Night fell quickly.Hendrix had been restless since evening. With no Internet here, he couldn't even distract himself with work. He could only lie in bed, flipping through the photos on his phone while listening intently for any movement outside.He didn't like having his photo taken, and neither did Noelle. So there were very, very few pictures of the two of them on his phone. During the time Noelle was missing, he had already memorized every single one of the photos.After scrolling through them several times, he finally couldn't take it anymore and got out of bed. To prove he wasn't joking, Hendrix was really planning to climb over the wall to find Noelle.But then, he quickly remembered something—his arm was still in a splint. So there was no way he would be able to climb that wall.In the end, he could only stand outside the wall, staring at the door. Only after confirming that Noelle wasn't coming out did he turn and go back inside.As dawn broke, he finally heard movement
"I haven't slept all night. Can you just let me rest for a while?" Hendrix asked."Why don't you go sleep in your own place?" Noelle argued."I can't sleep without you."The moment Hendrix spoke those words, Noelle's cheeks flushed bright red.She wanted to argue, but in the next moment, Hendrix's breathing seemed to steady.Surprised, she lifted her head and saw the dark circles under his eyes. Even his usually clean-shaven jaw now bore a faint stubble.Her hand, which had been ready to push him away, slowly dropped.Hendrix hadn't expected to fall asleep so quickly. Though he had finally found Noelle, he hadn't been sleeping well these past few days. Aside from constantly being jolted awake, the terrible conditions here only made things worse. But in Noelle's room, none of that seemed to matter.Even in this cramped, damp little house, even on this rickety wooden bed that cracked beneath him, he could still catch the faint scent of her skin and the sun-warmed fragrance of the
Noelle ended up leaving the room first. The moment she stepped out, she shut the door firmly behind her.Irene thought that was weird. "Why did you close the door?""No reason. Just a habit."Noelle's cheeks were still faintly flushed, and she avoided Irene's gaze, brushing off the question with a vague reply.Irene found it odd but didn't press further.After breakfast, Irene announced she was heading to the back mountain to gather herbs to sell at the market in a few days.Noelle had been thinking about how to divert her, and this played right into her plans."Come with me," Irene said. "And bring two more bottles of water."Noelle hesitated for a moment. She usually accompanied Irene on these trips, so refusing now would seem suspicious. In the end, she nodded.But before leaving, she suddenly called out, "I'm closing the door!"Her voice was loud, ensuring the person inside her room could hear.Irene gave her a strange look. "Who are you talking to?""You.""I'm standi
But that was only if Sid had been willing to accept it. The way Hendrix had looked at him back then—cold and disdainful.And when he'd spoken, his voice had been so certain, as if he'd known Sid would take the money. And in the end, he had. But that didn't give Hendrix the right to look down on him.The more he thought about it—the way he'd been overjoyed when he first met Noelle during their matchmaking, the time and emotion he'd wasted on her—the more resentment burned in his chest."What do you want?"Noelle could feel the danger radiating off him. She kept stepping back, but Sid only advanced, step by step."What do I want?" Sid let out a cold laugh. "Simple. You just need to sleep with me once.""What did you say?" Noelle stared at him in disbelief.For a moment, she thought she must have misheard."Stop playing dumb!" Sid snarled impatiently. "Cut the act! I know you're no longer pure. I saw that bastard sneaking out of your house this morning. You've got some nerve. You
"Look at what they did to my son! My son was perfectly fine, and now he's lying in a hospital bed! I'll make sure that bastard rots in jail forever!"Joanne's shrill voice pierced through the door.Noelle sat on a chair, clutching a cup of hot water. Beside her sat Irene, her face dark with fury.The yelling outside continued, "Nelly is nothing but a slut! I knew from the start she was no good! Just look at that face. Who wouldn't she try to seduce? Sid isn't that kind of person! She must've failed to seduce him and then conspired with her lover to frame my son!"Irene couldn't take it anymore. She flung the door open, and the shouting stopped instantly.It was no surprise that Joanne would be scared of Irene since the old woman was holding a hoe in her hand."Get lost," Irene said simply.Joanne paled but stood her ground.Seeing this, Irene was just about to charge forward with her hoe when Joanne panicked and quickly turned to leave.But the onlookers lingered nearby, watch
There was no answer.Irene immediately sensed something was wrong. She quickly removed the shovel propped against the door and swung it open, only to find no one inside the room.…"Mr. Freeman, rest assured, we will take care of this matter for you."Jerry's head was pounding. Ever since Hendrix had arrived in their jurisdiction, trouble had followed relentlessly. Yet, despite all this, he maintained a polite smile as he addressed Hendrix."What are you going to do with him?" Hendrix asked in return.Jerry hesitated for a moment before responding, "We've already looked into the matter. Rest assured, we will deal with him severely.""And what exactly do you mean by 'severely'?" Hendrix pressed, his gaze sharp enough to make sweat prickle at Jerry's temples."Well, given his attempted assault, under criminal law—""Assault?" Hendrix let out a low chuckle. "You seem to be mistaken. He was attempting rape and possibly even murder.""Murder?""Yes. Murder."Hendrix lifted his e
Hendrix had been scanning Noelle from head to toe. But when he heard her words, he paused slightly and looked at her again. "You were worried about me?""Yeah. They didn't make things difficult for you, did they?" Noelle frowned. "I can testify for you. It was Sid who attacked first, and you were just protecting me."Hendrix studied her for a moment before suddenly laughing. "Of course they made it difficult for me. That bastard is still lying in the hospital, and he might even end up disabled. I've been bailed out for now, but I might still have to stand trial later. Who knows? I might even end up in prison."Noelle slowly turned pale in the face as his words slowly sank in. She stared at him in disbelief, her voice trembling. "A-Are you serious?""Yeah."Noelle fell silent, her head bowing slowly. "I'm sorry. I'm really sorry."The choked sound of her voice sent an unexpected pang through Hendrix's chest. But he quickly suppressed it and asked, "Noelle, what will you do?""Wha
Especially since Hendrix was already caught up in trouble because of Noelle—and now, he might even be facing prison time.At that thought, Noelle lowered her gaze again."Are you scared?" Hendrix suddenly asked.Noelle froze. Only then did she realize her fingers were trembling faintly.She tried to steady them, but it was no use. So, she could only answer him truthfully, "No.""Do you know what I'm going to do?" Hendrix asked again.By now, they were standing outside the hotel room door.Hendrix held the keycard in his hand. With only one arm usable, he had let go of Noelle's hand earlier. Meaning—if she wanted to, she could turn and run right now.But she didn't move. On the contrary, her eyes remained fixed on his every action.Hendrix looked at her and suddenly laughed. Then, he swiped the card and pulled her inside.The door clicked shut behind them.Hendrix didn't even bother inserting the keycard into the slot. He simply tossed it aside before lowering his head to kis
Hendrix knew what Noelle was thinking, of course.From the moment she heard about his fate, her eyes had turned red. And though she had tried to pull away, she had ultimately held back.She probably thought she was hiding it well, but to Hendrix, every little thing she did was as clear as glass. But that was fine. If not for that, how else would he have had the chance or excuse to bring her to this hotel?Originally, he had wanted to take things slow with her and date her properly. But now, she already knew and acknowledged their marriage.Thus, it would just be stupid of him if he still took it slow. Besides, there was no law saying that he couldn't date someone after sleeping with them. If anything, this was the most crucial step.Noelle had clearly forgotten some things, including the fact that at his core, Hendrix was anything but kind.Even if she really had been pitying him just now, it didn't matter. Only the weak would resent someone's pity, seeing it as condescension or
And even if Noelle said no, would Hendrix really stop?However, she couldn't bring herself to say yes, either. In the end, she could only frown at Hendrix, frustration simmering in her chest.But in Hendrix's eyes, that look carried a different kind of vulnerability. He cupped her cheek as he asked again, "Should I keep going?"Noelle stayed silent and turned her face away.But Hendrix, ever the tease, refused to let her off so easily. He caught her chin between his fingers, forcing her to look back at him. "Why aren't you saying anything? So, you don't want me to keep going?""Ugh, you're so annoying!" Noelle finally snapped. "If you don't want to continue, just get off me!"There was anger in her words. But after everything that had just happened, her tone carried an unintended, breathy softness. In this moment, it almost sounded like she was flirting with him.Hendrix's smile deepened. "Ah, so that means we can keep going," he murmured, as if talking to himself.Noelle didn'
When vision was stripped away, the other senses became acutely heightened. At this moment, Noelle's hearing was especially sharp.As the approaching footsteps grew closer, her grip tightened instinctively. Her nails dug into her palm, but the sting was insignificant compared to everything else she was feeling.She had no idea how much time had passed. Maybe it was a few minutes, or maybe mere seconds. But to her, every moment felt endlessly stretched. Each breath she took felt as if it spanned a century.Like fleeting memories flashing by in a film, she barely had time to process how to face him before Hendrix had already laid down beside her.The queen-sized bed suddenly felt suffocatingly small. She could feel the heat of his body and smell the crisp scent of his shower gel.Then, his hand settled lightly on her waist. That single touch was enough to make Noelle go entirely rigid. Her already clenched fists tightened even more.And at that moment, Hendrix pulled back her blanke
Especially since Hendrix was already caught up in trouble because of Noelle—and now, he might even be facing prison time.At that thought, Noelle lowered her gaze again."Are you scared?" Hendrix suddenly asked.Noelle froze. Only then did she realize her fingers were trembling faintly.She tried to steady them, but it was no use. So, she could only answer him truthfully, "No.""Do you know what I'm going to do?" Hendrix asked again.By now, they were standing outside the hotel room door.Hendrix held the keycard in his hand. With only one arm usable, he had let go of Noelle's hand earlier. Meaning—if she wanted to, she could turn and run right now.But she didn't move. On the contrary, her eyes remained fixed on his every action.Hendrix looked at her and suddenly laughed. Then, he swiped the card and pulled her inside.The door clicked shut behind them.Hendrix didn't even bother inserting the keycard into the slot. He simply tossed it aside before lowering his head to kis
Hendrix had been scanning Noelle from head to toe. But when he heard her words, he paused slightly and looked at her again. "You were worried about me?""Yeah. They didn't make things difficult for you, did they?" Noelle frowned. "I can testify for you. It was Sid who attacked first, and you were just protecting me."Hendrix studied her for a moment before suddenly laughing. "Of course they made it difficult for me. That bastard is still lying in the hospital, and he might even end up disabled. I've been bailed out for now, but I might still have to stand trial later. Who knows? I might even end up in prison."Noelle slowly turned pale in the face as his words slowly sank in. She stared at him in disbelief, her voice trembling. "A-Are you serious?""Yeah."Noelle fell silent, her head bowing slowly. "I'm sorry. I'm really sorry."The choked sound of her voice sent an unexpected pang through Hendrix's chest. But he quickly suppressed it and asked, "Noelle, what will you do?""Wha
There was no answer.Irene immediately sensed something was wrong. She quickly removed the shovel propped against the door and swung it open, only to find no one inside the room.…"Mr. Freeman, rest assured, we will take care of this matter for you."Jerry's head was pounding. Ever since Hendrix had arrived in their jurisdiction, trouble had followed relentlessly. Yet, despite all this, he maintained a polite smile as he addressed Hendrix."What are you going to do with him?" Hendrix asked in return.Jerry hesitated for a moment before responding, "We've already looked into the matter. Rest assured, we will deal with him severely.""And what exactly do you mean by 'severely'?" Hendrix pressed, his gaze sharp enough to make sweat prickle at Jerry's temples."Well, given his attempted assault, under criminal law—""Assault?" Hendrix let out a low chuckle. "You seem to be mistaken. He was attempting rape and possibly even murder.""Murder?""Yes. Murder."Hendrix lifted his e
"Look at what they did to my son! My son was perfectly fine, and now he's lying in a hospital bed! I'll make sure that bastard rots in jail forever!"Joanne's shrill voice pierced through the door.Noelle sat on a chair, clutching a cup of hot water. Beside her sat Irene, her face dark with fury.The yelling outside continued, "Nelly is nothing but a slut! I knew from the start she was no good! Just look at that face. Who wouldn't she try to seduce? Sid isn't that kind of person! She must've failed to seduce him and then conspired with her lover to frame my son!"Irene couldn't take it anymore. She flung the door open, and the shouting stopped instantly.It was no surprise that Joanne would be scared of Irene since the old woman was holding a hoe in her hand."Get lost," Irene said simply.Joanne paled but stood her ground.Seeing this, Irene was just about to charge forward with her hoe when Joanne panicked and quickly turned to leave.But the onlookers lingered nearby, watch
But that was only if Sid had been willing to accept it. The way Hendrix had looked at him back then—cold and disdainful.And when he'd spoken, his voice had been so certain, as if he'd known Sid would take the money. And in the end, he had. But that didn't give Hendrix the right to look down on him.The more he thought about it—the way he'd been overjoyed when he first met Noelle during their matchmaking, the time and emotion he'd wasted on her—the more resentment burned in his chest."What do you want?"Noelle could feel the danger radiating off him. She kept stepping back, but Sid only advanced, step by step."What do I want?" Sid let out a cold laugh. "Simple. You just need to sleep with me once.""What did you say?" Noelle stared at him in disbelief.For a moment, she thought she must have misheard."Stop playing dumb!" Sid snarled impatiently. "Cut the act! I know you're no longer pure. I saw that bastard sneaking out of your house this morning. You've got some nerve. You
Noelle ended up leaving the room first. The moment she stepped out, she shut the door firmly behind her.Irene thought that was weird. "Why did you close the door?""No reason. Just a habit."Noelle's cheeks were still faintly flushed, and she avoided Irene's gaze, brushing off the question with a vague reply.Irene found it odd but didn't press further.After breakfast, Irene announced she was heading to the back mountain to gather herbs to sell at the market in a few days.Noelle had been thinking about how to divert her, and this played right into her plans."Come with me," Irene said. "And bring two more bottles of water."Noelle hesitated for a moment. She usually accompanied Irene on these trips, so refusing now would seem suspicious. In the end, she nodded.But before leaving, she suddenly called out, "I'm closing the door!"Her voice was loud, ensuring the person inside her room could hear.Irene gave her a strange look. "Who are you talking to?""You.""I'm standi