Noelle didn't sleep a wink that night. Every time she closed her eyes, the nightmares crept in.

A damp, dark room, a door that never quite closed, clothes Inexplicably soiled and drawers rifled through, and finally, the man's disgusting, lecherous face.noveldrama

Eight years had passed, yet Noelle still couldn't escape the haunting memories. And now, her adoptive father, William Kaplan, was out of prison.

He was free!

Noelle didn't know how William had gotten her number, but the feeling it brought the suffocating sense that she could never outrun him-was all too familiar.

Even this apartment, the one she had only recently rented, no longer felt safe. She couldn't shake the sensation of unseen eyes watching her, waiting to pounce.

Noelle couldn't stay here anymore.

But where could she go?

In the end, she went to the hospital.

Noelle knew there wasn't much Cynthia could do for her, nor could she tell the latter anything. But there and seeing her gave Noelle a small measure of comfort.

Cynthia was the only person who could make her feel even a little bit safe.

But Noelle didn't dare stay long

just being

She knew if William really had come to Coppersville, the first place he would go would be the Swanson family residence. And given how strained her relationship with them was now, she couldn't rule out the possibility that they might give him the hospital's address.

After giving a few instructions to the nurse, Noelle left the hospital.

Then, she turned on her phone and booked a ticket to leave Coppersville. She didn't tell anyone she was leaving She didn't even cancel her lease. Packing only the essentials, she quietly made her way to the airport.

She booked the earliest flight she could find, not caring about the destination. It wasn't until the plane landed in

I unfamiliar city that she finally began to feel a sense of clarity.

an

When Noelle turned her phone back on, a string of missed calls from the Swanson family filled her

screen.

Hailing a cab, she gave the driver the address of the hotel she had just booked. Once she had settled into her room, Noelle finally retumed Craig's call.

"Where are you?" His voice was sharp and cold.

"Is omething wrong?" Noelle countered.

someone said they saw you at the airport. Where are you going?

dn't expected him to have people keep an eye on her. The realization hit like a punch to the gut, interstarily stealing her breath

"I'm on a business trip," she answered carefully.

"Your job requires you to travel now?

Chapter 10.

"Don't worry," Noelle said, gripping the phone tightly to steady her voice. "I'll come back. But as for the Hawthorne family's matter... Let's drop it.

"Hendrix already reached out to me. He doesn't want the rumors affecting him and even said if the Swanson family is in trouble, he's willing to help. So-"

Craig cut her off with a harsh laugh. "He's not our son-in-law anymore. What help could he possibly give us? The Swanson family needs a partner, someone who can grow with us. Hendrix isn't a philanthropist, Noelle. Do you really think he's acting out of kindness?"

He paused for a moment, his tone hardening. "Don't think I don't know what you're trying to do. Even if you sabotage the Hawthorne family arrangement, I'll find you a second, a third, however many suitors it takes. It's your responsibility as a daughter of the Swanson family!

"You have three days to come back. If you don't, prepare to take that woman to the crematorium!" Then, the line went dead.

Noelle gripped her phone tightly. Her throat constricted like someone was choking her, and she was unable to

make a sound