The passionate lovemaking in the bedroom finally came to an end two hours later. Soon, there was the sound of water splashing on tiles coming from the shower. After resting for a few minutes, Noelle Swanson got out of bed with trembling legs as she picked up her clothes from the floor.Hendrix Freeman had been rougher than usual today, so she felt a little bewildered. She fumbled with the buttons of her pajamas several times but couldn't get them done up. Soon, Hendrix came out of the shower. He was tall, with strong, handsome features. He'd just showered, so he only had a towel wrapped around his waist at the moment. Droplets of water trickled down his abs. When he noticed that Noelle was still there, he frowned a little. Noelle didn't look at him. She kept her head down and continued to struggle with the buttons. "Sandra will be discharged from the hospital tomorrow," Hendrix suddenly said as he walked past her. "Go pick her up. I've already promised your mother that she c
The person speaking was Sandra's good friend, Ruth Upton. She was a heiress of a wealthy family. Ruth and Sandra had grown up together. She had always been the biggest supporter of Hendrix and Sandra's relationship. Now that Noelle had become Hendrix's wife instead, it came as no surprise that Ruth was unfriendly toward her.Even when she noticed Noelle standing at the door, she didn't feel the least bit embarrassed or uneasy about what she'd said.It was Sandra who greeted her first. "You're here, Noelle."Noelle nodded. "I'm here to take you home. Have you packed your things?""Yes. I'm all set. Let's go," Sandra replied good-naturedly. Ruth couldn't help but ask, "Where's Mr. Freeman? Sandy is being discharged today. Isn't he coming to pick her up?""He's gone to the office," Noelle replied."Oh, he seems really busy. I wonder if he's too busy to come or if you didn't let him come," Ruth conjectured with disdain.Before Noelle could respond, Sandra interrupted softly, "Ru
At 7:00 pm, Hendrix returned to the villa right on time. Sandra happened to be in the living room when he returned. The moment she saw him, she walked over excitedly to greet him. "You're back, Hendrix!"Hendrix gave her a slight smile as he looked up at her. Noelle pursed her lips and stepped forward to take his coat. She said to him, "Dinner is ready."…"I'm sorry, Hendrix. Am I encroaching on you and Noelle by staying here?" Sandra asked quietly at the dinner table. She snuck a glance at Noelle before continuing, "I told Mom I could stay home on my own, but she insists that she doesn't feel at ease if I'm alone at home…""It's fine. Stay as long as you like. If you need anything, just ask," Hendrix replied."Really? I don't want to be too much trouble.""It's no trouble at all.""Ms. Sandra, it's better that you're staying here," Mabel chimed in as she served the dishes. "It's been a long time since this house has felt so lively."Upon hearing that, Noelle's hand that w
Noelle's body stiffened. Her eyes flew open, and she tried to push Hendrix away with all her strength. However, Hendrix acted as if he hadn't heard anything. He gripped her wrists effortlessly and pressed her against the wall. His movements were as forceful as ever.Noelle wanted to cry out, but she quickly remembered that Sandra was right outside. She bit her tongue and swallowed the helpless whimper that was about to escape her lips just in time. The sound of the water from the shower continued. With the door between them, Sandra seemed to be unaware of what was happening inside. She called out again, "Hendrix?"Noelle turned her head to look at Hendrix. Her face was flushed, possibly due to anger or some other intense emotion. Her eyes were opened wide as she glared at Hendrix. In contrast to her usual quiet and withdrawn demeanor, she looked far more animated at that moment. Her expression caused Hendrix's movements to become bolder. It was almost as if he were venting. The
Sandra had grown up with Hendrix, so she was even more familiar with Freeman Manor than Noelle. As soon as she entered the house, she walked over to the elderly lady while exclaiming, "Grandma Ophelia!""Oh, it's Sandy!" Hendrix's grandmother, Ophelia Jones, was overjoyed. "Let me take a look at you. Have you lost weight again?""Not really. Look! I made some crab cakes for you," Sandra replied."You sweet girl! How thoughtful of you," Ophelia praised. The two of them chatted affectionately, and Ophelia was all smiles. However, the moment Noelle approached, her smile faded significantly.Noelle acted as if she hadn't noticed anything and respectfully greeted, "Grandma."Ophelia glanced at her and was about to say something, but Noelle shifted her attention to the top of the stairs and called out, "Mom.""Madam Freeman," Sandra greeted, straightening up. She had been leaning on Ophelia's shoulder just a moment ago. She became timid the moment she saw the person at the top of the
Hendrix returned just before dinner. Ophelia was naturally all smiles when she saw her grandson. She held Hendrix's hand and asked him about his day."Look at you. You've lost weight again," Ophelia said with displeasure. "How is it that you've gotten even thinner after getting married? How has your wife been taking care of you?"Her criticism was directed at Noelle. Before Noelle could respond, Sandra spoke up, "Grandma Ophelia, please don't scold Noelle. She's been very busy lately. I heard she has another comic that is about to be published. Didn't you notice that she's also lost a lot of weight? I felt so bad for her when I saw her yesterday."Sandra's words seemed to be in Noelle's defense, but something about them felt off. Of course, only Noelle could fully grasp the hidden jab in them.After hearing what Sandra said, Ophelia's displeasure deepened. "Bah, comics! Those worthless things can't even be called art. You—"Ophelia was about to lecture Noelle when Hendrix interr
"Hendrix, thank you for speaking up for me earlier," Sandra said from the back seat on the way home.After that, she continued yammering nonstop, "I had no idea Mom would talk to Madam Freeman about this. I was so scared! Luckily, you stepped in, or I wouldn't have known what to do. I don't want to get married so soon."Hendrix was driving. He merely said a faint "hmm" in response. He seemed to be flippant toward her, but Sandra knew that was just the way he was. So, she didn't mind. She turned her attention to Noelle, who was in the passenger seat. "By the way, what did Madam Freeman say to you when you both went upstairs?""Nothing," Noelle replied dismissively, not even bothering to entertain Sandra at all.Sandra pursed her lips in slight dissatisfaction but quickly changed the subject. "Oh, right. Did you know that Max is coming back to the country?"Noelle's composed expression shifted slightly at those words.At that moment, the traffic light ahead turned red. Hendrix sm
Noelle remained seated in the front passenger seat. She thought she had grown numb enough, but at that moment, she still felt a sharp pain stabbing at her heart. It was as if something was gnawing at her from the inside.She suddenly recalled something from a long time ago. It was shortly after she had returned to the Swanson family. She remembered clearly that it was raining that day. Matilda had personally come to pick her and Sandra up from school, but they got into a car accident on the way home. Though the accident wasn't serious, the driver swerved to avoid another car and crashed into a nearby median. Noelle had hit her head on the window and was knocked unconscious.Before she lost consciousness, she remembered seeing Matilda bypass her and reach out to Sandra. Matilda sobbed gut-wrenchingly as she held Sandra back then.At that moment, Noelle understood—the only reason they had found her again was because she carried their bloodline. But to them, Sandra was the daughter t
"I was the one who had the surveillance camera installed." As if reading Noelle's mind, Hendrix quickly explained, "But I did it for your safety. Take what happened tonight, for example. If it weren't for—"Noelle cut him off, "If you hadn't suddenly moved in, that man would never have entered our lives in the first place."Hendrix was momentarily stunned, then he couldn't help but laugh. "What are you trying to say? Are you saying this is my fault, too?""Isn't it?" Noelle shot back. "You were the ones who hired those movers!""I only hired the moving company. Who they employ is beyond my control.""But this all started because of you. If you hadn't moved here, none of this would have happened!"Hendrix fell silent because it finally dawned on him that Noelle was determined to pin the blame on him, and no amount of arguing would change her mind. So, he decided to say nothing more.Noelle didn't bother with him, either. She turned around and took Rosie back inside.But once the
Noelle's expression immediately darkened. She rushed forward and snatched the keys from Hendrix's hand."Did you—" She wanted to accuse him of stealing them, but before the words could leave her mouth, she realized how absurd that sounded.Hendrix, as if reading her mind, quickly explained, "You dropped them when you were taking something out of your bag earlier. I just picked them up.""Then, why didn't you give them to me right away?""You didn't give me a chance, did you?" Hendrix smiled faintly, his tone almost innocent. "Besides, Rosie was literally about to burst, and I was worried she'd pee herself."His explanation sounded perfectly reasonable.For a moment, Noelle was unable to come up with a retort. She stared at him for a few seconds before finally taking Rosie's hand and leaving."Aren't you going to drink the juice?" he called after her.Noelle didn't even glance back. She knew he had done it on purpose. Otherwise, he would have handed her the keys in the elevator.
"Hold the door!" a voice called out from outside the elevator.If it had been anyone else, Noelle would have pressed the button to keep the doors open. But this time, she lowered her gaze and began frantically pressing the close button instead.Alas, she was still too slow. Just as the doors were about to shut, a hand shot out and blocked them, causing them to slide open again.Noelle pressed her lips into a tight line.Despite being the one who forced the doors open, Hendrix still thanked her as he stepped inside.Noelle didn't respond. Instead, she silently pulled Rosie to the side, as if trying to put as much distance between them and him as possible.Hendrix noticed but said nothing, simply staring at the changing numbers on the elevator panel. Soon, they reached their floor, and Noelle stepped out with Rosie first.Noelle then reached for her keys to unlock the door, but she quickly realized her keys were missing."Mommy, I need to go potty," Rosie said."Okay, sweetheart
Dan was Hendrix's chief assistant, someone who was practically inseparable from him. So, who else could command Dan to do something like this if not Hendrix himself?Sure enough, the next moment, Noelle saw Hendrix step out. He was wearing a simple shirt with the sleeves rolled up, the white cuffs smudged with dust. His hair was slightly disheveled, but this touch of disarray made him seem more human.Noelle stared at him expressionlessly.After two seconds of eye contact, Hendrix said, "What a coincidence!"Coincidence?Noelle wanted to throw something at him because only a fool would believe this was a coincidence.She didn't even bother giving him another glance. When the elevator doors opened, she took Rosie's hand and stepped inside.Rosie, of course, recognized Hendrix. She had been staring at him intently, only turning to Noelle when the elevator doors finally closed. "Mommy, why is he here?""I don't know."This answer clearly didn't satisfy Rosie. She muttered under h
The host of the live stream continued to try steering the conversation back to Noelle's personal life, but every time she brought it up, Noelle shut it down with a firm denial.From start to finish, she never mentioned Hendrix's name.Perhaps frustrated with Noelle's lack of cooperation, the host cut the one-hour interview short, ending it under 30 minutes.As soon as the stream ended, Noelle received a call from Evelyn, profusely apologizing to her."I had no idea they were planning to take that angle. Seriously, are they out of their minds? Both the male and female leads are trending right now—they should've focused on the characters instead! Why must they bring your personal life into it?"Her words sounded sincere, but Noelle felt no emotional pull. She didn't respond, simply listening in silence.After rambling on for a while, Evelyn finally noticed Noelle's lack of reaction and timidly asked, "Are you mad?""There won't be a next time."With that, Noelle hung up the phone
The fans of both leads were at each other's throats, but the production team and the streaming platform were more than happy to see this. After all, in this day and age, even explosive controversy was better than being ignored entirely.Around this time, Evelyn reached out to her with a new project.Noelle hadn't released any new works in the past two months, only taking on smaller, freelance gigs. With the TV drama gaining so much attention, the company naturally wanted to capitalize on the momentum and give her career a boost."I haven't had much time or inspiration lately. Let's talk about it another time.""Come on. You've been saying that for months now.""I know, but Rosie's still young, and it's not like she can grow up overnight.""Alright, fine. If you're not ready for a new project, how about an interview? Surely you can do that?""What kind of interview?""It's a live podcast interview hosted by a publisher we've worked with before. Since the drama's doing so well, t
All afternoon, the movers across the hall were busy moving things in. Even with the door closed, Noelle could still hear them talking loudly. It sounded like the new tenants were doing some renovations, too. For hours, the sound of hammering and drilling echoed nonstop.As exhausted as she was, Rosie tossed and turned in bed, unable to fall asleep. In the end, Noelle had no choice but to lie down beside her, gently patting her back.But Rosie's eyes remained wide open, staring at Noelle.Noelle couldn't help but laugh, then said helplessly, "Alright. What do you want to do?""I can't sleep.""Close your eyes, and you'll fall asleep soon."Rosie obediently closed her eyes, but within seconds, they popped open again. "See, Mommy? I just can't sleep?""So, what do you want to do instead?""I want to draw. Or read a book.""In other words, you just don't want to sleep, right?"Rosie giggled sheepishly.Noelle was about to say more when there was a sudden knock at the door.Rosi
"Yeah, they've got four elderly parents and two kids to take care of. One of them got laid off, and the other had their salary cut. If they don't sell the house, they might not be able to make ends meet.""True. That's why it's better to work for a big company. The benefits are good, and the job's more stable.""Exactly.""By the way, Noelle, that friend of yours runs a company, right? How's he doing these days?"Noelle had been listening quietly for a while without chiming in, so when the conversation finally turned to her, she couldn't help but feel a sense of "I knew it!".She almost wanted to laugh, but she held it in and instead asked, "What friend?""You know…""Rosie's dad!" someone quickly interjected, finding what they thought was an appropriate way of addressing Hendrix. But almost immediately, they seemed to regret it and cautiously added, "He is Rosie's dad, right?""I don't know much about him," Noelle replied bluntly. "We've been divorced for years, and we hardly
Noelle wasn't surprised to see Hendrix's name on her phone screen. Without hesitation, she answered the call.Her decisive action seemed to catch Hendrix off guard. There was a brief pause on the other end of the line before he finally asked, "What did you call me for earlier?"Noelle knew he was waiting for her to take the initiative. That was just the way he was. No matter what it was, he always expected others to make the first move.Only after he got what he wanted would he consider giving a little in return. And even then, he'd act as if that little bit was some grand favor, making him a textbook egotist through and through."Why aren't you saying anything?" After just a couple of seconds of silence, his impatience flared, and he urged her to speak.Noelle snapped out of her thoughts and replied, "It's nothing important. I just wanted to say I'm sorry."Though her words sounded apologetic, Hendrix detected no trace of remorse in her tone. He couldn't help but let out a cold