"What do you mean?" Hendrix asked in a low voice.

Noelle pulled the cake over but didn't eat it. She just simply replied, "Have you handled Amity Group's matter?"

Hendrix did not expect her to ask this.

Before he could answer, she continued, "The crisis last year was just a facade, right? You told me before that Amity Group, with its decades of history, has its advantages and disadvantages. The advantage is that it's a nationally recognized enterprise with a solid reputation and foundation.

"The disadvantage is that over these decades, the motivation of many employees has been ground down to almost nothing-especially certain relatives and friends of a few shareholders. You're well aware of their lack of contribution to the company, but you can't completely remove them.

"After all, these are the veteran shareholders who fought alongside your father and even your grandfather. Taking action against them would harm your reputation. So, you've actually been waiting for an opportunity.

"You know they're a group driven purely by profit. When last year's public outcry erupted, you let it escalate, just so you could use the chance to give them a push when they hesitated to jump ship.

"As for Lana, that's another matter altogether. Those people aren't stupid. They must have realized the truth by now. But you haven't given them a way out, which is why they're going to such lengths to probe your intentions, even using Lana as a shield. Am I right?" Noelle spoke slowly, each word crystal clear. Some of these insights came from Oliver, while others were confessions Hendrix had made to her directly. Today, for the first time, her words wove all the fragments into a complete and coherent web.

Hendrix didn't deny anything. Instead, he looked somewhat puzzled, unable to understand why Noelle would bring this up now.

Still gazing at the cake, Noelle asked softly, "And in your eyes, what role do I play in all of this? Am I the perpetrator responsible for your mother's incident? Or perhaps... just another person you've discarded like those you removed from the company?"

"Of course not!" Hendrix replied without hesitation, his expression growing darker. "Noelle, is that really what you think of me?"

"Hmm, if it's neither of those, then I must have been the actor you pulled onto the stage." Noelle smiled faintly and continued, "Last year, you turned a blind eye to public opinion, but in reality, everyone was watching your

every move.

"Under their watchful eyes, you couldn't truly afford to do nothing. Even if it was just an act, you needed them to see, or at least misunderstand, that you were making an effort.

"And the effort you made was breaking up with me, turning me into a scapegoat without even a chance to explain. Isn't that right?

"Only by doing that would they think you'd truly lost your footing. Only by pushing me out there would they believe you were at your wit's end. And only when they thought you were desperate would they follow your lead and abandon ship. Isn't that so?"noveldrama

Noelle initially found it strange.

Hendrix was a smart person, so how could he be so easily manipulated by Sandra? And if he truly didn't care about her at all, why did he go to the trouble of finding her a lawyer when she got into trouble later?

It was only now that Noelle finally ... food. Back then, their breakup had merely been another calculated move in his plan.