Beatrice stood nearby, her voice filled with surprise when she heard what Hendrix said. "You have news about Noelle? Where is she?""Creston. I'm going to bring her back now," Hendrix replied."Who told you this? Why would she be in Creston? And why hasn't she contacted you all this time? Is this information reliable?" Beatrice remained calm, firing off several questions in a row.But Hendrix didn't have time to explain. "I'm heading to Creston now. Just take good care of Rosie.""Wait. What if it's a scam? Hendrix!" Beatrice tried to stop him, but he didn't even break his stride.By the time she ran outside, he was already in the car.A scam? There was indeed a possibility that Dylan was lying to him just to buy time. There could be people waiting for Hendrix in Creston, ready to kill him as soon as he arrived. But so what?It had been so long since Noelle vanished without a trace. No one knew how Hendrix had made it through this time. For the first time, Hendrix understood wha
The plane landed safely. Hendrix then drove himself to Creston.The journey took five or six hours, but he didn't feel the slightest bit of fatigue. He had considered bringing someone with him, but Dylan had insisted he come alone. Otherwise, all he would find was Noelle's corpse.Hendrix didn't want to take that risk. He couldn't bear the thought of anything happening to Noelle. Besides, he had already made arrangements for what would come after. If he really died there, Dylan wouldn't survive, either.Once Dylan was gone, the people backing him would lose their support, and they would have no choice but to release Noelle. That was if Noelle was still alive.But if something had already happened to her, then it was only right for him to join her in death. He knew this was irresponsible of him—especially toward Beatrice and Rosie, and just when Rosie had finally started to warm up to him.But before he was a son or a father, Hendrix was first and foremost himself—and Noelle's husb
So, had something really happened to Noelle? Was she really dead?No, that couldn't be possible. But if she wasn't, then why couldn't Hendrix find a single trace of her? Even when he had already exhausted all his connections and resources. And more importantly, if she were still alive, how could she not send him even the slightest message?This was a possibility Hendrix had considered before, but he had never been able to accept it.Now, his worst fears had been confirmed. The one thing that had kept him going all this time crumbled in an instant. He stood frozen, unable to react.At that moment, the men charged at him, their weapons aimed directly at him.Even though he had gone stiff and no longer had the will to live, Hendrix instinctively raised his arm as the blade came down.The blade struck his arm, and the sharp pain snapped him back to reality. He kicked the man in front of him away. Then, he opened the car door and got inside without hesitation."Don't let him escape!"
To avoid his superiors blaming him for Hendrix losing too much blood, Jerry had him taken to his office. As he questioned Hendrix, he also tended to his wound.Just as he finished, officers returned from the scene with two more people in tow."What are you doing? We're completely legal! I even gave her mother a wedding gift! Why are you bringing me to the station?" the man kept shouting angrily as he walked in.Jerry frowned and turned to his colleague. "What's going on?""Oh, the courthouse reported them," the colleague explained. "They were there to register their marriage today, but the bride's ID didn't match her. The age didn't line up, either. "Plus, she couldn't remember her full name and seemed a bit off. The courthouse staff suspected human trafficking, so they called us."As the colleague spoke, Jerry glanced at the two newcomers.He noticed that the woman was quite beautiful. Though she was dressed in rough clothes and her hair was disheveled, her tanned skin and del
But in the end, Hendrix still managed to finish his sentence. Even Jerry couldn't help but be moved by the sight of him. He quickly nodded and said, "Don't worry. I'll definitely help you. I mean, this is our duty, after all. So, you can rest assured!"As he spoke, he signaled to his colleague to print out the photo of Noelle from Hendrix's phone.When Jerry saw the photo again, he furrowed his brows slightly. He couldn't help but feel like he had seen the woman in the photo somewhere before. But he couldn't remember where."Captain Ortiz?" someone beside him called out cautiously.Only then did Jerry snap out of it and realize Hendrix was still in the office."Oh, right. This way, please, Mr. Freeman. I'll take you to the hotel now.""Thank you." Hendrix nodded at him.Jerry smiled and opened the office door for him.Meanwhile, the man who had just been brought in was still arguing. "It's not like that. We're really getting married out of our own free will. We're from the sa
Hendrix's phone continued to ring. Beside him, Jerry was still rambling about something. The man sitting next to her was speaking animatedly, trying to explain himself.But all those sounds faded into nothing for Hendrix. His vision narrowed to only the woman in front of him. She was sitting beside the man, wearing a rough but clean white shirt, her hair tied into a low ponytail.Hendrix was actually standing quite far from her. But the woman's figure was etched into his mind. His breathing grew rapid, his hands clenched, and even his shoulders began to tremble slightly."Mr. Freeman?" Jerry had been talking the whole time. But when he realized Hendrix hadn't responded, he couldn't help but call out to him.Hendrix didn't answer. He just stood there, staring intently at the woman."Mr. Freeman, are you—" Jerry wanted to say more, but Hendrix had already started walking toward her.At first, his steps were hesitant, stiff, and slow. But then, his pace quickened.By the time he re
"His wife? No, this is my wife. We're going to register our marriage today. Her mother has already accepted the wedding gift!" The man's voice grew louder.Hendrix snapped back to the present. Slowly, he turned to look at Noelle, as if waiting for her to explain. But she wouldn't even meet his gaze.She didn't seem the least bit happy at seeing him again. Instead, she was trying to pry his fingers off her in a bid to free herself."Noelle," Hendrix called her name. "What are you doing?"But she gave him no response.Hendrix clenched his teeth, and he was about to pull her closer to question her when Noelle screamed, "Let me go!"Her sharp voice forced Hendrix to release his grip. Noelle immediately stepped back and hid behind the man."See? She doesn't know you at all. So like I said, she's not your wife. I think you're just trying to take advantage of my wife because she's pretty! You might look decent on the surface, but you're nothing but a shameless scumbag!"The man was fu
"Isn't there a hospital nearby?" Hendrix asked, his impatience creeping into his voice. "A DNA test would settle this, wouldn't it?""Yes, that's right." Jerry finally remembered this option and immediately arranged for someone to take them to the hospital.But Sid wasn't having it. "No way! You're all in on this! Don't think I don't see what's going on—you're just sucking up to this guy because he's rich. And when the results come back, you'll make sure they say whatever he wants!""Mr. Hodge, please watch what you're saying." Jerry's expression darkened. "Do you even realize where you are and what you're saying?""I—whatever! You're all in this together. We're leaving right now!"With that, Sid grabbed Noelle's hand and was about to pull her away when Hendrix stood up."Let go of her hand," he said icily."This has nothing to do with you! I'm telling you. They might suck up to you, but I'm not afraid of you! You can—""Mr. Hodge, if you insist on leaving now, we can charge yo
"Mr. Freeman, it's time to change your dressi—" The doctor's voice suddenly broke the silence.The unexpected interruption sent a jolt through Noelle. It was as if she had suddenly snapped back to reality. In a flurry, she pushed Hendrix away.She looked as though she had been caught doing something wrong. She stumbled backward several steps, her hands rising and falling repeatedly. Her lips quivered as if she wanted to speak but couldn't find the words. Panic filled her eyes, unmistakable and clear.The doctor, however, was tactful. "My apologies. I didn't mean to interrupt," he said quickly before excusing himself and leaving.Noelle's face turned an even deeper shade of red at this. She wanted to chase after the doctor, but Hendrix grabbed her hand again."Let go of me," Noelle said when she finally managed to find her voice.She had intended to reprimand him. But after the kiss and the nervous tension, her voice came out slightly hoarse, sounding almost alluring. Even Noelle
Noelle hadn't expected Hendrix to bring this up, so she was stunned for a moment. Then, she looked at him with confusion."I wanted to use the bathroom," he answered with a cheeky grin."Oh." Even though Noelle felt flustered, she still quickly stepped aside.Hendrix, however, remained seated. Noelle looked at him, puzzled.He chuckled and said, "My arm is injured. I can't even feed myself—do you think I can go to the bathroom on my own?"Noelle's expression changed instantly. "W-What do you mean?"Hendrix reached out and took her hand. "Help me," he said in a low and raspy voice.Noelle immediately shook her head. "No way!"As she spoke, she tried to pull her hand away.But even with only one good hand, Hendrix's grip was still strong.Not only did he not let go, but he slid his fingers through Noelle's and pressed his palm firmly against hers. The dry, burning warmth of his hand made Noelle's cheeks flush instantly. It was as if, at this moment, she wasn't holding his hand
Inside the bag was a thermos of soup she had made that morning. It was made with chicken and mushrooms she had bought early at the market. She had simmered them for half an hour, and as soon as she opened the lid, the rich aroma of the soup spread throughout the hospital room.Hendrix suddenly remembered the bowl of soup Noelle had given him late that night two days ago. Good food was never something he lacked. In fact, to him, food was just a necessity for survival. But that night, something about that simple bowl of soup had brought him to the brink of tears.He had found her. There had been a time when he truly believed she had vanished from this world. He thought he would never see her again. It was also in that moment that he fully understood what Noelle meant to him.After all, he had seen the light, so how could he ever return to the darkness? His life had been set on a certain path. Even Beatrice had never cooked him a bowl of soup before, and he had accepted that kind of li
The moment Noelle saw her reflection in Hendrix's eyes, and when he stood under the streetlight and smiled at her, those feelings of resistance and fear vanished instantly.At the time, Noelle felt as if she had known him for a long time. Even under the dim light, she could vividly trace the contours of his face in her mind. It was as if she had done this countless times before.Even though her memories of the past remained a blank, just seeing him made her heart race. The feeling was unfamiliar, yet she knew exactly what it was and what it meant.She liked him, and it felt like she had liked him for a long time.…That night, Hendrix had to stay in the hospital. His whereabouts were supposed to be confidential, but the local authorities were already aware of his presence. After receiving Jerry's report, Austin Warren immediately came to visit with his team.Of course, Hendrix didn't tell them the truth about how he got injured. Instead, he simply claimed he had tripped and falle
Noelle wasn't quick enough to stop Irene this time.When Irene swung down her hoe, Hendrix instinctively raised his arm to block it. As a result, the wound he had just had re-bandaged at the hospital that day split open again. There was even a faint cracking sound, as if a bone had been fractured.Even for someone as tough as Hendrix, the intense pain was enough to make him frown, and cold sweat quickly beaded on his forehead."Mom!" Noelle rushed forward and grabbed Irene's arm.But was still in the heat of anger. She pushed Noelle aside and was about to strike again when Jerry, who had received an emergency call, arrived on the scene.Jerry felt his vision darken for a moment when he saw Hendrix's injury. Then, without hesitation, he and his team restrained Irene."What are you doing? You bunch of ass-kissers! Let me go!" Irene struggled fiercely, her curses never stopping.Jerry was at a loss. He was about to have her taken to the police station when Hendrix grabbed his arm.
"I haven't eaten yet. Will you grab a bite with me?" Hendrix asked Noelle.Noelle was stunned. But before she could react, Hendrix had already taken her hand and started leading her forward.Jerry had wanted to say something to Hendrix, but all he got was a distant wave as Hendrix took Noelle straight to the car.This was the car Hendrix had someone bring over yesterday. The once gleaming paint was now covered in splatters of mud after driving through the village's dirt roads. But he didn't mind.It wasn't until they had driven for a while that Noelle finally snapped out of her daze. "My mom will find out!""Don't worry. If she gets mad at you, I'll explain it to her.""She'll definitely hit you."Hendrix, holding the steering wheel, glanced at her. "What? Are you worried about me?""Of course not!" Noelle replied immediately. Then, she turned to look out the window.Hendrix watched her for a moment before reaching over and taking her hand."What are—" Noelle's eyes widened.
Irene owned a plot of land in the village. She used to grow corn on it, but in the past two years, a contractor from the neighboring village had come by, so she switched to growing strawberries instead.It was now the season for planting seedlings. After the morning's commotion, Noelle had convinced Irene to rest at home and took over the planting work herself.The task wasn't particularly strenuous, but bending over for long periods was exhausting. Noelle squatted down, but after a while, she started feeling dizzy. She closed her eyes, preparing to take a short break, when somebody suddenly yanked her up.Hendrix frowned at her and asked, "What are you doing?"Noelle was startled for a moment, then clumsily pushed his hand away. Only after taking several steps back to put a safe distance between them did she finally ask, "What are you doing here?"Hendrix's frown deepened at her reaction. "Are you afraid of me?""No," Noelle quickly denied it. Her flustered expression made it se
Hendrix wasn't a particularly delicate person, but even he found the environment hard to endure. Not long after, he was woken up by a commotion outside. He opened his eyes and pushed himself up, just in time to see what was happening outside the window.Irene was chasing someone off with a broom. Despite her age, she still had the energy to scold while giving chase, her voice so loud and full of vigor that it startled everyone inside and out. And then, she turned around and scolded the onlookers as well.Noelle followed closely behind her, sheltered under her protection. Her eyes were curious as she glanced around, but she didn't dare stray more than half a step from Irene.Just as Hendrix was watching, Noelle noticed him, too. She seemed to freeze for a moment, then quickly looked away and tugged at Irene's hand.After a bit more commotion, Irene finally pulled her inside and shut the door with a loud bang.Once inside, Irene turned to Noelle and said, "Don't worry, Nelly. Sid's
Noelle immediately turned around with panic written all over her face.Irene narrowed her eyes. "What were you doing outside so late in the night?""I-I thought I heard a cat meowing, so I went to check.""A cat?" Irene frowned. "What's so strange about a few cats in the village?"Noelle fell silent.Irene didn't press further, simply telling her to go to bed early before turning and heading back to her own room.Noelle followed behind her. The window in her room faced the house across the street—the one with the lit window, where Hendrix was staying.The broken glass in the window had been repaired earlier that day. The warm yellow light shining through matched the glow in her room. Noelle stared at it for a while before finally lying down to sleep.The night passed quickly.Irene didn't need much sleep. Before dawn even broke, she had already taken her hoe and headed out to work in the field.After making her bed, Noelle started preparing breakfast. Just as she was beating