"How is it that Hendrix could find Noelle, but you idiots still couldn't dig up a single clue after months? Useless! Every last one of you!" Dylan's voice burned with fury. He barely held back from erupting completely.He knew it. He freaking knew it!The way Hendrix had looked at him last nightโthat gaze had been telling him everything. Not only was he back, but he had brought Noelle with him.So what now? What the hell was all Dylan's effort for? After everything he had done, was he still supposed to slink away in defeat? Meanwhile, they got to live happily ever after? Why the hell should things turn out like that?"Where is she now?" Dylan asked.The question stunned the person on the other end. "W-What did you say?""I asked youโwhere is Noelle right now?""S-She's on her way to the hospital?""The hospital?""Yeah, we're tailing their car. It looks like she's going to see her adoptive mother at the hospital."Dylan stopped listening. He hung up and stormed forward. He fo
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, soโ"Noelle wasn't even sure if she should know him. But the way Dylan was looki
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. Heโ"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
"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-wifeโ""Hold up." Hendrix had said to
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.
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 feelingโone 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."Swiftโฆ 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. Sheโ""She
Noelle looked calm.Honestly, Hendrix suddenly thought that her memory loss might not be such a bad thing.If this had been the old Noelleโgiven her feelings for Selineโshe 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
Hendrix's attitude was uncharacteristically deferentialโenough 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 herโor 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
Amy spun around instantly and saw Hendrix walking toward her.Even though their relationship was purely transactionalโand even though Amy knew better than anyone that catching feelings for a client was the worst mistake she could makeโshe still had to admit something.Even without Hendrix's status, his looks and presence alone were enough to make any woman blush and her heart race. Being able to call him her boyfriend, even if only on the surface, gave Amy a kind of prestige wherever she went.Seeing that Hendrix was about to reach her, Amy was about to greet him when Hailey suddenly stepped ahead of her."Hi! Are you Amy's boyfriend?" she asked.Hendrix narrowed his eyes at her. "And you are?""I'm her friend. We were out shopping together today. What a surprise to run into you like this!" Hailey said with a grin. "Amy's always bragging about you. Now, I finally see why she's been hiding you from us."As she spoke, Hailey moved to slip her arm through Hendrix's. She was wearing
Lately, Amy had been living in the lap of luxury. Hendrix not only bought her jewelry and designer bags but even a sports carโa bright red one, with the emblem of an angry bull on the front.When Amy drove it out, she immediately attracted the envy of countless people. They spoke words of admiration and praise for Amy. But behind her back, they were practically grinding their teeth in envy.Of course, Amy could see through their little games, but she didn't care. Even if they cursed her behind her back, she acted like she never heard a word of it.To be honest, if they had been in her shoes, they probably wouldn't have been able to seize the opportunity. They would have likely been kicked out due to overstepping the first time Hendrix made them sleep on the couch.So, some things were just meant to be hers.Besides the jewelry, bags, and car, Hendrix had also given her a black card with no spending limit. Now, when she entered those stores, she no longer had to carefully check the
On the contrary, Hendrix seemed to care a lot about Noelle. Otherwise, he wouldn't have rushed over like that. Even Amy could feel the passion in the way he looked at Noelleโit was intense and almost burning. There wasn't a trace of the indifference he had shown back at the party.So, it was very likely the two of them were acting. But for what reason?Amy couldn't figure it out, but she knew one thingโshe might have just uncovered a huge secret. And this secret could very wellโฆAmy was still thinking when the door suddenly opened in front of her. Startled, she instinctively took a few steps back, staring in shock at the person before her.Hendrix was standing there, looking at her."I didn't say anything!" Amy blurted out without hesitation. She even held up her phone, as if offering it for inspection.He gave it a glance, then quickly looked away and said, "Come on out. We've got a business deal to discuss."โฆ"Who sent this to you?" the tanned-skin man asked.Only then did D
"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 toโ""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 isโunless 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 daysโnot 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 groupโand 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 rankingsโa 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 beforeโhe'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