Although Noelle hadn't agreed to it the night before, Hendrix had still gone ahead and booked a hot spring hotel.To ensure they had plenty of time the next day, he had even made a point of going back home early that day. He had planned to take Noelle to the hot spring tonight, but when he arrived at Nivis Villa, he found it was completely dark.A while ago, Noelle had mentioned she didn't like having other people around the house, so Hendrix had arranged for the household staff to come only at fixed times for cleaning.As a result, Noelle was the only person in the villa most of the time. Now that she wasn't there, the entire place was dark and eerily quiet.A frown immediately appeared on Hendrix's face. Where could she be at this hour?He quickly gave her a call, but her phone was off. The cold, automated voice on the other end made his expression darken further.Immediately after, he called the housekeeper. "Did Noelle mention where she was going today?""No, Mrs. Freeman wa
"I've already seen it before," Noelle replied."I've seen it, too! But every time I see it, I get emotional all over again," Seline said as she grabbed another tissue.Noelle merely lowered her head and took a sip of water."It's getting late, isn't it?" Seline suddenly remembered something. "Should I take you home?""No, it's okay." Noelle's eyes remained fixed on the flickering television screen."What do you mean? Did you two have a fight?" Selene asked, then suddenly thought of something. "Or did you ask him about what I told you yesterday?"Noelle glanced at her but said nothing."So, he really—"Before Seline could finish, the doorbell rang.She paused, slightly surprised. "Who could it be at this hour?"Noelle didn't answer.Seline immediately caught on. "It's Hendrix, isn't it? Well, you can open the door yourself, then.""I don't know."Noelle glanced at the time and was about to get up when Seline suddenly pressed her back down."Forget it. I'll go. You stay put
Hendrix had initially maintained a blank expression as he looked at Seline. But the moment her words landed, his gaze darkened instantly. "What do you mean by 'not going home'?""Oh, don't act like you don't know what I'm talking about. You really think the rest of us are blind and deaf?" Seline became more worked up as she spoke.Noelle went up to stop her, but Seline swiftly pushed her hand away. "Stay out of this! I have to get this straight today!"With that, she turned back and glared at Hendrix. "Come on. Tell us! What's going on between you and that woman? Everyone in our circle is talking about it. "Don't tell me that with all your connections, you have no idea? Or is it that you simply have no retort because it's the truth?"You're unbelievable! How long has it even been since you and Noelle made up? If I had known this was going to happen, I would've stopped her back then—made sure she never forgave you at all!"After Seline finished speaking, Hendrix seemed to have ca
Hendrix frowned deeply, and this time, his hesitation before declining the call was obvious.Noelle, however, immediately unfastened her seatbelt and reached for the car door. "Forget it. I'll just go back on my own."But Hendrix quickly grabbed her wrist. "Where are you going?""You seem busy. I can get a cab home.""It's so late! How are you going to get a cab?""Aren't there plenty of cars on the road? Why wouldn't I be able to?""Come back! I'll—"Before he could finish, a third call came through.Noelle's gaze turned sharp with a hint of mockery. "Look at you—so busy. I won't trouble you any further. I'll go back on my own."With that, she pried his fingers off her wrist.Hendrix reached out to grab her again, but Noelle moved with a swift decisiveness. The moment she stepped out of the car, she headed straight across the street.By the time Hendrix unbuckled his seatbelt and got out, the traffic light had already turned red.Even in the dead of night, Coppersville's s
Noelle had no idea how she ended up in this place. She only remembered getting out of Hendrix's car and crossing the street.Then, someone tapped her on the shoulder. Before she could even turn around, a hand had already covered her mouth and nose.And then, she passed out.When she opened her eyes again, she was in an unfamiliar room. Her hands and feet were tightly bound, and the air was thick with the stench of mold.The only source of light was a faint sliver of moonlight seeping through a small window, while the rest of the room was swallowed in darkness.Noelle had no idea who had brought her here, let alone what their intentions were. Because until now, she hadn't even seen their faces.Just as she was searching the room for something to cut through the ropes, the old, creaking door swung open.She immediately turned her head.The moment she saw the person standing in the doorway, her eyes widened slightly. "It's you!"Jean let out a cold laugh. "You look surprised. Wha
"See how considerate I am? So, can you be considerate of me, too? Stay still and don't move. Got it? Otherwise, I'd feel awful if this knife accidentally cuts your stomach," Jean threatened, pressing down the knife harder on Noelle's cheek.Noelle felt a sharp, spearing pain as the blade sliced across her skin. Blood immediately welled up and dripped down, each drop landing cold and stark against the surface below.Noelle suddenly thought of Hendrix.What was he doing now? Did he think she had stormed off in anger and was searching for her like a madman? Or had he picked up Olivia's call and didn't even notice Noelle was missing?She didn't dare to think about it. The more she thought, the more bitter she felt.The pain became sharper, but she didn't dare move. Because just like Jean said, Noelle was pregnant. Thus, she couldn't risk upsetting Jean for fear of what she would do to her baby.As the knife carved into Noelle's skin, Jean's eyes lit up with a bloodthirsty and maniaca
The ambulance quickly brought Noelle to the hospital. The bleeding on her face had stopped, but the doctor still needed to stitch up her wound.She couldn't feel pain on that part of her face after anesthesia had been administered. She could, however, feel the doctor's movement—the way the needle and thread pierced through her skin, clear and distinct.Since it was a minor procedure, they conducted it in the emergency room.Although the door was closed, Noelle kept her eyes fixed on it. As for what she was waiting for, she wasn't even sure herself.But by the time the doctor finished, Hendrix still hadn't appeared, whereas Dylan had been waiting outside the entire time.The moment he saw Noelle come out, he immediately approached her and asked, "Are you okay? Does it hurt?"Noelle glanced at him and shook her head."That's good. Let me take you home."The moment Dylan said those words, Noelle stopped in her tracks. Then, she slowly lifted her head to look at him.Something in
Noelle's hands immediately clenched.Then, something flashed through her mind, but before she could grasp it, the words had already slipped from her lips."The person who died… Was it Olivia?"…The deceased was indeed Olivia. She had fallen from the 21st-floor balcony of an apartment complex and died on the spot.And more importantly, her clothes were disheveled at the time of her death. Aside from her, the only other person in the apartment was Hendrix.A man and a woman, alone in a high-rise apartment in the dead of the night—that alone was enough to fuel endless speculation. And with Hendrix's status, it only made things worse.Within hours, all sorts of theories had already taken over the headlines.Olivia's close ties with Hendrix had already spread like wildfire in their social circles.Now, with her sudden death—and in that particular state—many speculated that the two had been playing too recklessly, leading to Olivia's accidental fall from the balcony. After all, if
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