. It was as i
"What do you mean? Are you saying Noelle really got it by…""How else? Didn't she use the same tricks to secure deals with Mr. Russo and the others before?""And Mr. Freeman doesn't mind? Wait. Isn't she Mr. Freeman's ex-wife?""Seems like it. Maybe this time she played the sympathy card. Poor Mr. Freeman, still stuck dealing with a woman like her..."The chatter abruptly stopped.The one speaking the most enthusiastically suddenly caught sight of Noelle stepping out of the elevator.Her face was expressionless, giving no clue as to how much she might have overheard. All they could do was awkwardly greet her.Noelle gave them a polite nod and, with the confident click of her high heels, headed toward the director's office, as though nothing had happened at all.…Noelle spent the entire day in the meeting room. Due to the cold air conditioning, her throat became a little painful again.When she went back to Galaxy Grove, it was already late at night.Dylan wasn't around, but
The cooperation agreement for the Continental Reach project was quickly drafted. Noelle had initially thought there would be many complications along the way, but there were none. Everything went surprisingly smoothly, and even when it came to the profit points, Hendrix had no intention of pushing them. Everything was based on market standards.After signing the contract, Hendrix suggested having dinner together. Normally, Noelle would have agreed with any other partner. She still maintained good relationships with other clients up until now. So, when Oliver heard his suggestion, he was already about to pull out his phone to make a reservation. But Noelle quickly said, "Sorry. I have other plans tonight, so I won't be going."Hendrix narrowed his eyes, and Oliver looked at Noelle, about to ask what she had to do tonight.Noelle continued, "Oliver, go ahead and make a reservation for a restaurant. Please stay with Mr. Freeman tonight.""Huh?" Oliver blurted out but quickly rep
The man gulped, and he was about to speak when someone suddenly grabbed Noelle's hand.Then, a coat was draped over her."You…"The man wanted to say something, but the person who came didn't even spare him a glance. He pulled Noelle with him."Jeez, who are you?" The man did not want to back down, and he chased after them. "Don't you know what's first come, first served?"Hendrix's coat was draped over Noelle, leaving him in just a shirt. However, his imposing presence was enough to make the man in front of him inexplicably lose confidence. Still, the man refused to back down, stubbornly straightening his neck as he locked eyes with Hendrix."I'm her ex-husband. Is there a problem?" Hendrix asked."Ex-husband? Her boyfriend didn't even say anything. Who do you think you are?" The man's back straightened instantly as he spoke, reaching out to grab Noelle's other hand.Hendrix's face darkened. Without a second thought, he raised his foot and kicked the man hard.He didn't hol
Hendrix drove to Galaxy Grove.Noelle had expected him to come, so when she opened the door, she didn't look the slightest bit surprised.Hendrix looked inside the house first."He went on a business trip," Noelle said to him, as if she knew what he was searching for.Hendrix smirked. "You think I'm afraid of him?""I didn't think much of it, but after all, he's my boyfriend. The way you're acting so self-righteous doesn't seem quite appropriate, either."As she spoke, Noelle had already turned around. "Come in."Hendrix pressed his lips together and, in the end, followed her inside. This was his first time entering the place. Last time, he had only made it to the door. Now, stepping inside, he noticed that the decor was entirely different from when she lived on Serene Street.Cool gray and white tones, a slightly cluttered table, and a cabinet across from it filled with bottles of alcohol.Honestly, this kind of felt more like a place he would live in.Soon, Hendrix's eyes
Hendrix hadn't planned on telling Noelle all of this. As the doctor had said, once the blood clot dissipated, she might remember everything on her own. So, he didn't want to push her.And if she never remembered, that was fine, too. He had come to think that staying here for a while longer might not be a bad idea because Noelle could get the maternal love she had always longed for from Irene.As for their relationship… Well, it had been an arranged marriage from the start. The moment she was of age, they had wed without hesitation. Even their first kiss had happened during their wedding photoshoot.So Hendrix thought, if she had forgotten all of that, he could just court her again. It would be a chance to make up for the romance they had missed out on before.But now, he had no choice but to tell her. He had finally found her, and it would be the biggest joke of all if she ended up marrying someone else because of what others said. There was no way he would ever allow that to happe
Noelle couldn't help but frown.But before she could say anything, Hendrix suddenly asked, "Why didn't you come?""What?""I'm asking why you didn't come to the hospital. Was it because you were too busy getting married?"As Hendrix spoke, he took a step closer to her. His intense gaze felt as if he were trying to pull something out of Noelle.Noelle froze for a moment but quickly replied, "I never said I would definitely go.""You said you'd take care of me.""I didn't say that. That was your own assumption," Noelle quickly retorted. Then, she looked up at him. "Besides, I'm pretty sure you have plenty of people taking care of you.""What do you mean?""You've definitely had a lot of women before, right?" Noelle forced a smile. "I don't know why you're staying here, but I'm not like those women. So, if you're just looking for some fun, don't waste your time on me."Noelle's voice was laced with sarcasm. But her eyes were slightly red, and her throat moved as if she was tryin
The woman who had shouted was about to continue making a scene, clearly intent on drawing the entire neighborhood's attention. But Hendrix quickly turned around.To her, a thief should have looked guilty. Yet, when he looked at her, his eyes were sharp and piercing. That gaze made the woman swallow her words before they could leave her mouth.Just then, Irene came out, holding something in her hand. When she saw Hendrix, her expression darkened. "How dare you show your face here again, you scoundrel? Do you have a death wish or something? Fine. I'll send you straight to hell right now!"As she spoke, she raised the object in her hand, ready to strike Hendrix—just like she had done several times before.But this time, Hendrix didn't dodge. Instead, he expressionlessly grabbed her hand. One of his arms was still in a splint. But even so, it was enough to stop Irene completely. Her eyes widened in shock.Noelle also came out from inside. When she saw Hendrix, she was momentarily stun
"Yes, Daddy promises you," Hendrix replied.He had initially felt unfamiliar and uncomfortable with this identity. But at this moment, he spoke that work with complete naturalness. His voice even carried a tenderness he hadn't even realized was there.After receiving his confirmation, Rosie finally hung up the phone.Hendrix put down his phone but remained in a daze for a long time. When he finally came back to his senses, a slow smile spread across his lips. Then, he turned to look out the window.Although it was already late summer, he felt the weather today was unusually perfect.…However, Hendrix's happiness didn't last long. Because the next day, Noelle didn't come to see him. Not just the next day, but also the third and fourth days.Hendrix couldn't sit still any longer. Ignoring the doctor's objections, he went ahead and arranged for his discharge. He didn't inform anyone else, simply hiring an unlicensed car in town to take him back to the village.He didn't even both
Hendrix's request for discharge was denied. This wasn't entirely unexpected.After all, with Austin personally instructing the hospital to take good care of Hendrix, they wouldn't dare make the slightest mistake.However, Hendrix soon realized that staying in the hospital wasn't without its benefits. After all, the signal here was significantly better than in the village.Although he had handed over matters in Coppersville to Erwin, he still had to keep a close watch. After all, Erwin had no sense of restraint, and Hendrix didn't want things to escalate into an ugly mess.More importantly, he didn't want Noelle to find out he had taken actions against the Swift family. He still wasn't sure what exactly happened to her that night. But he knew the Swift family was definitely involved.The Swift family's attitude toward Dylan had reached a point that was almost incomprehensible. Hendrix even wondered if Dylan had cast some kind of spell on them.Otherwise, how could someone who had
Hendrix slipped his hand effortlessly under her clothes, tracing up along Noelle's waist, inch by inch. He was more than familiar with this motion by now. After all, he had done this countless times in the past.He knew Noelle's body better than she did herself. But in the heat of the moment, he forgot one crucial thing—Noelle had lost her memories.She hadn't shown any resistance toward him, but that was only because she still had some lingering feelings for him. Some habits of hers—almost like subconscious reactions—remained. But those habits clearly didn't include being intimate with him right now.When Hendrix touched a certain spot, Noelle reacted like a startled cat—her eyes flew wide open. The next second, she shoved him away. And as a bonus, she slapped him across the face. Now that was her true instinctive reaction.Her slap wasn't particularly strong, but the crisp sound rang out loud and clear—especially in the silence of the hospital room.Hendrix, however, didn't reac
"Mr. Freeman, it's time to change your dressi—" The doctor's voice suddenly broke the silence.The unexpected interruption sent a jolt through Noelle. It was as if she had suddenly snapped back to reality. In a flurry, she pushed Hendrix away.She looked as though she had been caught doing something wrong. She stumbled backward several steps, her hands rising and falling repeatedly. Her lips quivered as if she wanted to speak but couldn't find the words. Panic filled her eyes, unmistakable and clear.The doctor, however, was tactful. "My apologies. I didn't mean to interrupt," he said quickly before excusing himself and leaving.Noelle's face turned an even deeper shade of red at this. She wanted to chase after the doctor, but Hendrix grabbed her hand again."Let go of me," Noelle said when she finally managed to find her voice.She had intended to reprimand him. But after the kiss and the nervous tension, her voice came out slightly hoarse, sounding almost alluring. Even Noelle
Noelle hadn't expected Hendrix to bring this up, so she was stunned for a moment. Then, she looked at him with confusion."I wanted to use the bathroom," he answered with a cheeky grin."Oh." Even though Noelle felt flustered, she still quickly stepped aside.Hendrix, however, remained seated. Noelle looked at him, puzzled.He chuckled and said, "My arm is injured. I can't even feed myself—do you think I can go to the bathroom on my own?"Noelle's expression changed instantly. "W-What do you mean?"Hendrix reached out and took her hand. "Help me," he said in a low and raspy voice.Noelle immediately shook her head. "No way!"As she spoke, she tried to pull her hand away.But even with only one good hand, Hendrix's grip was still strong.Not only did he not let go, but he slid his fingers through Noelle's and pressed his palm firmly against hers. The dry, burning warmth of his hand made Noelle's cheeks flush instantly. It was as if, at this moment, she wasn't holding his hand
Inside the bag was a thermos of soup she had made that morning. It was made with chicken and mushrooms she had bought early at the market. She had simmered them for half an hour, and as soon as she opened the lid, the rich aroma of the soup spread throughout the hospital room.Hendrix suddenly remembered the bowl of soup Noelle had given him late that night two days ago. Good food was never something he lacked. In fact, to him, food was just a necessity for survival. But that night, something about that simple bowl of soup had brought him to the brink of tears.He had found her. There had been a time when he truly believed she had vanished from this world. He thought he would never see her again. It was also in that moment that he fully understood what Noelle meant to him.After all, he had seen the light, so how could he ever return to the darkness? His life had been set on a certain path. Even Beatrice had never cooked him a bowl of soup before, and he had accepted that kind of li