Hendrix had already planned this even before their fallout. He had likely intended all along to use this opportunity to swallow Elm Group entirely. None of this had anything to do with Noelle. Forcing her to bow her head and beg him now was just a bonus to him.

Noelle's thoughts had never been clearer or more rational than in this moment. She wasn't particularly surprised After all, Hendrix had always been that kind of person.

Still, Noelle couldn't help but think back to the time when he had humbled himself before her. It was precisely because of his attitude back then that Noelle had been lulled into the illusion that she could treat him however she wanted and that she could even exact some sort of petty revenge on him.

Now, she understood it had all been an act.

This realization didn't shock Noelle, not in the slightest. What was laughable, however, was the unexpected sadness she felt in this moment.

But it wasn't deep, unbearable pain. It was more like a shallow cut across her skin. The wound wasn't deep, but it happened to reopen a spot that had only recently healed-a place where the new, tender flesh was still overly sensitive, making the pain sharper and harder to ignore.noveldrama

Still, because the cut wasn't deep, the bleeding stopped quickly. In just a short while, even something as trivial as a cheap bandage wouldn't be necessary.

"Even so, this is the only possible outcome now," Noelle told Craig. "Elm Group's situation is beyond saving. Being able to go through a proper bankruptcy process is already a stroke of luck."

Her voice was calm, but there was a faint bitterness in her tone that even she didn't notice.

Craig suddenly found himself at a loss for words. Noelle's statement, as if passing a final sentence, left

him without even the strength to express his anger. In the end, he could only lie back on the bed, his eyes fixed blankly on the ceiling.

Noelle watched him for a moment before calmly telling him to focus on recovering. Then, she stood up to leave.

Just as she turned, Craig said, "There's actually one more way."

Noelle paused mid-step and looked back at him.

"If Julio got into that crowd because of Hendrix, then even if Hendrix doesn't know exactly where he is, he must have some idea."

"So what if we managed to find him? The company's losses"

"No, it's not Julio I want to find. It's the evidence of Hendrit's collusion with him," Craig interrupted, his gaze slowly locking onto Noelle.

"Hendrix is still the general manager of Amity Group. Domestic industries place a high value on real economy. If his involvement with Mondivera's funds gets exposed, he' face serious consequences. That's our only chance to beat him."

As Craig spoke, his voice grew increasingly animated. "I know-he's come to you again, hasn't he? No matter what, you must still have a way to contact him. If you can get your hands on the evidence, we'll still have a chance to turn this around!"

Noelle suddenly found herself at a loss for words.

It wasn't just because of what Craig had said, but because something else had surfaced in her mind- something

Hendrix had once told her in confidence, a secret no one else seemed to know.

He apparently had another brother.

As it stood now, the Freeman family had not acknowledged the existence of that illegitimate child, likely because Hendrix had firmly secured his position as the general manager of Amity Group.

But what if his hidden dealings were brought to light?

Based on Noelle's understanding of Ophelia, she would have no hesitation in discarding Hendrix if his

actions threatened the interests of Amity Group or the Freeman family. She would likely shift her support to the other contender without a second thought.

At that point, Hendrix would truly be left with nothing-