Now that Noelle had withered and faded away, any belated attention and care

were meaningless.

She was about to close her eyes again, but in the next moment, something on the dressing table caught her attention. If she wasn't mistaken, the set of skincare products sitting there was from her usual brand. Then, her gaze shifted to the curtain ties on the bay window, followed by the glass doors of the walk-in closet across the room. Through the transparent panels, she spotted clothes that looked all too familiar.

It was at that moment Noelle realized he had brought over all the things she had once left behind here. But the truth was, those items weren't really hers.

The clothes had been the ones Beatrice insisted she buy, so she could live up to the title of "Mrs. Freeman" whenever she stepped out. They weren't bought with her own money, which was why Noelle hadn't taken them when she left.

As for the skincare products, they were probably expired by now.noveldrama

Just as Noelle's thoughts wandered, the sound of running water in the bathroom stopped. She immediately stopped thinking and shut her eyes tightly.

In the darkness, she could hear Hendrix's deliberate footsteps approaching, followed by the sound of him settling down beside her.

He carried the clean, fresh scent of a shower, and his arm wrapped firmly around her waist. As he pulled closer, their skin pressed tightly together. But it seemed he didn't think it was enough. His arm tightened even more, as if he wanted to fuse Noelle's entire being into this.

This time, Noelle truly felt like she couldn't breathe-the pressure was almost painful. Unable to bear it, she dug her nails into the back of his hand and snapped, "Let go! It hurts!"

Her voice carried a clear edge of gritted teeth. Hendrix, of course, noticed it. He didn't say anything, only letting out a soft chuckle before loosening his grip slightly. Even so, he remained pressed against her, and from time to time, his lips would brush against her skin.

Noelle wanted to ask if he was some kind of dog. But then, she remembered the slap she'd given him earlier and how he'd almost seemed pleased by it. In the end, she swallowed the words back down. What she could confirm now was simple-Hendrix had completely dropped the facade. He was, undeniably, a full-blown lunatic, while she was a normal person. And there was no way a normal person could reason with a lunatic.

So, there was no need for any communication between them. Having reached that conclusion, Noelle simply shut her eyes and tried to sleep.

Ironically, despite their two-year-long marriage, she had never once spent a full night in this bedroom. She had thought she would struggle to fall asleep. Perhaps because of the exhaustion from not sleeping the previous night, combined with the emotional tension of the day, she quickly drifted into a deep sleep once she closed her eyes.

She had a strange dream.

In the dream, she found herself in an unfamiliar place. There was nothing around her, and she sat alone on the cold floor. Noelle wanted to stand up and move forward, but as soon as she tried, she realized there was something strange on her legs.

Looking down, she was horrified to see that her hands and feet were bound tightly with heavy iron chains. She

nearly jumped out of her skin, panic surging through her as she began to tug and pull at the chains with all her might.

But the more she struggled, the tighter the iron chains wrapped around her. Her breathing grew labored, and her hands and feet thrashed desperately. Just then, Hendrix's voice cut through the air, "Penny."

The long-forgotten nickname jolted Noelle awake. Her eyes snapped open, and when she saw the face in front of her, she didn't hesitate-her hand flew up, delivering another sharp slap.

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