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
Mabel began to plead, "Please, Mr. Freeman! I'm already so old. Where else could I go if I leave the Freeman family? And what about my sons and—"She was about to say something more, but Hendrix shot an impatient glance at the person standing in the doorway. The security guard immediately stepped forward and escorted Mabel out.Mabel had planned to make more of a scene, but with the guard dragging her away, she couldn't get a word out. In the end, all she could do was shoot Noelle a pleading look, but Noelle remained almost entirely expressionless.When she first saw Hendrix, she was taken aback, but she regained her composure. Even with everything that had just unfolded before her, she watched it all quietly, as if she were nothing more than a bystander.The other onlookers in the room were also sent away. The caregiver glanced at Hendrix timidly before making an excuse to go buy lunch and quickly turned to leave. Before she left, she made sure to close the door behind her.Once
Hendrix didn't reply. Instead, he simply tossed the folder in his hand to Dylan.Dylan glanced down at the folder. Something flickered across his eyes, but in the end, he reached out and took it.The moment he skimmed the first few pages, his face turned as pale as a sheet, and his grip on the documents tightened instinctively.After a moment, Dylan finally looked at Hendrix. "What's the meaning of this?"Hendrix let out a soft laugh. "What do you think it means?"Dylan quickly regained his composure and asked, "Where did you get these?""That's not something you need to concern yourself with.""So? What do you want?"Sitting on the couch, Hendrix leisurely poured him a glass of wine and took a sip. Throughout the entire process, he maintained his usual elegance and composure, whereas Dylan's expression grew darker and darker.Finally, Hendrix said, "What do I want? I thought I'd already made it very clear.""Mr. Freeman, we're both men. Don't you think using tactics like thi
Hendrix grew exasperated. When he heard the sound of the door lock turning, he lifted his head and barked, "Get lost!"The single, decisive shout silenced everything outside instantly. Even the woman in his arms went completely still.Noelle seemed to realize that her resistance was futile. The hands she had been pressing against his chest slowly dropped away, and even the tears in her eyes vanished in that moment.She slowly sank back and tilted her head upward. Then, she simply stared at the glaring incandescent light with eyes filled with emptiness.Hendrix stared at her for a while before suddenly laughing. "Are you really that upset? Or do you feel wronged? Does it really hurt you so much to leave him?"He was smiling, even forcing a mocking tone into his words, but his hands were trembling uncontrollably. It was a pain that started deep in his chest, spreading through his bloodstream until it reached his fingertips.Noelle didn't answer him, but her expression was as good a
Hendrix reached out and gripped Noelle's chin. In a deep voice laced with a clear trace of anger, he asked, "You've fallen for Dylan, haven't you?"Noelle didn't answer, but she pressed her lips tighter and tighter. Her eyes still brimmed with tears, but the moisture only made them shine more brightly, more vividly. In their reflection, Hendrix could see himself clearly, and he could also see the unmistakable hatred within them.She hated him. Hendrix knew that, of course. From the moment he decided to take this path, he had already anticipated how she would react.But so what? Was he supposed to stand by and watch as they became nothing more than strangers who had nothing to do with each other?If that were the case, Hendrix would rather she hated him.He could live with that outcome—it wasn't something he couldn't accept. But the one thing he absolutely couldn't tolerate was her heart belonging to someone else.She could hate him because of the incident with Elm Group, beca
As soon as Hendrix finished speaking, Noelle suddenly stepped forward and raised her hand. But her slap never landed. Hendrix had caught her wrist, his face completely expressionless."You're crazy!" Noelle said.Hendrix smiled faintly. "Yeah, I know."Noelle didn't say another word, but she trembled even more violently as tears began to fall. Still, it seemed she refused to show any weakness in front of Hendrix. So, she quickly wiped away her tears."Dylan's grandfather is sick," she finally told Hendrix. "Alzheimer's. His condition is deteriorating quickly, and he might not remember anything soon. That's why Dylan proposed to me."But when she finished speaking, the answer she wanted never came.Hendrix's gaze remained cold as he looked at her. When he noticed Noelle was still staring at him, he even asked, "So? What does that have to do with me?"Noelle took a deep breath. "So, could the wedding—""No," Hendrix cut her off without hesitation, and Noelle's question was left u
Noelle's expression changed as she heard Hendrix's words, and she turned to look at him.Her expression made Hendrix feel like something was stabbing into his heart. It seemed like he was right.That contractual relationship seemed more than that now. Noelle had fallen for Dylan. If not, what could explain the look in her eyes now?Noelle didn't even react this way when he brought up her and Elm Group.The dull pain quickly spread across Hendrix's chest, accompanied by a familiar metallic taste. His Adam's apple bobbed a few times, and after taking several deep breaths, he finally managed to suppress the feeling and said, "It seems like you really care about him.""Hendrix, this is between us. Can you stop being so despicable and dragging innocent people into this mess?""Innocent?" Hendrix chuckled. "It seems like you really don't know much about your fiancé. Do you know what he's been doing behind your back?"Before Noelle could respond, Hendrix handed her a file. "Take a look
"That's right." Hendrix nodded satisfactorily. "We already had bad blood, so why bother with fake pleasantries now?"He continued as he picked up the coffee cup in front of him. "You must really wish for my death right now, don't you?"Hendrix's voice was calm, with a faint smile on his lips, but the words he spoke were enough to leave Noelle speechless.She paused for a moment, but she quickly responded with a smile, "Yes, so you know.""Mm, but unfortunately, I'm still sitting here just fine," Hendrix said, showing no concern. He met her gaze with a cold stare. "And based on the current situation, I doubt I'm the one who's going to be ending things first."Noelle couldn't reply. Although Hendrix had treated her with this kind of attitude before, she still remembered clearly the taste of the drinks he forced upon her that night in Vinton City. At this moment, all she could see in his eyes was an endless coldness.Noelle's voice grew hoarser. "If that's the case, Mr. Freeman, w
Noelle subconsciously glanced at the person in the hospital room after hearing the secretary's words.Dylan was sitting quietly there.Looking at him, Noelle suddenly remembered the hug he gave her that morning. She knew that her relationship with him was purely contractual, including their marriage, but all she wanted at that moment was a hug.She knew this went beyond the scope of their agreement, but Dylan didn't bring it up, and neither did she.Perhaps Noelle had been looking at him for too long. Dylan sensed something unusual and immediately looked over at her.Noelle took a deep breath. "I need to go back to the company for a while. I'll arrange for a nurse to come over. As for here…""It's fine. Go ahead," Dylan quickly replied. "I don't have much to do today anyway.""But…""Have you forgotten? We're getting married soon, so your father is my father-in-law. Isn't it normal for me to take care of him?" Dylan's words rendered Noelle speechless.It was clearly not appr
"Noelle, I'm just an ordinary friend of his. I don't have that kind of influence." Sandra laughed, then added, "Actually, if you want to meet Mr. Mueller, maybe you should have Dylan…"Dylan, who had been sitting nearby, finally lifted his head when Sandra mentioned his name.But Noelle didn't pay him any attention. She grabbed Sandra's hand and pulled her out of the room."What's this about, Noelle? You're hurting me!" Sandra still spoke in a sweet tone, but as soon as Noelle dragged her to an isolated spot, she immediately yanked Noelle's hand away, her voice turning cold as she asked, "What do you want?""I should be asking you that," Noelle replied. "You should know very well what's going on with the family right now. If I could contact Javier myself, that'd be one thing, but the problem is now…""Now what? Noelle, I never thought I'd see the day when you'd be the one asking me for help." Sandra laughed, raising her chin and looking at her. "So, go ahead. Ask away. If it's a r
Noelle looked at Dylan for a long while, then smiled. "No need. Just stay with me like this." Dylan reached out and pulled her into his arms. His hug wasn't tight, and the faint fragrance on his body instantly filled Noelle's nose. Noelle made no effort to resist but slowly reached out and wrapped her arms around his waist. "How's your father?" Dylan asked her. "Acute stroke," she said softly. "But we got to the hospital on time, and the doctor said that as long as he wakes up, everything will be fine." "Mm, how about you go back and rest? I'll keep an eye on things here." "No. I won't be able to sleep even if I go back. Haven't you noticed my phone hasn't stopped ringing?" Dylan didn't reply. Noelle didn't know if he was feeling guilty for being unable to help her, so she said, "The wedding doesn't need to be postponed. Your grandfather has been looking forward to it for so long, so we can't disappoint him." "But…""Don't worry. I can still spare a day, and with Elm