Noelle's tears started to fall uncontrollably.

"Jerk," she muttered through clenched teeth, her voice trembling.

Hendrix, who had been ready to bite her neck just moments ago, froze when he heard her words. Then, he lifted his gaze.

Noelle's lipstick was smudged, her eyeliner smeared from the tears that rolled down her cheeks, and her hair was a mess. She looked utterly disheveled.

Yet, Hendrix's heart skipped a beat when he saw the tears glistening on her lashes.

His movements slowed. Instead of continuing, he cupped the back of her head gently and kissed her.

This kiss was much softer and tender. Noelle didn't resist the way she had earlier.

In reality, Hendrix couldn't bear to see her in pain, either. But now, as her resistance eased, Hendrix found himself regaining his composure.

Just as he was about to speak, hoping to reason with her, Noelle suddenly bit down hard on his lip. "Mr. Freeman."

It had been a day, yet Dan still couldn't stop glancing at Hendrix's lips whenever they spoke.

Of course, the handprint on Hendrix's cheek was also noticeable. But it was nothing compared to the bloodied scab on his lip.

The slap on its own might lead people to believe that it was about some sort of family disagreement. However, the wound on his lips told a different story.

The only explanation was that these marks were left by a woman.

Hendrix had been divorced for almost two months. The woman who left those marks was a complete mystery.

"What is it?" Hendrix's deep voice broke Dan's train of thought.

Snapping back to attention, Dan replied, "It's Mrs. Freeman. She's here."

"What does she want?" Hendrix asked sharply.

"Said she's here to drop something off. She's waiting in the lounge," Dan explained.

"I don't have time to see her. Tell her-

"What's keeping you so busy that you don't even have time to see me?" a cold, familiar voice interrupted him.

Hendrix furrowed his brows.

Dan quickly turned to face Beatrice, "Mrs. Freeman, Mr. Freeman is-

"What happened to your face?" Beatrice cut him off, her sharp eyes instantly zeroing in on Hendrix's injuries. Her expression darkened. "Are you dating someone?"

"No," Hendrix answered flatly.

"Then, what's with the injuries?"

sapter

"Ran into something," he replied without hesitation, his tone brisk and dismissive.

Beatrice frowned, and she turned her attention to Dan, who immediately dropped his gaze.noveldrama

"What do you need?" Hendrix's tone grew impatient.

Beatrice pressed her lips together before responding, "This is Ms. Wright's number. You should call her in the next couple of days. Also, I got you tickets to a concert. You should take her with you if things work

out."

It took Hendrix a moment to catch her meaning.

He looked up at her, frowning. "I'm not ready to think about that right now."

"This isn't up to you," Beatrice shot back. "Don't forget that you're the heir to Amity Group, and your grandmother has been waiting for a great-grandchild for years."

She paused, her tone sharpening. "She still holds 15% of Amity Group's shares. She'll never hand them over until you have a child. Will you really be okay with those shares ending up in someone else's hands?"

Hendrix's expression shifted at her words. His gaze darkened as it locked onto hers. "What are you trying to say?" Beatrice's face remained emotionless. "Do you really think you're the only heir in the Freeman family?"