Hendrix didn't respond. He simply let go of Erwin's collar and strode forward.Erwin, however, quickly caught up. "Alright, now. Let's drop it. Now, where am I staying? Your place?""The hotel," Hendrix replied expressionlessly.Erwin shrugged nonchalantly.Hendrix had other matters to attend to and didn't bother sending him to the hotel. But just as he was about to get into another car, Erwin's voice rang out behind him, "By the way, Noelle knows I landed today. She even offered to host a little welcome dinner for me. You'll also be there, won't you?"Hendrix turned to look at him.Erwin smiled and said, "No worries. If you're not coming, we can always have dinner alone."…There was no way Hendrix wasn't going. The moment he stepped into the private dining room, he went straight to Noelle to settle the score with her."Didn't you say you wouldn't meet him alone? What do you call this?"Noelle was stunned. "Wasn't it you who agreed to this first? He said you were the one i
As soon as Noelle finished speaking, Erwin paused for a moment before breaking into a smile."Of course. I've already told you—if we work together to completely ruin his business here, he'll have no choice but to return to Mondivera with me. And when that happens, you'll finally be free."Noelle merely smiled.But in Erwin's eyes, that smile made his brows crease ever so slightly.Only then did Noelle say, "But Mr. Lawson, I don't think you actually want to help me.""Oh?""If you really wanted to make Hendrix despair, it would be simple—just tell him that you and I are working together. After all, you know better than I do what kind of person he is. "If you destroy his business here, do you really think he'll let you go? That's not the outcome you're looking for, is it?"What you really want is for him to believe that I betrayed him. That's why you've been pushing me so hard all this time. Because once he finds out, you'll be able to tell him—see? The people closest to you ca
When Hendrix saw Noelle and Erwin returning almost at the same time, he immediately frowned and asked, "Where did you two go?""I went to the restroom, and I just happened to run into Mr. Lawson on the way back," Noelle answered in an unfazed manner.Besides, this was Coppersville, so Hendrix knew Erwin wouldn't dare try anything here.Even so, he still felt unsettled. He frowned at Erwin before finally stepping back into the private dining room.The food had all been served.Erwin still wasn't fond of Jainese cuisine, but for the sake of appearances, he picked at a few bites. The alcohol, however, was a different story, as both men had quite a few.Just as Hendrix was about to take another drink, Noelle reached out and pressed her hand against his glass."That's enough." Her voice was soft, but her brows were slightly furrowed, and a hint of dissatisfaction flickered in her eyes. "You haven't been sleeping well lately, so do you think your body can handle you drinking so much?"
Beatrice's injuries were severe, but fortunately, none were life-threatening. After a few days in the hospital, she was discharged.This time, however, Hendrix didn't let her return to Freeman Manor. Instead, he arranged for her to stay in a secluded yet elegant place.It just so happened to be the end of the month, and Nathan had returned to Coppersville for a work report.Hendrix reserved a table at a restaurant, calling it a "family reunion dinner".The moment Noelle heard the phrase, she had a bad feeling. After all, every reunion dinner in the Freeman family had never truly ended well. But since Hendrix had already made the arrangements, she had no choice but to go along.Winter had officially arrived in Coppersville.Today's temperature had dropped a few degrees lower than yesterday. Before they head out, Hendrix thoughtfully wrapped a scarf around Noelle's neck.The white scarf matched her coat perfectly, while Hendrix was dressed entirely in black.Two starkly contrasti
Ophelia watched Hendrix's actions closely with a noticeable frown.It wasn't until Hendrix felt that Noelle had eaten enough that he turned to Nathan. "By the way, I heard you've been in contact with the people over in Konray Capital. How's that going?"Nathan had been quietly eating with his head lowered, but the moment Hendrix dropped that question, his hand froze in mid-motion.Then, he lifted his head in disbelief.Ophelia looked confused. "What's Konray Capital?""Oh, Grandma, you might not be familiar with them," Hendrix said with a faint smile. "They're a company that deals in capital flow. Basically, they allow you to put your company shares up as collateral in exchange for a massive cash infusion. If the shares rise above a certain threshold within a set period, they even distribute dividends to you."But if the shares drop below a certain point, they have the contractual right to break down or even swallow your holdings. "I'm just wondering—how far along are you in
Ophelia quickly stormed off in a huff.Nathan stood there, frozen. It wasn't until a long moment had passed that he finally came back to his senses. He rushed forward and grabbed Hendrix by the collar."So, you knew everything! You've always known, yet you let me go ahead with it. You did this on purpose!"Hendrix simply smiled. "As an adult, if you can't even manage the most basic form of self-control, who can you blame?""This was clearly a trap you deliberately set up for me!""Yeah, but it's always up to you whether you choose to step into it or not. I never held a gun to your head and forced you to do it."As he spoke, Hendrix calmly raised his hand and methodically pried Nathan's fingers off his collar one by one."Oh, by the way, I should mention—I actually have shares in Konray Capital, too," Hendrix said with a faint smile. "That deal you got involved in? It was tailored specifically for you, including the stock market manager I arranged for you. Otherwise, how else d
So, at the moment, Hendrix was feeling a mixed bag of emotions. Especially when he heard Noelle's "honest" response, the frown on his forehead deepened even further."But isn't that how things are in the business world? It's either you die or I live," Noelle continued. "So, it's not really about being cruel or not."Her words caused Hendrix's lips to slowly curl upward. He then gave a soft hum."What will happen to him after this?" Noelle asked."Who? Nathan?" Hendrix chuckled lightly. "Why do you care? In any case, he's not going to have it easy."The way he said it made Noelle instantly understand, and she didn't ask any further questions.…The next day, Noelle saw the news about Amity Group as expected.What Nathan did was akin to disrupting the stock market, which was clearly in the gray area. To make matters worse, he wasn't just an ordinary shareholder of Amity Group—he was a member of the Freeman family, Hendrix's younger brother.Previously, the news released by Amity
Noelle said nothing more. But the way she silently looked at Sandra was nothing short of mockery and disdain in Sandra's eyes.She trembled involuntarily and clenched her teeth tightly. But then, just as quickly, she let out a laugh. "Oh, really? Such wonderful news, and yet, I had no idea. Should I be congratulating you, then?""Do as you please," Noelle replied. "Whether you congratulate me or not, it makes no difference to me."Contempt—that was what Sandra could clearly feel radiating from Noelle's gaze. As if everything she had desperately fought for meant nothing at all to Noelle.In truth, that seemed to be the reality.Over the years, Sandra had done so much for Hendrix. She had exhausted every possible effort, desperately trying to make him notice her and to replace Noelle's place in his heart. But in the end, he still chose Noelle. At this moment, Noelle stood before her with an air of absolute superiority, looking down on her with indifference."It's not really that
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
Seline was determined to play the role of a matchmaker to the end. When Rosie had had enough fun, she suddenly claimed she had an urgent matter to attend to and had to leave. Thus, the task of taking Noelle and Rosie home fell to Dylan.Her intentions were far too obvious. To Noelle, her act even seemed a bit clumsy. But Dylan didn't call her out. Instead, he accepted the task graciously and even thanked Seline sincerely.Seline raised an eyebrow at him and whispered a few words to Rosie before leaving.Noelle could tell Seline hadn't taught Rosie anything good, so on the way back, she tried her best to distract Rosie, hoping she'd forget about it.But Rosie was a child with a strong sense of responsibility. Eventually, she seized an opportunity and asked Dylan, "Mr. Pritchett, when you have the time, can I go out with you again?"Her question was very straightforward.She stared intently at Dylan, who was momentarily taken aback. But then, he smiled and said, "Of course."Rosie
"I didn't expect to run into you here. Small world," Dylan said.Noelle gave him a slight nod in acknowledgment.Beside her, Seline asked excitedly, "You're Dylan Pritchett, the CEO of Dyno Corporation, right?""That's right. Nice to meet you, Ms. Swift."Dylan extended his hand for a brief handshake.Seline nodded repeatedly, then turned to Noelle, her eyes silently questioning her.Noelle ignored her.Unfazed, Seline looked down at Rosie and asked, "Rosie, how do you know Mr. Pritchett?""He came to the hospital to visit me once," Rosie answered seriously, then quickly asked, "Seline, didn't you say you were going to take me to go see the fountains?""Ah, right! Let's go!"Seline immediately caught on to what Rosie was getting at. She quickly grabbed Rosie's hand before turning to say to Noelle, "I'm going to bring Rosie to the fountains. You two have a good chat."With that, she whisked Rosie away.Rosie played along effortlessly. In fact, the two of them took off so qui
A child's emotions were simple and straightforward—they would instinctively gravitate toward those who were good to them.Beatrice was always kind and warm. Every time she saw Rosie, her face would always light up with a gentle smile, so it was only natural for Rosie to like her.Hendrix, however, was a different story.Their first meeting left a terrible impression on Rosie, and if Noelle remembered correctly, Hendrix had never smiled at Rosie even once.Whenever Rosie saw him, he always had a stern expression. Adding that to their bad first encounter, it was no surprise Rosie disliked him.Seline indeed hadn't seen Rosie in a long time, so they were both especially excited to see each other today.After lunch, Seline took Rosie to the arcade. She was a pro at the claw machines, and by the time they left, they had a pile of stuffed animals. The two of them happily gave away most of their winnings to the kids outside the mall.Rosie loved doing things like that.While she was b
Rosie adapted well to the new environment. At first, she was a little reserved around Beatrice. But after a few days together, her smiles grew more frequent, and whenever she saw Beatrice, she would call her "Grandma" without prompting.Beatrice bought her plenty of toys. Although Rosie accepted them all, her favorite was still the little lion plushie. She never let it leave her side, even sleeping with it at night.Noelle had once asked if she realized this wasn't her original lion plushie, and Rosie said she knew. She liked the old one, too, but that didn't change how much she liked the new one.Such simple words carried a deeper meaning that resonated with Noelle. But before she could process it, a voice suddenly came from outside, "Mr. Freeman is back."Noelle's expression froze instantly.Rosie, on the other hand, asked her curiously, "Mommy, who's Mr. Freeman?"Noelle was about to explain when the man in question stepped inside, and he wasn't alone. Next to him stood a woma
"Thank you," Beatrice's voice came from behind just as Noelle was in the kitchen preparing a snack for Rosie. Even though there were household staff and chefs in the villa, Noelle still preferred making Rosie's food herself.Despite being in a new environment, Rosie adapted quickly. Noelle had spent the morning reading to her, and during lunch, she ate quietly without fuss. She even took her medicine without any tears or complaints. Now, she was upstairs sleeping.Beatrice adored her but was careful not to overwhelm her with too much attention. Seeing Noelle take the time to make snacks, she couldn't help but speak up.Noelle froze for a second, then turned to her with a puzzled look, unsure what she meant."You've raised Rosie well," Beatrice said."I'm her mother. That's what I'm supposed to do," Noelle said. "And she's my daughter, so you don't have to thank me for that."The line Noelle drew was clear and firm.Beatrice understood what she was saying right away. She also k