Dylan smiled, but gone was the warmth that used to fill his face, and in its place was a sharp, icy edge.Noelle's heart skipped a beat, but she quickly composed herself. "It wasn't you.""Oh?""You just didn't want to marry Jean. And before that, she had already been sentenced for kidnapping and assaulting me. Your goal was achieved. There was no need for you to target her family further. So, it wasn't you," she reasoned calmly.Dylan looked at her, his smile deepening. "So, should I feel happy that you trust me?"Was it trust?Noelle wasn't sure. But if she had to explain, it was more because she believed Dylan had no reason to do something so unnecessary.But if it wasn't Dylan who reported Brian, then who was it?As if reading her thoughts, Dylan said, "It was Hendrix."Noelle immediately looked at him.He smiled and said, "Do you remember what I told you back then? I knew that even if Jean committed a crime, her family would do everything to cover it up. But if it involv
After Noelle finished speaking, Dylan's expression shifted slightly. Then, he slowly frowned."If that's all you wanted to say, then I'll be going now."With that, Noelle turned to go.But Dylan called out to her again, "So, you're still choosing Hendrix. Is that it? But do you know he's about to get married?"…Noelle took the elevator back upstairs. The moment the doors opened, she saw someone sitting outside the hospital room.He was dressed in a black suit, with a laptop bag by his side. At the moment, he was holding a tablet, his eyes focused intently on the documents in front of him.He looked like he had rushed over from somewhere. His usually neat hair was slightly disheveled, and his clothes were wrinkled.He had been staring at the screen, but the moment Noelle looked at him, he seemed to sense her presence and immediately lifted his head.There was about ten yards of distance between them. The VIP ward hallway was eerily quiet—so quiet that Noelle could hear her own
Rosie's voice was sharp and piercing.It wasn't just Hendrix—even Noelle was seeing this attitude in her for the first time.She froze for a moment, then quickly stepped forward. "Rosie, you—""I don't want to see him! Make him leave, Mommy! Make him go away!" Rosie buried herself in Noelle's arms as she spoke.The IV tube in her hand was tugged, causing blood to flow back into the tube.Afraid Rosie might hurt herself, Noelle quickly held her hand down and agreed to her request, "Okay, okay. I'll make him leave now. It's alright. Don't get upset."As she spoke, she glanced up at Hendrix.He stood there, lips pressed tightly together.Noelle thought she might have to say something more to him, but to her surprise, he turned and left without a word.Only when he was completely gone did Rosie slowly calm down, though she still clung tightly to Noelle's arm."There, there," Noelle said softly. "You don't have to see him if you don't want to. Don't be afraid. Mommy's here."Rosi
Noelle didn't explain much to Rosie at that moment. Instead, she went along with whatever her daughter said to soothe her.Sure enough, Rosie quickly brightened up again. She began excitedly sharing her plans of what she was going to do after getting out of the hospital.Noelle sat quietly beside her, listening attentively.When the nurse came in with medication, Rosie didn't complain. She dutifully took her medicine, though the side effects made her uncomfortable. She simply lay in the bed, clinging tightly to Noelle's hand.Noelle patted her gently on the shoulder while softly singing a lullaby. Her position was awkward, but she didn't dare move, as Rosie had been feeling insecure lately. She often became upset if she woke up and didn't see Noelle or if she had trouble sleeping.So, Noelle stayed still. It wasn't until Rosie was sound asleep did she slowly withdraw her hand.The caregiver, who had been sitting quietly nearby, approached cautiously after Rosie fell asleep. "Ms.
It took Noelle a moment to fully grasp the meaning behind Hendrix's words. Her expression changed instantly. "Hendrix, what are you trying to say?""Exactly what I said," Hendrix replied with a cold chuckle. "I've seen the name you gave Rosie. I don't mind that she has your last name, but she's still my kid! Letting her call another man 'Daddy' is something I will never allow."Of course, you're still young, so if you're lonely and want to remarry, I won't stop you. But you absolutely cannot take Rosie with you. Do you understand?"After Hendrix finished speaking, Noelle fell silent. She simply stood there with her lips pressed tightly together as she stared at him.Hendrix knew her well, and his gaze quickly dropped. Sure enough, the next moment, he saw her clenched fists, her shoulders trembling slightly from the effort.He expected her to erupt in anger. In fact, he wouldn't even be surprised if she told him to leave. But instead, she suddenly unclenched her fists.Then, she e
It was at this moment that Hendrix seemed to finally understand why Noelle hadn't reacted with anger earlier but had instead apologized to him."Are you afraid I won't go through with the surgery?" he asked, his eyes fixed on her.Noelle didn't respond, but it was clear her silence said it all.Hendrix's expression darkened further. He pressed his lips together, his teeth clenched so tightly that it felt like they might shatter.What kind of person did she think he was? Someone who would stand by and watch his own kid die? Was that why she felt the need to placate and accommodate him like this? In her eyes, was he really that cold and heartless?Hendrix stared at her for a moment, then suddenly clenched his jaw. He didn't say another word, simply turning and walking away.But he walked slowly. Each step seemed to take an enormous effort. This drawn-out pace was his way of waiting—waiting for Noelle to call out to him and say something.Even if it was a flimsy lie. As long as she
Hendrix's compatibility test came back quickly—it was a match.However, Noelle didn't feel the slightest bit relieved when she saw the result, as the conversation with Hendrix the day before hadn't gone smoothly.Hendrix had left, clearly still angry, and the medical team was obviously closer to him. So, he must have already received the results by now, yet he hadn't contacted her.Clutching her phone, Noelle hesitated for a while before finally deciding to call him.The phone rang for a long time. The seconds stretched out, and she was even beginning to think he might not answer when finally, his voice came through, "Hello?"For some reason, his voice—which she had once been so familiar with—now sent a shiver through her body. Her grip on the phone tightened involuntarily.Her lips twitched for a second before she finally uttered, "It's me.""I know."Hendrix's response was quick. His voice was calm, but Noelle still felt her heart tighten for a moment.She pressed her lip
This floor was clearly reserved for presidential suites, and at that moment, the hallway was eerily quiet.After pressing the doorbell, Noelle looked down at her feet. She had been at the hospital for so long that her white sneakers were now stained with dirt.They were a stark contrast to the luxurious brown carpet beneath her, making her feel like she didn't belong here at all. This place was no longer her world.Noelle wasn't sure how long she waited. It might have been just a few seconds, or it might have been ten minutes. All she knew was, standing there, time seemed to stretch endlessly.It wasn't until her hands and feet began to feel stiff that the door finally opened. But the moment she saw the person inside, the urge to turn and leave grew stronger.Her hands clenched at her sides, and her eyes widened as she stared at him.Hendrix had just stepped out of the shower. He had nothing but a towel wrapped around his waist, his hair still wet, with water droplets dripping fr
"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
As soon as Noelle asked that, the man across from her clearly froze for a moment. Then, he chuckled softly.Noelle didn't say anything else. She just stared at him, steady and sure. There was something in her gaze—something unmistakably certain.Dylan no longer tried to keep up the act. He simply raised a hand and took off his sunglasses.His appearance had changed a bit since the last time. His beard was longer, his eye sockets deeper, and his overall presence had taken on a sharper, more dangerous edge.But when he looked at Noelle now, he smiled slightly. "So, you remember me?"Noelle didn't respond. Of course, Dylan hadn't forgotten the last time they had seen each other. And he wasn't sure if Noelle actually remembered everything, which made his smile a little stiff.But the next moment, Noelle asked, "Why are you here?""I'm working here. I couldn't survive in Coppersville anymore, remember?" Dylan replied.As he spoke, he kept his eyes on her, clearly watching for her r
Erwin was even beginning to wonder if Hendrix had actually lost his mind.But Hendrix just looked at him and countered, "Weren't you always the one telling me to live this way? Now that I'm finally enjoying it, why are you calling me crazy?"Erwin had no comeback for that.Hendrix glanced at him, then suddenly slung an arm around Erwin's shoulders and pointed at a woman up ahead. "Check her out. What do you think?"…Noelle spent three days alone in the hotel. During those three days, Hendrix never came back.She ate alone and sat alone in a hotel lobby, staring blankly into space. In the end, she decided to book an early flight home.Just as she lowered her head to check flights on her phone, someone suddenly sat down across from her.It was still bright outside. The hotel lobby lights were on, and a hanging lamp above them cast the man's shadows long across the floor.Noelle kept her head down. But the moment the man sat down, it was as if she could sense something. Her hand
Noelle hadn't gone far. When Erwin came downstairs, she was standing at the entrance of the hotel, lost in thought.This wasn't Coppersville. Even in a place this well-lit, as a woman, she was still in danger. Moreover, she had obvious traits that made her an easy target—an innocent face, small frame, and delicate appearance.Hendrix had brought Noelle to Nuvark before. But at that time, he treated her like a fragile porcelain doll. Wherever she went, he followed closely, as if terrified that the slightest accident might befall her.But tonight…Erwin felt the situation was a bit too complicated. This, he thought, was more complicated than having to analyze hundreds of data sets at work.However, he didn't say much. As a host, he simply walked over to Noelle and told her he would have someone send her back to the hotel.Upon hearing his voice, Noelle slowly turned her head to look at him. When their eyes met, Erwin immediately frowned."Thank you," Noelle said softly, her eyes ev