"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 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
In the past, Craig had always been the one giving orders to Noelle. He didn't need to consult her, nor did he allow her to oppose him. But now, he seemed like a helpless child, asking Noelle what to do. Noelle closed her eyes for a moment before speaking again, "Who else knows about this for now?" As soon as the words left her mouth, she realized her mistake in phrasing, so she quickly added, "No matter who knows, we must block the news. Otherwise, once the stock market opens tomorrow, Elm Group will truly be doomed!" Craig remained silent while staring vacantly ahead. "What about Julio's family? They should still be here, right? You need to get someone to contact them immediately. Once Julio reaches them, call the police right away! Do you hear me?" Noelle's final words seemed to snap Craig back to reality, and he shakily reached for his phone. Noelle didn't look back, turning to walk away, but there was no sound behind her. When she turned back in confusion, she found
Noelle's words were soon proven true.The day after the project was handed over to Julio, Amity Group notified them that work would resume.Although Noelle's responsibilities had been transferred to Julio, she was still the general manager of the subsidiary, so some processes still had to go through her.Two days later, Julio claimed that there were still some unclear aspects of the handover. Since Noelle was on leave preparing for her wedding, he decided to take Oliver from her side.Noelle didn't object. After all, this was the company's project, and if anything went wrong, she would be held accountable.Oliver was soon reassigned.A week later, when it was only two more days until Noelle and Dylan's wedding, she received a call from Oliver in the middle of the night. "Ms. Swanson, shit has gone down. I can't get in touch with Mr. Garcia!"Noelle was shocked and was now wide awake from her sleep. Her mind was still in a mess. "What?" "Mr. Garcia is missing!" Oliver's voice