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"I don't know, either. But considering everything that's happened between us, you won't mind if I take a little more time to think, right?" Noelle asked.

That was the final response she left for Hendrix. And she was right-too much had happened between them, so taking more time to think things through was only fair.noveldrama

Hendrix had always considered himself a patient man, or a least he used to believe so.

Take Amity Group's situation, for example. He had been laying the groundwork since last year and had only recently begun to reel it all in. So that was why he had always believed himself to be a skilled hunter. But as the days passed, Hendrix found that his patience wasn't as steadfast as he had once believed. Looking back, he realized he had done countless irrational things when it came to Noelle.

Every time Hendrix thought about reaching out to her, he would remember the serious look on her face that day. If it meant a good outcome, then waiting a few more days wasn't unbearable. At least that was what he told himself.

Until one day, he discovered that the woman who claimed she needed time to think had accompanied Dylan to at school event for a guest lecture. Their photo ended up on the news with the words "A Perfect Match" dominating

most of the comments section.

Hendrix couldn't hold back anymore. He got into his car and drove straight to Galaxy Grove. By now,

Dylan had already moved in with Noelle, but Hendrix didn't care. After all, they were just pretending to be a couple.

Noelle had just finished her shower when the doorbell rang When she opened the door, she was met with Hendrix, his face dark with barely contained anger

Her hair was still damp with droplets of water dripping steadily from the ends, She looked at him with a hint of confusion, as if she couldn't quite understand why he was there.

"Where were you today?" Hendrix asked.

Noelle raised an eyebrow. Quickly realizing he must have seen the news, instead of answering his question, she turned and walked back into the apartment.

"Perfect timing! I have something to say to you, too."

Her casual and different attitude made Hendrix pause for a moment, but then, his brows furrowed even tighter.

"About what we discussed last time, I've made up my mind Noelle said, her tone calm as she walked over to the couch and sat down.

When she looked up, she noticed Hendrix was still standing by the door. She was a little surprised but quickly chuckled. "That expression... Does it mean you don't want an answer anymore?"

"Who said that?" Hendrix shot back, stepping forward with a steady stride. In a low voice, he asked, "So, you-"

But mid-sentence, he abruptly fell silent.

Noelle didn't seem to notice his hesitation and continued speaking calmly, as if it didn't matter, "What Dylan and I have between us is actually a transaction. When I was transferred here, I didn't have any real authority, and negotiating deals was an uphill battle.

"That's when I met him, and he proposed a partnership. By posing as his girlfriend. I managed to bypass a lot of

obstacles, and in return, he got a reprieve from his parents pressuring him to settle down. Honestly, I'm very grateful to him.

"A significant part of why I've been able to establish myself here is because of his help. But his situation hasn't changed, and I'm not the kind of person who burns bridges after crossing them. So for now, my arrangement with him has to continue."

When Noelle finished speaking, Hendrix's expression turned as dark as a storm.

"What exactly are you trying to say?" he asked.

"But you already know the situation between him and me what we have is just a contractual relationship. We just show up together at events occasionally to keep up appearances, so..."

Noelle didn't finish her sentence. Instead, she simply looked at him.