When Noelle woke up, Hendrix was already gone. She wasn't surprised. Dragging her stiff body out of bed, she began her morning routine.

There was no point in going to the company anymore. It was only now that she realized he had already reached agreements with the other shareholders. The small amount of stock she held didn't even grant her the right to resist.

Craig still held some influence, and while it might not be enough to completely stop Hendrix's acquisition, it could at least delay it. If they could use that time wisely to expose Hendrix and Julio's dealings, there was still chance for them to turn things around.noveldrama

Noelle had already mapped out her plan on the way to the hospital. But when she arrived, she was met with an unexpected scene-Hendrix was already there, sitting inside.

When he saw her, he even smiled and casually greeted her.

Noelle's hands clenched tightly at her side.

Just then, Hendrix spoke up, "It's wonderful that you're here as well, Ms. Swanson. That saves us the trouble- let's discuss everything together. These are the current cash flow figures for Elm Group, and as of this morning, the stock price has dropped to..."

His voice was steady and detached.

The vivid memories of last night-their heated, tangled moments in bed-were still fresh in Noelle's mind. But now, Hendrix, dressed impeccably in a sharp suit, was meticulously outlining his plans for acquiring Elm Group to her. He was every inch the cold, ruthless businessman.

Noelle suddenly felt an urge to laugh, and so she did. Then, she turned to Craig. "You agreed to this?" Craig didn't answer, but the defeated look on his face said it all.

In truth, Noelle knew that given Elm Group's current state, being acquired was already the best possible outcome. If the company's internal financial issues were exposed, it would face an even worse situation. In that case, a forced judicial auction would be the ultimate disaster.

Still, Noelle found it hard to accept. She hadn't expected Hendrix to refuse her even this small window of time. Was it because they had laid everything bare between them ast night?

So Noelle knew-dealing with someone like Hendrix required a fatal blow. Anything less, any misstep that tipped him off, would only lead to total defeat. Yet, he wasn't willing to give her even the slightest chance. The thought made Noelle let out a soft, bitter laugh.

"I see," she said, then she turned to Craig. "You've agreed, haven't you? There's nothing left for me to say

Perhaps because Noelle agreed so readily, Hendrix looked at her with a hint of surprise. But he quickly recovered, letting out a light laugh.

"That's wonderful to hear, Ms. Swanson. I must say, I like how straightforward you are."

"Mr. Freeman, you're done here, right? Then, please leave Noelle said.

Hendrix nodded without hesitation. "Very well. I won't disturb your rest any further, Mr. Swanson. We can

go over The specific details at the shareholders' meeting in a couple of days."

He stood up and made his way to the door but suddenly stopped, as if something had just occurred to him. Turning back to Noelle, he said,

h, by the way, I don't have any engagements tonight, so wait for me, and we'll

have dinner together."

Once again, he had seamlessly donned the mask of warmth and tenderness without missing a beat. Noelle simply stared at him expressionlessly.

As if sensing what she was thinking, Hendrix quickly added, "We've sorted out Elm Group's bad debts, but there are still other matters between us that remain unresolved, aren't there? For instance... something about Dylan?"

Noelle had been ready to retort, but the moment he mentioned the last part, it was as if all the anger she had been building up suddenly dissipated.