The moment Faye saw Callum, her soft, delicate face instantly flushed.

She took a couple of quick steps forward, throwing herself by his side with a playful pout. “Teacher, I told you to relax. Sis Hartwell is here to take care of me and the baby. You’re busy with work; there’s no need for you to come over.”

In the hallway, a few team leaders happened to pass by.

Hearing Faye mention the “baby,” they immediately plastered on smiles and offered their congratulations. “Callum, it seems you have double blessings coming your way—success in both your career and family!”

“Oh, nothing like that,” Callum replied modestly. “But this is Faye’s first time leading an entire project. I hope you all can support her as much as possible.”

Callum truly lived up to his reputation as the only negotiation expert to rise to fame in his twenties.

His every word and gesture exuded effortless poise. Even when offering polite remarks about Faye, his commanding presence remained intact. A single glance from him carried enough weight to inspire reverence.

Noelle stood to the side, watching with calm detachment despite the sharp pain tearing through her lower abdomen.

Callum handled his social interactions masterfully, balancing authority with kindness.

The team leaders, seasoned veterans themselves, were like cunning foxes in their own right. Yet before Callum, their usual tricks seemed almost amateurish.

“Yes, of course, Callum. Don’t worry. Faye is the project’s lead, and as her seniors, we’ll naturally do our best to support her,” assured the highest-ranking leader among them, a middle-aged man.

Only then did Callum nod in satisfaction. “Alright. Thank you.”

“No need to thank us, haha...”

The old foxes wiped their sweat, chuckling nervously as they took their leave.

Faye smiled sweetly, nestled in Callum’s arms. “Teacher, you’re so good to me~”

Her playful coquetry filled the air with a cloying sweetness, as if honey were spilling everywhere.

Noelle’s back was drenched in cold sweat. Her trembling lips parted slightly as if to speak, “Callum, Faye, I...”

But Callum’s voice drowned hers out.

He gently cupped Faye’s cheek, his deep tone laced with an unmistakable tenderness unique to him. “Silly girl, didn’t I tell you before? I became a negotiation expert so I could protect you better.”

Boom.

It was such an ordinary yet heartfelt statement, but to Noelle, it landed like an atomic bomb, shattering her into unrecognizable pieces.

That was many years ago, wasn’t it?

On the rooftop of the Hartwell Family home, under a luminous full moon.

A young Callum, with an earnest expression, pinched the wind-kissed, rosy cheeks of a teenage girl and made her a solemn promise:

“Moonie, I swear, one day I’ll become a negotiation expert. Only a negotiation expert can win battles with words and make sure no one bullies you!”

Moonie...

Oh, how time dulls the edges of memory. For a moment, Noelle had almost forgotten that Callum used to call her Moonie all the time.

He’d said, “The bright moon always faces the one it loves, Moonie. You’ll forever be in my heart—I could never lose you.”

What a pity, Callum.

Five years ago, you were the one who tossed me aside with your own hands.

Five years later, by your side now stands a new moon.

I should be congratulating you.

Noelle smiled faintly, her face forever concealed behind an unchanging mask.

No one seemed to notice that while Callum was being all affectionate with Faye, his sharp eyes kept flickering toward the silent Noelle every now and then.

The pain in Noelle’s abdomen was excruciating. She lowered her head, pursed her lips, and tapped the floor lightly with the tip of her shoe—a small gesture that, in the past, her parents and brother would have recognized as a sign of her being upset.

But Callum, naturally, had long forgotten.

“Faye, let’s go inside. It’s chilly in the hallway.” The man took off his suit jacket like a gentleman and draped it over Faye’s shoulders.

Faye instinctively reached for Callum’s hand but brushed against a small paper bag instead.

Curious, she asked, “Teacher, what’s this? Did you buy me some little pastries?”

“Painkillers,” he replied.

Noelle, who had been preparing to head out to the pharmacy, froze.

Her gaze collided with Callum’s unexpectedly in midair.

Faye, whether intentionally or not, shifted her position slightly, completely blocking their line of sight.

She pouted playfully. “Teacher, I’m not sick. Why would you buy painkillers?”

As she spoke, Faye took the bag from him and peeked inside.

She pulled out a box of painkillers specifically for menstrual cramps.

Her eyes froze for a moment, and her voice carried a faint trace of grievance. “Teacher, I’m pregnant...”

While saying this, the girl deliberately glanced toward Noelle, who stood by the elevator.

Noelle’s expression remained calm—a perpetual, distant smile that exuded serenity, devoid of aggression, yet so cold that it was nearly impenetrable.

Callum clenched his hand slightly, the veins at his temples throbbing faintly.

The man explained casually, “I grabbed the wrong thing. Didn’t you mention you get headaches? I was worried.”

Of course!

How much must a man love someone to be so concerned about even the slightest discomfort she might feel?

Noelle smiled bitterly, her tone flat. “Callum, Faye, I have some matters to attend to, so I won’t bother you any longer. Excuse me.”

Faye covered her mouth, feigning embarrassment. “Oh dear, it’s all Teacher’s fault for keeping me company too much—I almost forgot Sis Hartwell was still here. Teacher, it’s all your fault. You should apologize to Sis Hartwell. You’ve kept her waiting in the hallway for so long!”

The girl’s tone was confident, spoiled, and assertive.

But someone as towering as Callum, a business titan, wasn’t the type to easily utter the words “I’m sorry.”

Noelle waved her hand dismissively, eager to leave.

Then she heard his deep, magnetic voice say, “I’m sorry.”

Before she could react, Callum playfully pinched Faye’s delicate nose, a helpless smile on his face. “Happy now?”

“Yes, yes, Teacher, you’re the best! Mwah~”

Faye was over the moon.

Noelle’s heart, though long numb like still water, felt as if a heavy stone had been hurled into it. Ripples began to spread, and beneath the surface, turbulent currents surged.

Ding.

The elevator arrived at her floor and opened.

Noelle pinched her numbing legs hard, likely from the pain in her abdomen, and stepped into the elevator.

The bright lights inside were blinding.

A box of painkillers suddenly flew toward her, hitting her hand.

Callum, still holding Faye’s hand, said, “Faye doesn’t like wasting things. You can deal with this.”

Deal with it?

Something Faye didn’t need, and she was supposed to deal with it?

What was she to him, exactly? A trash bin? A recycling center?

As the elevator doors slowly closed, Noelle could still faintly hear Faye’s voice: “Teacher, why did you talk to Sis Hartwell like that? She might misunderstand!”

“And what does that have to do with me?” Callum’s cold indifference—perhaps it was reserved only for her.

The elevator descended to the first floor.

This hotel was the only five-star public hotel in Mirage City. Many municipal department meetings were held here.

Apart from Faye’s healthcare project, another case involving Prospera Holdings was also being conducted here under semi-closed negotiations.

As the elevator doors opened, a group of well-dressed men and women, chatting and laughing, stepped in. At the center of the group was a handsome man in his early thirties.

Noelle glanced at him briefly before quickly lowering her head.

On her return to Mirage City, the first person she didn’t want to see was Callum.

And the second...