Noelle didn't want to look at him, so she turned her head away.Hendrix didn't seem to mind. He chuckled softly before turning and walking out.Craig immediately turned to Noelle. "What did he mean just now? Are you two living together now? And what's this about Dylan?"Noelle didn't answer his questions. Instead, she simply said, "I was planning on discussing Elm Group with you, but it seems there's no need anymore. I have other things to take care of, so I'll be leaving now.""Wait! You still haven't explained yourself. Are you really living with him? So, this was all planned between you two, wasn't it? I knew it! He was talking about giving us more time before, and now, he's moving this fast—it must be because you tipped him off—""Enough," Noelle suddenly interrupted exhaustedly."What did you just say?""He knows everything," Noelle said with a faint, bitter laugh. "From the beginning to the end, we've been nothing more than prey in the palm of his hand. We're not even on t
As Hendrix's words fell, the car was suddenly engulfed in silence.Noelle clutched the document tightly, her knuckles turning stark white from the force of her grip.Hendrix sat beside her, watching intently, as if deliberately waiting to see how she would react. If she threw a fit or even tried to bite him, he might actually enjoy it more.In fact, Noelle couldn't help but think that Hendrix truly was hoping for that. After all, he had already gone insane and wanted everyone else to spiral into madness with him.But Noelle refused to give him the satisfaction. Clenching her teeth, she forced her emotions back down and asked, "And what if I refuse to sign?""Hmm, it's not a big deal. I'll just let Elm Group keep rotting, and as for Dylan's little mess, don't expect me to keep it under wraps for him."His tone was calm, but in just a few words, he painted a picture of utter chaos and destruction.Noelle's expression grew darker by the second.The man in front of her didn't seem
Noelle maintained a calm facade, but as she completed the final stroke of her signature, the pen's tip unintentionally tore through the paper. She didn't bother to fix it. Instead, she tossed the signed document at Hendrix.As for Hendrix's reaction? She didn't bother to check. After tossing the document onto his lap, she turned and reached for the door. But before she could step out, Hendrix's voice came from behind, "Where are you going? Let me drive you. Oh, and since the agreement is signed, let's take care of the marriage registration tomorrow. I'll pick you up in the morning, okay?"Noelle didn't respond, nor did she reject him. Instead, she decisively closed the car door with a loud thud. The car fell into silence once more.Hendrix gripped the steering wheel, his eyes lingering on Noelle's retreating figure for a moment before he finally picked up the document she had thrown at him.There were two copies, and Noelle had signed her name on both. Though she hadn't taken the
Ophelia looked as though she might faint from rage.Hendrix, on the other hand, remained utterly composed.He even picked up the glass by his side, taking a slow sip before calmly saying, "Grandma, I'm an adult now. This is a decision about my life, and I've made it with careful consideration.""Your life? Do you think I don't know what you've been up to out there? Let me remind you—so long as you carry the Freeman name and are my grandson, I have every right to control your decisions! "Don't forget. Everything you have now is because of me. If you dare to act recklessly, everything I've given you can just as easily be—"She suddenly stopped, as if realizing she had said too much. Clenching her teeth, she swallowed the rest of her words.Hendrix chuckled. "Are you referring to the one outside? No need to keep it a secret. I already know about him."As his words fell, Ophelia's sharp glare immediately turned to Beatrice.Beatrice, however, merely frowned and said nothing.Hend
But it was only a sliver. As Beatrice's period of slumber grew longer, even that sliver of feeling was worn away completely.When Hendrix learned of her awakening, his first reaction wasn't joy but strategizing. How could he use her fragile state to push Noelle into seeing her and igniting Noelle's guilt?Hendrix knew this wasn't how a normal person would think, but it was exactly the kind of mindset he had been taught since childhood.From an early age, Beatrice had focused solely on teaching him how to be a successful businessman—how to stay composed and level-headed so he could make the right call no matter the situation.She had done her job well, and he had succeeded in becoming an exceptional businessman. But she'd never taught him how to be a normal son, which meant Hendrix had no clue what a normal reaction was supposed to be.Including now.Beatrice quickly stepped in front of him. "What did you do to Noelle?"Hendrix lifted his eyes to look at her.Beatrice gritted he
Noelle hadn't told Hendrix which hotel she was staying at. But this was Coppersville, and there was little here he couldn't find out if he wanted to.The next morning, just as Noelle woke up, the doorbell rang. When she opened the door, Hendrix stood there, smiling brightly at her."Let's go to the courthouse," he said.He wasn't wearing a jacket today, just a crisp white shirt. Combined with his soft, slightly tousled hair, it made Noelle pause for a moment.For a fleeting second, it felt like she was back in the past, hiding in a corner, secretly watching him.But she quickly shut down the thought.Now, she knew better. The person he had been back then was a lie, just as the version of him she thought she'd come to understand later was a lie.The man standing before her now—shameless, ruthless, and utterly self-serving—was the real Hendrix."I've already picked out clothes for you. You've got your documents ready, right?"Noelle had planned to say she hadn't brought them, but
Beatrice handed the box to Noelle. "Even though we've known each other for a while, since you and Hendrix have decided to start over, it's only right to mark the occasion with something auspicious. This was part of my wedding gift when I got married, so I'll give it to you as a gift for today.""This is too much," Noelle said."It's fine," Beatrice replied with a smile. "Hendrix has already made up his mind about you, so everything of mine will end up with you eventually anyway, won't it?"Noelle looked at the woman in front of her. She was still the same—poised, composed, every bit as dignified as the Beatrice in her memories.But what Noelle remembered even more vividly was how this same Beatrice had once been so desperate to escape the Freeman family—so much so that she was even willing to take her own life.And now, her lover was gone.That part of the past had long been forgotten by everyone in their circle, as if it had never happened. Even Beatrice herself seemed to have e
When Beatrice finished speaking, Noelle fell silent for a moment. Then, she suddenly smiled, which made Beatrice frown involuntarily."So, you still love him, don't you?" Noelle asked softly.Beatrice couldn't help but tighten her grip around her cup when she heard that question."I don't blame you, but I'll never forgive him, either," Noelle said as she set the coffee cup back on the table. She then continued, "If it weren't for the pressure he exerted in business and all those underhanded tactics, I'd already be someone else's wife by now. "Do you really think, under these circumstances, I could convince myself to love him?"Her tone was calm, and so were her emotions.Beatrice couldn't come up with a suitable reply. In truth, she would have preferred if Noelle had been more confrontational and aggressive. At least that would have meant she still felt something—anything—when it came to Hendrix.But there was nothing."I know," Beatrice finally said. "His name is Dylan, right
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