Hendrix's tone and expression gave Noelle a sudden feeling. It was as if, at this moment, even if she asked him to kill someone, he wouldn't hesitate to do it.Of course, that was just a passing thought."I hate Ruth," she said, lowering her eyes.Hendrix immediately caught on. "Alright. Then—""But I don't want you to handle it," Noelle added.This left Hendrix puzzled."I want to deal with her myself," Noelle told him.Hendrix became momentarily stunned."Is that not okay?" she asked.It wasn't until then that he answered, "No, it's not that. So… you're not angry anymore?"Honestly speaking, Hendrix couldn't care less if Ruth lived or died. Right now, all he cared about was Noelle's feelings.It seemed like Noelle had forgotten about what happened in the past. So when he brought it up again, she couldn't help but frown slightly.That was when Hendrix realized his mistake. He was about to brush past the topic when Noelle spoke up instead, "As I've already told Ruth—I've
"Mrs. Massey!"Ruth could hardly believe it when someone called out to her eagerly. As the woman approached, she even instinctively took a step back.But the woman had already linked arms with her. Then, she said with a bright smile, "You're finally here! Everyone's been waiting for you!""Waiting for me? Why?" Ruth asked in a strained voice.To be honest, the scene felt oddly familiar.Back in her school days, she had seen this play out countless times—someone smiling, all "friendly", as they lured their target to a specific spot. Then, the real fun would begin. It was just that, back then, Ruth was usually the one waiting while others delivered the target to her.Now that the roles were reversed, all she felt was a deep, gnawing unease. In fact, she had sensed something was off when she received the invitation call earlier.After all, her lies about being close friends with Noelle had already been exposed at the auction. In the past few days, she had even been kicked out of gr
Noelle wasn't as aloof as they had imagined. In fact, no matter what they said, she would respond to each remark. When someone invited her to an art exhibition or concert, she agreed with a warm smile.Ironically, the only one who seemed uneasy and silent throughout the whole exchange was Ruth. By the end, she couldn't take it anymore. Making an excuse, she headed straight for the restroom.Standing in front of the sink, she glanced at her reflection in the mirror, then at the content of the box she held. After confirming that all of this was real, she finally broke into a slow smile.She still had no idea why Noelle had chosen to cover for her lie. But it didn't really matter, as she had gotten what she wanted.Not long ago, despite having a close friendship with Adela, Ruth still failed to strike a business deal between their husbands. It was likely because Adela still had doubts about Ruth's relationship with Noelle.But now, things were different. Whatever Noelle's reason, as
Noelle had called for a driver to pick her up. But when she got into the car, she realized the person behind the wheel was none other than Hendrix.By then, she was already in the back seat, and since no one else had noticed Hendrix, Noelle didn't bother to change to the front passenger seat. Instead, she simply closed the door.Hendrix didn't say anything, either. But after driving for a while, he pulled over to the side of the road. "Come here.""Aren't we almost home?" Noelle grumbled but still got out of the car. She had intended to move to the front passenger seat, but then she suddenly froze.Hendrix looked at her strangely. He was about to ask what was wrong when he noticed Noelle's gaze was fixed straight ahead. Immediately sensing something was off, he snapped his head around without hesitation.Dylan was standing right in front of them. He hadn't expected to run into Noelle, so for a moment, surprise flickered across his face. Then, he started walking toward them.Seein
"You really think I'd do it with him?" Noelle called him out on exactly what was on his mind.Hendrix's expression changed slightly. The car, which had been moving steadily forward, suddenly swerved sharply before screeching to an abrupt stop.The abrupt motion jolted Noelle, causing her head to slam against the windshield with a loud thud. The pain was so intense that her vision blurred.Once she recovered, her first instinct was to pound Hendrix's arm. "Why did you do that? That hurt!"Hendrix didn't respond, letting her hit him as much as she wanted.He even leaned over to carefully inspect Noelle's forehead to make sure there were no injuries before saying, "That's what happens when you start speaking nonsense.""What are you talking about?""You know damn well what you just said. What were you implying that you'd do with Dylan?"Noelle laughed in exasperation. "When did I say I wanted to do anything with him? What are you even on about?"As she spoke, she pushed his hand
As Hendrix himself had pointed out, it was inevitable that they would run into Dylan now that he was living in Coppersville—especially since they moved in the same social circles. But even with this understanding, the moment he saw Dylan, his expression immediately darkened."Hello, Mr. Freeman."Hendrix had always been the center of attention. Even at a gathering like this, a crowd naturally formed around him. He had been in the middle of a conversation with the person next to him when Dylan suddenly cut in and brought it to an abrupt halt.At the same time, everyone turned to look at him.Hendrix merely spared him a fleeting glance before looking away. He didn't so much as acknowledge Dylan's greeting.However, Dylan didn't seem to mind. He kept his easy smile and said, "I saw Mrs. Freeman the other day on the street. I wonder how she's been doing?"At the mention of "Mrs. Freeman", a few people suddenly remembered that when Ophelia passed away, Dylan had brought a woman to her
So when the host approached him, Dylan already knew what was coming. He wasn't particularly surprised. After smiling faintly, he set down his wine glass and excused himself before the host could speak."Sorry, but I just remembered I have something to attend to. So, I'll take my leave now. I'll treat you to dinner next time."With that, Dylan turned and left, leaving the host standing there, utterly bewildered.…Since Hendrix had been drinking tonight, Levi took him home. When he opened the door, Noelle was just slipping on her coat, ready to head out."Where are you going?""Why are you back?"They spoke at the same time.Hendrix immediately frowned. Then, he swept his gaze over Noelle's outfit—a light-colored dress with a white coat over it.Her complexion had improved over the past few months. So now, even with just a touch of lipstick, she looked especially alluring.Hendrix's expression darkened further. "Where are you planning to go?"Noelle, however, found his questi
Noelle still had a glass in her hand, and Hendrix's sudden embrace nearly made her drop it. She paused for a moment before turning to him. "What are you doing?"Instead of answering her, Hendrix simply lowered his head and kissed her on the shoulder. Even though it was only a light kiss, it still sent a shiver down her spine. She instinctively tightened her grip on the glass and tried to pry his hands off."Let go first."Hendrix didn't listen."If you don't stop, I'm pouring this water on you."Noelle's tone carried a hint of anger, but Hendrix didn't seem to care. Instead, he took the glass from her hand and downed the water in one go. The empty glass clinked against the marble countertop as he set it down.Her dress was already bunched up around her waist. Her fingers dug into the counter's edge, knuckles turning white from how hard she was gripping it.The entire villa was silent—every little sound seemed amplified in the stillness. Because of this, Noelle bit down on her li
A sharp pain shot through Dylan, forcing him to his knees. Gritting his teeth, he looked up, only to see Hendrix already standing and shielding Noelle behind him.Hendrix locked his gaze onto Dylan. His eyes were full of disdain, like Dylan was beneath him."You should be explaining yourself to Mr. Swift right now. Why don't you tell me what really happened?"As he spoke, his eyes flicked toward Marshall.By then, Marshall's expression had already turned ashen, and his chest was rising and falling violently. He looked as if he might pass out any second.But Hendrix didn't care. He just grabbed Noelle's hand and walked out.Noelle glanced back at Dylan one last time.He was staring straight at her.That look felt strangely familiar to Noelle, like she'd seen it somewhere before. She tried to catch a glimpse of Marla and Marshall, but before she could, Hendrix yanked her out of the private room.Noelle couldn't help but ask, "Will they be okay in there?""Relax. I told the staf
After taking another sip of wine, Hendrix turned to Marshall. "Mr. Swift, you didn't invite us here today just to exchange pleasantries, did you?"His words made Marshall pause. He then slowly pressed his lips together."I'm well aware of Amity Group's current situation," Hendrix continued. "We all know survival of the fittest is the law in the world of business. But have you ever considered whether your business partners are truly reliable?"Dylan's expression darkened instantly. But then, he quickly scoffed and said, "Mr. Freeman, are you trying to drive a wedge between me and Mr. Swift?""Drive a wedge?" Hendrix's smile deepened. "You flatter yourself too much. After everything you've done, do I really need to do that?"Dylan clenched his fists.Just as he was about to retort, Hendrix shifted his attention back to Marshall. "Mr. Swift, you must be confused at what I'm talking about right now, but tomorrow's headlines will make it clear. The Amity Group shares you've acquired a
Hendrix's attitude was uncharacteristically deferential—enough to arouse suspicion and anxiety.But Marshall remained far calmer than Marla. He raised his glass without hesitation and said, "No need for apologies. What matters is that Noelle's been found.""Thank you for your concern, Mr. Swift," Hendrix replied.The two men conversed pleasantly, and after downing his drink in one gulp, Hendrix turned to look at Noelle.Noelle was frowning at the Swift couple, as if something had just occurred to her—or perhaps she was simply trying to recall a memory.But even that small action was enough to make Marla visibly uneasy.Clutching her wine glass, Marla hesitated for a moment before asking Noelle, "But why was there no news from you during that time? You have no idea how frantic Mr. Freeman was searching for you here. Were you unreachable, or was there another reason?"Marla probed carefully, her eyes fixed on Noelle, searching for something in her expression.Though she had alrea
Noelle looked calm.Honestly, Hendrix suddenly thought that her memory loss might not be such a bad thing.If this had been the old Noelle—given her feelings for Seline—she might not have been able to stay this composed."What do you want me to do?" Hendrix countered.Noelle met his gaze for a moment before slowly lowering her eyes.Outside the car window, the world blurred past as neon lights flickered across her face. Hendrix could see the faint crease between her brows. He tightened his grip on her hand unconsciously."If I'm guessing correctly, you're planning to take revenge against them, aren't you?" she asked.Though she'd forgotten the past and didn't know Hendrix well, she was inexplicably certain.And she had guessed right, of course.Hendrix paused for a moment but didn't deny it. "Yeah," he uttered softly."I see."Her response surprised him."But you wouldn't take a life, would you?" she asked."Of course not.""Alright."Even after her answer, Hendrix kept
On the way to the restaurant, Noelle asked Hendrix, "Who's Mrs. Swift? Didn't you say before that I didn't need to know these people?"Though she didn't want to stay cooped up at home every day, Noelle found herself inexplicably resistant to people from her past ever since running into Dylan at the hospital. She didn't know what kind of attitude she should take toward them."Do you remember Seline Swift?" Hendrix asked her.Seline Swift? The name gave Noelle a strange feeling—one that sent a faint, electric jolt through her, stopping her in her tracks.It was similar to what she had experienced when she first saw Hendrix. She knew she had met Seline before and that Seline might have been someone very important to her."Swift… So, is Mrs. Swift Seline's mother?" Noelle asked. "Was Seline someone I knew?""Yeah, she was your friend.""Friend?" Noelle froze, then frowned. "I had a friend? Then, why didn't you tell me about her before? I still haven't seen her until now. She—""She
People always subconsciously justified their past actions when recounting events, positioning themselves as morally righteous. Dylan had done it earlier, and now, Hendrix, too.The same incident became two entirely different stories when told by different people.But Noelle didn't press further. After all, no matter what, she had ultimately chosen Hendrix in the past.Moreover, she now knew that the reason Hendrix had gone to the village back then and gotten injured was all because of her. However others might judge it, his feelings for her were indeed genuine.Therefore, she should trust her feelings in this moment, and she should also trust the choices she made in the past.Choosing not to dwell on it any longer, she simply looked up at Hendrix. After meeting his gaze for a moment, she nodded. "Okay."Hearing that, Hendrix finally breathed a sigh of relief. Then, he offered her a smile.Noelle had already seen Cynthia. Just as Hendrix had warned, Cynthia's condition was dire.
"Why?" Noelle asked."What do you mean why?" Hendrix's voice carried an edge of irritation. "How would I know he's not a good person?"Noelle shook his head. "What I mean is, if he's not a good person, why was I going to marry him in the first place? And he mentioned I lived in Stormridge before. Were we divorced then?"Now that the questions had started, she might as well get everything out in the open.The moment she finished speaking, Hendrix's expression darkened further.Noelle wasn't in a rush. She simply waited, watching him expectantly."Yes," Hendrix finally answered her. "You almost did marry him. But then he betrayed you, so you broke it off.""Betrayed?""Yes. To secure an investment, he slept with his ex-wife. And that ex-wife ended up dead overseas because of him. You even suspected he was involved. Because the moment she died, Dylan inherited her money. His company was saved overnight. And you don't remember this, but his ex-wife—""Hold up." Hendrix had said to
Dylan went on, "Later, we got together. We were going to get married. But then Hendrix used underhanded tactics to target my company, and you chose to go back to him because you didn't want to drag me down."And I don't think he even loves you. The only reason he's so obsessed with keeping you is because he can't stand losing. It's just possessiveness. He—"Dylan never got to finish. Someone slammed into him from behind, shoving him hard enough that he staggered back several steps before crashing to the floor.But he barely registered the pain. Slowly, he lifted his head.Hendrix stood shielding Noelle, his expression thunderous.Instead of responding with anger, Dylan laughed softly. "There's no need to get so worked up, Mr. Freeman. I was just so happy to see Noelle that I might have let something slip out of excitement. Or are you feeling guilty about something?"Hendrix didn't dignify that with a response. He didn't even spare Dylan another glance. Instead, he just grabbed No
Dylan had imagined a thousand ways Noelle might respond to him, but he had never expected her to ask, "Who are you?"He stood frozen in place, momentarily questioning whether he had misheard her. Or had he mistaken someone else for her?"I should know you, right?" Before he could react, Noelle spoke again, "But I'm sorry, I can't remember who you are."She couldn't remember? Dylan almost laughed. And then he did.What was this? Was she trying to tell him that she no longer had any feelings for him? That now, she had even forgotten who he was?His jaw clenched, his gaze locking onto her.Noelle sensed his anger. Realizing she might have misspoken, she quickly explained, "I'm sorry. I was injured before, so I forgot some things. If I said something wrong, please forgive me."At that, Dylan loosened his fists. Then, he looked at her in disbelief. "What did you just say?""I said I forgot some things, so—"Noelle wasn't even sure if she should know him. But the way Dylan was looki