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
The Pritchett family's villa was located in the outskirts of Coppersville. Nestled against the mountains, the view from the upper floors of the villa looked out over a lake in the distance. The surroundings and air were both pristine and refreshing.This was Noelle's second time visiting. For the occasion, she had even gone to the mall to buy some gifts. Roland's was a selection of supplements, while Leah's gifts were a set of makeup and a scarf.Noelle wasn't sure what Dylan had discussed with them the night before, but when she arrived today, Leah's attitude toward her was noticeably warmer. At least when Noelle greeted her, Leah responded with a nod.It was clear that what Dylan wanted was just a formality—a polite exchange for appearances. After a bit of small talk, they all moved into the dining room.Roland Pritchett had previously taught at a university, but it seemed he knew quite a bit about the business world as well. Once they were seated, he quickly brought up the Conti
Noelle simply smiled. "I don't think that way, but I recently just got out of a failed marriage, so I'm not ready to jump into another one just yet, let alone have children.""I've told you. You just need to have the baby, and I'll help you raise them," said Leah.Noelle put down her cutlery and, with a smile, said, "But I'm not ready to become a mother yet. I don't want to do anything that would be unfair to the child.""Then, what about Dylan? Aren't you being unfair to him, too? He's already 34 years old. If he doesn't get married and have children soon—""That's his business.""What did you say?"Leah's expression immediately darkened. She was so upset that she stood up abruptly.Then, she turned to look at Dylan. "Did you see that? You always say I can't tolerate anyone, but look at how she's treating me! After all these years of raising you, is this what you brought me—a woman who's hellbent on giving me a stroke?""Alright. Calm down," Roland finally spoke up.But as so
As a leading city, Coppersville's airport buzzed with activity even in the early hours of dawn.The moment Noelle boarded the plane, she requested a blanket from the flight attendant and then shut her eyes to catch up on sleep.It wasn't until someone sat down beside her that she stirred. She felt a hand gently adjusting the blanket draped over her. Startled awake, Noelle's eyes flew open and locked onto the person next to her.She had just been dreaming, though a fleeting one. In it, she had seen this same face. He was dressed in a sleek black suit, sliding a wedding ring onto her finger and leaning in to kiss her. But now, the person next to her had jolted her awake.In that moment, the man before her seemed to blur with the one from her dream, making it impossible for Noelle to tell if she was still dreaming or if this was real.He reached out again, gently brushing aside the stray strands of hair on her forehead. The cool touch of his fingertips against her skin jolted Noelle
Hendrix explained, "Now, I realize I was wrong. If it was the wrong choice, then I should do everything I can to fix it. That's exactly what I'm doing now. "To be honest, I used to think people who were controlled by their emotions were foolish. But when it happened to me, I realized it's not such a bad feeling. The profits in business have always been meaningless numbers to me. But if those numbers were tied to you, they'd actually make me happy."The plane had already taken off. Hendrix powered off his tablet, his unwavering gaze locked on Noelle. In the depths of his eyes burned an undeniable sincerity and longing.Noelle met his gaze, then suddenly laughed. "Honestly, if I'd heard you say this in the past, I'd probably be overjoyed.""And now?" Hendrix asked."It's too late," she said, her voice calm.Hendrix's eyes narrowed slightly, but he quickly composed himself. "You're going to say it's because you have a boyfriend, right? I already know about you and Dylan. You're jus
"I don't know, either. But considering everything that's happened between us, you won't mind if I take a little more time to think, right?" Noelle asked.That was the final response she left for Hendrix. And she was right—too much had happened between them, so taking more time to think things through was only fair.Hendrix had always considered himself a patient man, or at least he used to believe so.Take Amity Group's situation, for example. He had been laying the groundwork since last year and had only recently begun to reel it all in. So that was why he had always believed himself to be a skilled hunter.But as the days passed, Hendrix found that his patience wasn't as steadfast as he had once believed. Looking back, he realized he had done countless irrational things when it came to Noelle.Every time Hendrix thought about reaching out to her, he would remember the serious look on her face that day. If it meant a good outcome, then waiting a few more days wasn't unbearable. A
Hendrix grasped her meaning immediately. "What you're saying is you want me to be the one without the official acknowledgment, right?""Something like that. After all, we're still business partners, and it wouldn't be appropriate for us to be overly showy with our relationship. How would others see you? So, I think it's best—"Before she could finish, Hendrix suddenly strode forward and punched the wall right beside her. The sudden movement startled Noelle, cutting off whatever she'd been about to say."Noelle, are you kidding me? Who the hell do you take me for? In your eyes, am I really that pathetic and lacking in dignity?"Hendrix found the whole thing utterly absurd. Who would have thought that he would one day be asked to become a lover hidden in the shadows, someone who couldn't even be acknowledged publicly? Why should he let her reduce him to that? And more than that, how could she reduce herself to this?Hendrix clenched his teeth tightly, and the veins on his forearm an
Hendrix kept moving closer toward Noelle, leaving her no choice but to step back. But soon, her back hit the glass door of the balcony—there was nowhere left to retreat."You're overthinking it," Noelle said. "I didn't say anything because it's none of my business."Hendrix finally stopped moving."That's between you and Ms. Rhett. It's not my place to comment or interfere," she continued. "As for the people around you and what they want, that has nothing to do with me, either. So, can you please move aside now?"By the time Noelle finished speaking, all expression had vanished from Hendrix's face. He stared at her intently, as if trying to find some trace of emotion or crack in her composure. But there was nothing.Noelle stood there calmly, meeting his gaze. Hendrix couldn't help but clench his fists tightly.Seeing that he had nothing more to say, Noelle turned to leave, planning to walk past him. But Hendrix quickly grabbed her arm. "Did I say you could go?""Let go of me.
The sudden noise startled Rosie, and she immediately buried herself in Noelle's arms, her wide eyes fixed on Hendrix.But Hendrix didn't even notice her reaction. His gaze was locked on Noelle as he said, "Come out."As soon as he finished speaking, Rosie grabbed Noelle's hand tightly. "Mommy, don't go."Rosie had always been wary of Hendrix, but this was the first time Noelle sensed genuine fear in her. Her little fingers were gripping Noelle's hand so tightly that they had turned pale.Noelle quickly reassured her, "It's okay. I'll just go see what he wants.""No!" Rosie shook her head without hesitation.Noelle glanced at the door. Hendrix was still standing there, unmoving. The tight set of his lips and his grim expression were nothing short of sharp and severe.Rosie's grip on Noelle's hand tightened even more.Noelle had no choice but to hand Rosie the little lion plushie beside her. "Wait here for me, okay? I'll be right back."Rosie still didn't want to let go, but she
Hendrix moved quickly. As Seline instinctively reached for her phone, her fingers nearly got caught in his car door. But Hendrix didn't even bother to apologize. He simply had Levi start the car and drove off without another word.Seline stood there for a moment, stunned. Then, as if snapping out of it, she shouted at his retreating car, "Hendrix Freeman, what the hell is wrong with you? You emotionally unstable lunatic! Serves you right for being cheated on!"Hendrix didn't respond, of course. In fact, he didn't even bother to listen to what she was saying. The first thing he did when he got into the car was to call Angela.Angela answered the phone quickly. "Hello, Mr. Freeman.""Did you run into Noelle today?" Hendrix asked.It had been a long time since he had mentioned that name. After disappearing from Coppersville for so long, the name "Noelle" was unfamiliar to Angela.But she was quick on her feet. After running through the list of women associated with Hendrix in her mi
After hearing Noelle's response, Hendrix didn't say anything more. He simply left Sienna Villa with his entourage. When he reached the parking lot, he spotted Seline standing there.Because of Noelle, Seline had never been particularly fond of Hendrix. Even though her position technically required her to maintain a good relationship with him, she still refused to do so. In fact, she couldn't even be bothered to put on a front.But today, when Seline saw Hendrix, she seemed to be in an unusually good mood. She even took the initiative to wave at him."Hello, Mr. Freeman," she greeted.Even though Hendrix found this odd, he didn't say anything about it. He simply gave her a slight nod before getting into his car.Like hell Seline was just going to let him leave like that!The situation with Angela was something Seline wanted to blow up into a big scandal, but Noelle had a point, too. On the surface, Seline had no real connection to Hendrix, so whether he was being cheated on or not
"Then why is Seline laughing?" Rosie asked."She just remembered something happy," Noelle answered."Yes, I'm happy. Very happy," Seline echoed, immediately following Noelle's lead. Then, she added, "Let's go, Rosie. I'll send you home.""Oh…" Rosie was clearly still puzzled, but neither of them seemed inclined to explain further, so she didn't press the matter.Seline personally drove them back to Sienna Villa. She was in a good mood the entire way, humming a tune as she gripped the steering wheel. She could hardly wait to call Hendrix and tell him to catch Angela in the act at the hotel.But she held herself back. After all, Hendrix catching Angela red-handed wasn't enough. Seline wanted everyone in their social circle to know so that Hendrix would be completely humiliated."Don't stir up trouble," Noelle said bluntly from the back seat.Seline paused. "I'm not. What did I do?"Noelle didn't believe her. "In any case, it's their business. So, don't meddle in them."Seline po
Noelle didn't comment on Seline's remark. In truth, she still didn't know who was behind the downfall of the Fisher family. But no matter who it was, she didn't want to ask about it anymore.Once Rosie got off the carousel, the three of them left the arcade together.Rosie was so excited from playing that her face was covered in sweat. Just as Noelle was about to crouch down to wipe it off, Seline suddenly grabbed her arm.Her grip was tight, almost painful. Noelle couldn't help but frown.But Seline seemed oblivious. She pointed ahead and said, "Look! Who's that?"To avoid drawing attention, Seline kept her voice low and didn't point directly.Noelle followed her gaze.They were in a shopping mall, and with summer vacation in full swing, the place was crowded. So, for a moment, Noelle couldn't figure out who Seline was talking about.Seline stomped her foot impatiently. "Right in front of you! The one about to enter the Armani store!"Noelle wasn't wearing her glasses today.
In the following days, Noelle didn't see Hendrix again. But she didn't dwell on it. After all, he rarely came around before, so she didn't find it particularly unusual.As for who Angela was, it was Seline who filled Noelle in."I heard she used to be an influencer, working as a live streamer," Seline said with a frown.In her eyes, being an influencer or live streamer wasn't exactly a respectable profession. Especially when it came to someone as attractive-looking as Angela.Seline even showed Noelle some of Angela's past live streams. In the video, Angela was wearing a white dress, chatting and smiling with her audience.Noelle nodded and said, "Oh.""That's it?" Seline widened her eyes. "You're not going to say anything about it?""What should I say?" Noelle found it strange. "Oh, she's quite… pretty.""That's just the filter! And didn't you see how much makeup she's wearing?""Well, isn't that how it is in that industry?""Yes, but Hendrix's taste has really gone downhill
Hendrix remembered the scene from the last night when he stood on the balcony, watching Rosie smile and wave goodbye to Dylan. To be honest, the three of them looked incredibly good together, almost as if they were a real family.At this moment, if he wasn't mistaken, this was the first time Rosie had spoken to him on her own initiative. Yet, what she said was she didn't want to see him.Hendrix wanted to retort that this was his house, so why couldn't he be here? But when he met Rosie's eyes, he swallowed back his words.Then, he simply replied, "Okay."His response was straightforward, but Rosie didn't seem to think much of it. She merely nodded in satisfaction and went downstairs to find Noelle.Hendrix watched her retreating figure, his hands clenching involuntarily.It wasn't until the ache in his chest became unbearable that he finally snapped out of it and slowly made his way downstairs.Beatrice was already in the living room. When she saw him, she immediately called out
Noelle had initially wanted to explain that their meeting with Dylan had been purely coincidental. But after a pause, she simply said, "Thanks for your concern, but both Rosie and I know the truth of the matter. So, there's no need for you to worry about anything."With that, Noelle walked forward with Rosie in her hand. Rosie naturally followed her, and from the beginning to the end, she never showed Hendrix even the slightest trace of unnecessary emotion.But when Noelle was bathing her later, she suddenly asked, "Mommy, does Daddy hate me?""Of course not," Noelle denied without hesitation."Then, why does he always look like this when he sees me?"As she spoke, she furrowed her brows and pursed her lips.Honestly speaking, the expression she made was very similar to Hendrix's, and Noelle couldn't help but laugh."Trust me. He doesn't," she said, pinching Rosie's nose. "That's just how he is. It has nothing to do with you.""Really? But Mommy, you said before that I was th