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
"Yeah," Noelle replied."Is everything going well?" Hendrix asked again."Yes, very well. The doctor said the baby is healthy, and everything looks good."Noelle's voice was calm, and her gaze carried a touch of warmth as she looked at him—just as usual.Even so, a coldness still settled over Hendrix's expression."Weren't you busy today?" Noelle suddenly asked.Hendrix frowned."Have you already settled everything that has to do with Nathan?" Noelle questioned.Hendrix took a deep breath. "Not yet, but it's almost done."Noelle let out a soft "oh", then nodded seriously.Hendrix stared at her for a moment before asking, "Who did you run into at the hospital today?"Noelle didn't answer right away. Instead, she turned to glance at the housekeeper.The housekeeper had clearly been discreetly monitoring their conversation, but the moment Noelle's gaze landed on her, she suddenly felt a strange sense of guilt and quickly looked away.Noelle frowned slightly before turning bac
At the beginning of December, Noelle and Hendrix went to take their wedding photos. This time, everything progressed much more smoothly than when they got married the first time.Hendrix had Noelle's wedding dress specially custom-made, and according to the stylist, just the tiny diamonds on the dress alone cost more than an average person's annual salary.When the stylist mentioned this, her voice and expression were filled with envy. But Noelle felt nothing at all.After finishing their second outfit change, Noelle unexpectedly ran into someone in a theme park's lobby.At first, she hadn't recognized the woman.For today's wedding photoshoot, Hendrix had rented out the entire amusement park. Even though there were no tourists, plenty of staff were still around.So at first, Noelle assumed the woman was just another park employee. That was until she heard her call out, "Ms. Swanson."Noelle stopped in her tracks and turned to look at her."You don't recognize me, do you?" The
Noelle hadn't seen Dylan in a long time. The last time was in a café. That day, he told her he was leaving the country.Back then, she had thought they would never cross paths again in this lifetime. Neither of them could have imagined that so much would happen afterward.Compared to their moment of disorientation, the other two seemed completely at ease.Jean even went so far as to introduce them to each other—as if they were meeting for the very first time.Hendrix extended his hand toward Dylan with an air of sincerity. "Mr. Pritchett, pleasure to meet you."Dylan's expression was noticeably stiff. After a brief hesitation, he finally reached out and shook Hendrix's hand.Hendrix smiled and said, "So, you two are getting married soon as well? And on the same day as us, no less. What a coincidence!""Right? I thought so, too!" Jean quickly responded. "But we actually picked this date a long time ago—we even sent you both an invitation. Maybe you two also thought it was an espe
"Dylan, what do you think you're doing?" The moment Jean caught up to Dylan, she demanded an answer. "You're seriously going to give me an attitude in front of everyone?"Dylan stopped in his tracks. Then, he turned around and glanced at Jean before saying, "I didn't mean to do it.""You didn't mean to do it?" Jean let out a cold laugh. "Are you joking? Then tell me—what exactly were you trying to do back there?""I just don't see the point of this dinner," Dylan replied expressionlessly. "So, I didn't want to waste my time.""You don't see the point? Don't you know who Hendrix is? He's the general manager of Amity Group! Do you have any idea how many people in Coppersville would kill for a chance to have dinner with him?""That's them, not me."Jean stared at him for a long moment before suddenly laughing. "Oh? Do you still think you're the same high-and-mighty professor as before? Or maybe… you just hate Hendrix because he stole the woman you loved the most?""Jean." Dylan's g
Jean's temper flared quickly but faded just as fast. Or rather, when it came to Dylan, she had always shown a level of tolerance she rarely afforded others.So now, after just a few coaxing words from him, her anger dissipated.At that moment, Dylan took the chance to say, "Alright. I really do need to make a call. You should head back in first. After all, you were the one who set this dinner up, so it wouldn't look good if neither of us were there.""Fine. I'll go in first, but hurry up with the call.""Got it."Dylan smiled, standing in place as he watched Jean return to the private dining room.The moment she shut the door behind her, his smile vanished instantly. And in its place was obvious exhaustion and disgust.He turned, about to find a quiet corner to have a smoke, but then, he saw Noelle standing there.He had no idea how long she had been there, but from the look of her face, she had likely heard everything—Jean's commanding tone and his own subdued responses. Dy
Noelle immediately stopped and turned to him.That calm, almost puzzled gaze only pierced Dylan deeper.After a long pause, he finally asked, "Are you looking down on me, too?""No," Noelle answered without hesitation. "I already said—I think you did well, and I can understand why you did what you did. Besides, my choices weren't all that different from yours. So, what right do I have to look down on you?"Dylan instantly fell silent at her words. Then, he smiled bitterly. "Is that so?""Yeah, so—"Noelle had been about to pull her wrist free, but Dylan tightened his grip and asked, "So, do you not hate them?"Noelle frowned."I actually have a very direct way to get revenge on them. Do you want to know what it is?"As Dylan spoke, he leaned in closer to Noelle—so much so that she could see the sinister glint in his eyes. But more than that, she saw his trembling lips.And because she saw it so clearly, she didn't dodge. In fact, she didn't even shift in the slightest. She si
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