"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
"What do you mean?" Hendrix asked."Literally what I just said." Noelle smiled. "I don't know how you feel about me, nor do I want to know now. I've moved on, and I will not be tied to the past. In other words, Mr. Freeman, you're out."As her words fell, Noelle pried open Hendrix's tightly clenched fingers one by one."The wounds are already treated. They're shallow enough not to require bandaging. You can leave now."With that, she moved to stand up, but in the next moment, Hendrix suddenly spoke, his voice laced with subtle resentment, "You're truly indifferent, aren't you? Saying you've let go, just like that?"There was a trace of bitterness in his tone, as if accusing her of being "irresponsible."Noelle found it almost laughable.Turning to face him, she said, "Mr. Freeman, you must be joking. I'm not as indifferent as you think. If I truly could let go as easily as you say, I wouldn't have gone to Dynalis alone back then. "I wouldn't have drunk myself into oblivion jus
The banquet ended smoothly.Dylan wanted to invite Noelle to his house, but she rejected, saying, "I can stay in the hotel.""I can stay with you.""It's fine. You finally came back, so you should accompany your parents more." She smiled.She remained calm and composed as usual. After a moment of eye contact with her, Dylan finally spoke, "I'll have a good talk with my mother about this."Noelle raised an eyebrow, initially thinking that Dylan must have overheard her conversation with his mother, Leah Neuman, tonight. However, the next moment, Dylan added, "No matter what, you're my guest here, and the way she treated you was definitely wrong."Only then did Noelle realize she had misunderstood. While Leah's attitude toward her tonight had been unpleasant, it was nothing compared to the things she had said behind her back.Noelle didn't elaborate further and just shook her head. "It's fine. After all, our relationship is just a contract, so I don't really care about how your m
Serene Street hadn't changed much in the past several months.It still felt like a forgotten corner of the bustling city—no towering skyscrapers, no luxury cars, and no designer stores. Just uneven rows of buildings, air conditioners dripping water nonstop, and barbecue joints downstairs that probably didn't even have a business license.Noelle walked along the street. Finally, she flagged down a cab and returned to her hotel. This time, she slept surprisingly well. She didn't even dream once throughout the whole night, and when she woke up, it was already well past noon.Her flight was scheduled for early tomorrow morning, but when she picked up her phone, she noticed a message from Dylan, inviting her to dinner at his place that evening.Noelle had planned to decline, but before she could even type out her reply, another message from Dylan popped up. This time, he mentioned that his family thought their relationship had grown too distant and was already planning to set him up wit
Not satisfied, Mabel stormed over and shoved Noelle hard. "I told you to leave! Get out now!"Noelle frowned, and just as Mabel was about to push her again, she grabbed her hand firmly."What are you doing? Let go, you bitch!" Mabel's voice grew sharper, and it was clear she was about to draw more attention. In the end, Noelle released her grip and turned to leave without a word."Go ahead! Get out! Mrs. Freeman doesn't want to see you! It's all because of you, you shameless bitch! And you—how many times have I told you not to let people in? This is how you do your job after taking Mr. Freeman's money? If this happens again, I'll tell Mr. Freeman—"Noelle didn't hear what Mabel said next, because just then, someone stepping out of the elevator grabbed her wrist and pulled her forward with such decisiveness that she barely had time to reach out. By the time she came to her senses, he had already pulled her back into the room.Judging by the smile on her face, Mabel had been happy
Amy spun around instantly and saw Hendrix walking toward her.Even though their relationship was purely transactional—and even though Amy knew better than anyone that catching feelings for a client was the worst mistake she could make—she still had to admit something.Even without Hendrix's status, his looks and presence alone were enough to make any woman blush and her heart race. Being able to call him her boyfriend, even if only on the surface, gave Amy a kind of prestige wherever she went.Seeing that Hendrix was about to reach her, Amy was about to greet him when Hailey suddenly stepped ahead of her."Hi! Are you Amy's boyfriend?" she asked.Hendrix narrowed his eyes at her. "And you are?""I'm her friend. We were out shopping together today. What a surprise to run into you like this!" Hailey said with a grin. "Amy's always bragging about you. Now, I finally see why she's been hiding you from us."As she spoke, Hailey moved to slip her arm through Hendrix's. She was wearing
Lately, Amy had been living in the lap of luxury. Hendrix not only bought her jewelry and designer bags but even a sports car—a bright red one, with the emblem of an angry bull on the front.When Amy drove it out, she immediately attracted the envy of countless people. They spoke words of admiration and praise for Amy. But behind her back, they were practically grinding their teeth in envy.Of course, Amy could see through their little games, but she didn't care. Even if they cursed her behind her back, she acted like she never heard a word of it.To be honest, if they had been in her shoes, they probably wouldn't have been able to seize the opportunity. They would have likely been kicked out due to overstepping the first time Hendrix made them sleep on the couch.So, some things were just meant to be hers.Besides the jewelry, bags, and car, Hendrix had also given her a black card with no spending limit. Now, when she entered those stores, she no longer had to carefully check the
On the contrary, Hendrix seemed to care a lot about Noelle. Otherwise, he wouldn't have rushed over like that. Even Amy could feel the passion in the way he looked at Noelle—it was intense and almost burning. There wasn't a trace of the indifference he had shown back at the party.So, it was very likely the two of them were acting. But for what reason?Amy couldn't figure it out, but she knew one thing—she might have just uncovered a huge secret. And this secret could very well…Amy was still thinking when the door suddenly opened in front of her. Startled, she instinctively took a few steps back, staring in shock at the person before her.Hendrix was standing there, looking at her."I didn't say anything!" Amy blurted out without hesitation. She even held up her phone, as if offering it for inspection.He gave it a glance, then quickly looked away and said, "Come on out. We've got a business deal to discuss."…"Who sent this to you?" the tanned-skin man asked.Only then did D
"Do you not trust me?" Noelle asked.Hendrix was momentarily stunned, then he slowly frowned. "What did you say?""Do you not trust that I can protect myself or that I can help you? Or do you think I'm just a burden?""Of course not," Hendrix immediately denied it, his expression growing darker. "How could you think that of yourself? If I thought that, why would I bring you here?""Since it's not that, then why don't you want to—""Because I don't want you to be in any danger," Hendrix said in a low voice. "Clearly, we could have used other methods, couldn't we?""But right now, this one is the fastest and most convenient, right?"Hendrix couldn't answer.Noelle smiled. "See? You're admitting it, too. And honestly, you don't have that much time, either. So, weighing the pros and cons, doesn't it make the most sense to choose the most efficient option right now?""No," Hendrix said through gritted teeth.Yet, he couldn't pinpoint exactly what was wrong.After meeting his gaze
"I know things aren't that simple," Noelle said quietly.Her sudden change of topic caused Hendrix to furrow his brows slightly.He wanted to say something, but Noelle continued, "If it were that simple, you wouldn't have agreed to let me use this method to lure Dylan out from the start. This isn't Coppersville, and more importantly, the people around you now are only driven by self-interest."So, it would be impossible for them to help you find Dylan and make him lose everything. That is—unless he makes a move against you first. But in that case, Dylan would definitely be extra cautious. He might even hide for years or decades."As Noelle spoke, Hendrix suddenly laughed. "So what? You think I can't wait?""I know you won't wait." Noelle looked up at him. "I know you're not as indifferent as you appear to be about what happened to the Swifts. If I don't do this, you'll definitely think of other ways, right?"And I also know that those ways of yours would be even more dangerous tha
The text message Hendrix had received just now was from Noelle. It contained the motel's address and the room number she had booked.The two of them hadn't seen each other at all these past few days—not even a phone call. Noelle wasn't sure if Dylan had sent anyone to watch them, and even the slightest trace of contact could become the reason everything fell apart.Noelle knew she wasn't clever enough to cover every detail flawlessly, so instead she put on a performance so convincing, even she almost believed it.She understood that in Dylan's mind, he always believed himself to be a noble man. The belief came from the way his family had raised him and the public image he maintained.Dylan and Hendrix were completely different. Hendrix had never cared about what others thought of him. Even in public, if he disliked someone or found them disgusting, he wouldn't bother pretending otherwise. The fact that he didn't humiliate someone outright was already the limit of his courtesy.Wh
Amy figured that maybe Hendrix had somehow found out what she had been thinking earlier and wanted to kill her now to keep her quiet. After all, no one who could survive in that circle was really normal.She knew how this worked. To people like him, women like her weren't even human. If he was in a bad mood and decided to use her to vent, that would be totally normal to him.She licked her lips, just about to try explaining, when she realized that he wasn't even paying her any attention. He got out of the car without a word and walked straight inside.That reaction left Amy completely thrown. For a moment, she was at a loss for what to do.Should she follow him? But what if he really was planning to do something to her? If someone like her died here, no one would even notice.But if she didn't follow, and he wasn't planning anything, wouldn't she be missing a golden opportunity?Amy felt completely torn.As she watched him disappear into the motel, she threw all her concerns away
This was the second time Amy had seen Hendrix. The last time, he had picked her out of a group—and today, he did the same.More importantly, Amy was now wearing the jewelry he had bought her. That piece alone had cost hundreds of thousands of dollars, and he hadn't even blinked at the price.From that alone, Amy was certain that she had won. She had stood out among the prey and become the object of his favor. The only thing she wasn't sure of was how long his interest toward her would last.In the social circles of Nuvark, women like Amy had their own internal rankings—a list sorted from most to least desirable targets. Hendrix wasn't on that list, but Amy knew that he was easily one of the top players in the game.She could tell that just by how Erwin and the others treated him. So, the fact that she hadn't hesitated and went straight for the win was the right call. And now, all the others could only look at her with envy and jealousy.The uniquely styled sports car sped down the
Then, Dylan hesitated a little. "Are you pitying me?""No, no!"Noelle quickly shook her head. "I just feel like I dragged you into this. It's like because I almost married you back then, Hendrix has been targeting you ever since. If not for that, you'd probably still be doing fine back home, and the Swift family wouldn't have ended up like this. So, I feel guilty."Her voice grew more hoarse as she spoke.Dylan stared at her for a moment, then suddenly burst into laughter. He laughed like he had just heard the funniest thing in the world, completely delighted."So, now you finally see Hendrix for who he really is?" he asked. "I told you before—he's never treated you right. Otherwise, why would you have taken Rosie and run to another city in the first place?"And back then, if it hadn't been for me, you never would've been forced to marry him. So, Noelle, have you remembered now? The one you actually love is me."Noelle stared at him, stunned.Dylan stood up at that moment, closin