After Hendrix hung up, there was a moment of silence in the car.

He had won the bet with Noelle. But in that moment, his emotions were flat, devoid of any excitement or triumph. Perhaps it was because everything had unfolded exactly as he expected.

From the moment he saw Nathan, he knew that while the situation might not have been orchestrated by Beatrice, she still had chosen to stand by and watch with a cold, indifferent gaze.

It was a reminiscence of his childhood. Hendrix would fight with other kids, and Beatrice would stand on

the sidelines, watching coolly until they were pulled apart. Only then would she step forward, guide him away, and pour a bottle of water over his head in a quiet place.

She would then ask, "Feeling calm now? Fighting is the last resort. Only the most useless people resort to such crude methods."

That was true.

But those words, they could have come from a teacher or any elder, but they should not have come from a mother.

Hendrix had always been an avid reader, immersing himself in books and news. In the pages, the image of a mother was always warm and selfless. Mothers would sacrifice everything for their children, stepping in front of them without hesitation when danger approached.

They would provide the most tender companionship, even if it was just a bowl of porridge or a book to read at night.

But Hendrix had never received any of that. Beatrice only ever urged his growth, pushing him to become a proper heir of Amity Group.

Even today, she allowed the person Hendrix hated the most to enter his world, and she justified it as doing it for him.

Didn't she say it herself just now? To make him realize that nothing in life was a given. Just like Ophelia said, what she could give him, she could also give to others.

So, Hendrix wasn't surprised to receive such answers at all. When he was betting with Noelle earlier, he never considered the possibility of losing. But now that he had weh, he didn't feel happy about it.

After the phone call ended, Hendrix didn't bring up the matter again, only continuing to drive the car with a neutral expression.

Noelle sat in the passenger seat, and after a while, she said, "I never agreed to bet with you"

Hendrix didn't know if she was trying to comfort herself. But he had to admit, this kind of "comfort" really worked.

Hendrix chuckled lightly and said, "I know, and I won't ask you for anything."

Noelle didn't say anything

Hendrix drove into the city and then said, "You didn't eat much tonight, did you? Let's go. We'll grab a bite first."

Noelle didn't refuse his suggestion. Perhaps because of tonight's events, she momentarily forgot the sharp confrontations between them, as well as the past pain and suffering.

This was also the first time she directly felt Hendrix's "lack of love". And then, she thought about her past self.

The meal was probably the most peaceful one they had shared in a while. But just as they were about to pay the bill, a loud commotion suddenly broke out from the opposite side.

The restaurant was chosen by Hendrix. It was a fine-dining restaurant with a per-person average cost close to five figures, its ambiance serene and quiet. The sharp scream of a woman cut through the silence like a blade, sending a chill to one's heart.

Noelle had already been preparing to leave, but at the sound, her eyes instinctively looked toward the private room across from them.

The wooden sliding door had been opened, and from Noelle's angle, she could see two women still grappling with each other. Standing beside them was a man with a dark expression.noveldrama

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