"Help him? You mean by using herself to curry favor with Javier?" asked Noelle."Whether that's true or not, I don't know, and it has nothing to do with me," replied Hendrix."Didn't you say you see Sandra as a sister? Doesn't it hurt you to see your 'sister' fall to this level?"Hendrix suddenly chuckled and raised his head to look at her. "I thought I was the one being unnecessarily jealous, but it turns out a certain someone might be the jealous one.""Who are you talking about?" Noelle shot back, her tone calm and steady, as if their conversation had nothing to do with her.Hendrix didn't continue teasing her and instead said, "What you're really worried about is whether Sandra will try to interfere on Javier's side, isn't it?"Noelle didn't respond, but her silence was as good as confirmation.Hendrix discarded the cotton swab and added, "It's not impossible."Noelle pressed her lips together. "But judging by Javier's attitude toward her tonight, it doesn't seem like he'd
Noelle lay back on the couch with her head tilted upward.The living room lights were on, their stark white glow almost blinding. Tears unknowingly welled up at the corners of Noelle's eyes. Her hands tightened, clenching reflexively as if searching for something to hold onto. In the end, they slid downward until they grasped at Hendrix's hair.The loss of control was sudden and overwhelming. But Noelle didn't forget the important matter at hand. As Hendrix straightened and lifted her into his arm, she regained her composure and asked, "How do you plan to help me?"Hendrix didn't respond but simply kept walking.Noelle grew impatient, and clutching his collar tightly, she asked, "Hendrix, are you playing me?"Hendrix tossed her onto the bed in the bedroom and leaned over her. "Noelle, aren't you being a bit too impatient? I told you to earn my help by pleasing me, yet here you are, asking for favors without having done a thing."His voice carried a subtle warning, but Noelle show
Compared to the previous evening, Javier's attitude was noticeably better today.After the customary few questions, he assured Noelle that the proposal would be reviewed promptly and that she would receive a response within a week. This timeline was considered remarkably quick in the industry, and Noelle suspected Hendrix had something to do with it.However, she didn't mention it in front of others. Instead, she smiled warmly and promised to buy Javier dinner next time.Javier chuckled in response, agreeing good-naturedly.As they left the building, even Oliver couldn't help but remark, "Mr. Mueller seems much easier to talk to than the rumors suggest. And honestly, the way he talked—it felt more like polite formalities. After all, he's the president. Whether the project gets approved is entirely up to him, isn't it?""We still need to follow the process," Noelle replied absentmindedly, her attention focused on the news on her phone.It wasn't until she finished speaking that sh
Just as Oliver had implied, the "review" Javier mentioned turned out to be nothing more than a formality. In less than five business days, the funds Noelle had requested were approved without issue.However, securing the funds was only the first step. To ensure everything proceeded smoothly, Noelle made a point of visiting the construction site for an inspection today.By now, Vinton City had officially entered summer. Noelle wore a hard hat during her site visit, and as it was a formal inspection, carrying a sun umbrella was out of the question. By the end of the day, her arms and the back of her neck were noticeably red from the sun.On her way home, she stopped to buy some ointment. Just as she was about to apply it after getting home, Hendrix walked in.Hendrix had been out for a dinner engagement tonight, but it was clear he had slipped away early. In his hand, he carried the takeout he brought back for Noelle, with the most eye-catching item being a small cake nestled beside
Hendrix was mindful of Noelle's sunburned skin, and with the moment's tension easing slightly, he was about to let her go when Noelle suddenly grabbed his arm."Hendrix," she whispered softly into his ear.The blunt and passionate words made Hendrix stiffen, his eyes snapping to hers with an almost visceral reaction.Noelle smiled at him. Between her fingers was the tie she had just removed from his neck, the silky fabric sliding smoothly through her fingertips. Leaning in again, she gently licked his lips.The last shred of rationality in Hendrix's mind snapped in an instant. Without hesitation, he grabbed the back of Noelle's head and kissed her fiercely.At that moment, they clung to each other desperately, as if they were two people struggling to breathe, finding solace only in each other. Their embrace was intense, as though they had finally found the one they couldn't live without and were terrified of losing them again.They held on tightly to each other, unwilling to be t
Naturally, Hendrix didn't believe Noelle. After all, just half an hour ago, they had been wrapped in each other's warmth, and now, Noelle was calmly telling him to leave.He stared at her for a long moment before letting out a short laugh. "You're joking, right? Noelle, you—"Hendrix had just removed his gloves, intending to pull her into his arms, but Noelle quickly dodged him and asked, "What deal did you make with Javier?"Her serious expression made his hand freeze midair. In the end, he had no choice but to slowly withdraw it.Although he couldn't quite understand how this related to her sudden request, Hendrix still answered, "He had some trouble with assets abroad, and I helped him resolve it."Noelle nodded. "Oh, that explains it."Hendrix frowned. "What's wrong? Did something happen?""No, on the contrary, thanks to your help, our project has been progressing smoothly, and the funds were disbursed today. Otherwise, it might have taken a month to get results."Hendrix l
Hendrix felt it was unnecessary to give Noelle the last laugh, but at this moment, he couldn't control himself.Noelle looked at him for a while before explaining, "We agreed to get married just two days ago. As for now… "Mr. Freeman, you're all-knowing, aren't you? You should know there's something called the breakup ex. Moreover, you've helped me a lot during this period of time, so that was compensation for you. I just wanted to make you happy for a bit."She sounded so genuine, too.Hendrix stared at her and couldn't help but laugh. "So just now… you just wanted to make me happy?""Yeah, what did you expect?"Hendrix suddenly let go of her hand, and even the gaze that seemed intent on tearing Noelle apart was lowered at this moment. He looked as if all the strength had drained from him.Noelle initially thought he had accepted it, but in the next moment, Hendrix softly said, "I don't understand.""What don't you understand?""If Dylan can help you, so can I. Why… Why did
"What do you mean?" Hendrix asked in a low voice.Noelle pulled the cake over but didn't eat it. She just simply replied, "Have you handled Amity Group's matter?"Hendrix did not expect her to ask this.Before he could answer, she continued, "The crisis last year was just a facade, right? You told me before that Amity Group, with its decades of history, has its advantages and disadvantages. The advantage is that it's a nationally recognized enterprise with a solid reputation and foundation."The disadvantage is that over these decades, the motivation of many employees has been ground down to almost nothing—especially certain relatives and friends of a few shareholders. You're well aware of their lack of contribution to the company, but you can't completely remove them. "After all, these are the veteran shareholders who fought alongside your father and even your grandfather. Taking action against them would harm your reputation. So, you've actually been waiting for an opportunity.
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