"Aren't you afraid that he'll take revenge on you?" Dylan asked helplessly from the other end of the phone.

"Nope," replied Noelle without hesitation.

"Have you forgotten how you ended up in the hospital last time?" he reminded her.

Noelle, of course, hadn't forgotten. But now, she was inexplicably certain of one thing. Someone as egotistical as Hendrix would never let anyone know about what happened tonight. Most likely, he wouldn't even want to see her again.

"You could have just agreed to get back together with him. I can explain things to my parents," said Dylan.

"Forget it," Noelle replied. "Besides, you're just an excuse came up with. I never actually planned to get back together with him."

"Why? Don't you still have feelings for him?"

"Feelings that feed on pain. Do those count?" Noelle poured herself a glass of wine and let out a soft laugh. "You've liked someone before, and you've been hurt because of it, so you should understand. Everyone only has so many times they can be hurt. I just don't trust him anymore".

Perhaps because the conversation had touched on himself, Dylan fell silent for a moment. After a while,

he finally asked, "What if Hendrix had agreed? What would you have done, then?"

Noelle chuckled. "Are you kidding me? This is Hendrix we're talking about a man at the top of the hierarchy. He's the one who treats others as playthings, not someone who would allow himself to be humiliated like this."

"So, you did it on purpose?"

"Yup." Noelle admitted without hesitation.

Noelle knew that if she rejected Hendrix in any other way, he would never truly give up. And she was tired of the endless back-and-forth with him. This was the cleanest, most decisive way to end it.

After hanging up the phone with Dylan, Noelle finished the wine in her glass. By now, her hair was almost dry. She turned off the lights and was about to head to her bedroom when the doorbell rang again Noelle froze. "Who is it?"

No one answered.

Frowning, she turned on the door monitor.

The black coat he had been wearing earlier was gone. Now, Hendrix stood there in just a loose white shirt, and his hair was visibly tousled,

When Noelle didn't open the door, Hendrix grew increasingly frustrated, prompting him to pound the door forcefully.

Noelle turned off the door monitor and opened the door. The moment they came face to face, she caught the heavy scent of alcohol on him. She immediately frowned and asked, "Have you lost-"

Before she could finish, Hendrix suddenly took a few swift steps forward.

The sudden proximity caught Noelle off guard. She instinctively tried to step back, but Hendrix wrapped his arm around her waist and used his other hand to cup her face. Then, without hesitation, he leaned in and kissed her.

Noelle was startled by his abrupt action, and she immediately pressed her hand against his chest in an attempt to

push him away. But Hendrix quickly held her wrists in place.noveldrama

Noelle tried to struggle, but the next moment, Hendrix released her lips and whispered to her ear, "I agree."

Noelle had originally planned to slap him, but as soon as she heard those words, her movements stopped. She then looked up at him.

Hendrix didn't give her the chance to respond. With a firm grip, he pressed her against his chest. "The thing you mentioned earlier, I agree," he repeated.

Hendrix had completely lost his mind.