That entire night, Noelle had a long, vivid dream.

In the dream, her parents surrounded her, celebrating her birthdays—both the lunar and solar dates—every year. They’d shower her with gifts, filling an entire wishing tree.

Her little brother, soft and small, would pout jealously, scrunching his round face and mumbling, “Mom, Dad, am I even your biological child?”

Her mom would pinch his cheek with a teasing smile, “Of course not. You were the freebie we got when we had your sister.”

Her dad would hold her close and playfully say to her brother, “Listen, kiddo, when your mom and I are old, it’ll be your job to protect your sister. Got it?”

Her brother would puff out his tiny chest, clench his fist, and declare in his childish voice, “I love my sister the most! If anyone dares to bully her, I’ll tear them to pieces!”

And they’d all laugh together—a family of four, warm and happy.

Noelle’s dry, chapped lips moved slightly, mouthing something inaudible.

The medication flowed through the IV, cooling her fever and suppressing the infection.

But the heaviness and ache in her chest spread like a flood, devouring her relentlessly, leaving no room to breathe.

“So cold... It’s so, so cold...”

Even the tears slipping from the corners of her eyes were icy.

She couldn’t remember how many dreams she had that night.

Yet somehow, the coldness that had haunted her for five years seemed to dissipate, replaced by an inexplicable warmth that seeped into her very core.

It felt like a hug.

No one had hugged her in so long.

In her hazy state, she instinctively curled up, weak and fragile, leaning closer to the source of warmth.

She mumbled faintly, “Big brother, don’t forget to wake me up for school in the morning. Ugh, senior year is so scary...”

Boom!

Crack!

Thunder and lightning tore through the neon-lit Mirage City, drenching it in pitch-black rain.

The Next Morning

A nurse came in to check on Noelle.

Noelle asked casually, “Who brought me here last night?”

It felt like someone had stayed with her all night.

“The café owner,” the nurse replied without meeting her gaze.

Noelle didn’t think much of it.

After leaving the VIP medical suite, she went to the café on the first floor to thank the owner in person.

But the owner was out of town, buying coffee beans. Her trip turned out to be fruitless.

Glancing at her watch, Noelle saw that there were still over 30 minutes before the first round of negotiations.

She returned to the presidential suite on the top floor, freshened up, and changed into more formal attire. She applied light makeup, suitable for a business meeting.

Throughout the morning, there was no sign of Faye.

It was likely Faye’s first time taking charge of such an important negotiation project. Callum, not trusting her to handle it alone, had taken her along early in the day to meet with Finn and other team members, instructing them to give Mrs. Lockridge extra support.

Standing in front of the full-length mirror, Noelle looked at herself, her expression calm, her smile gentle.

A casual knit blouse paired with a brown pencil skirt, her long hair tied up loosely and secured with a simple hairpin.

Stray curls framed her face, partially hiding her smooth, pale earlobes.

She used to have pierced ears, but after her earlobes were torn, she never wore earrings again.

“Noelle, just endure this a little longer. For the villa Mom and Dad left behind, for your little brother—just hold on a bit more. It’ll all be over soon. Very soon, it’ll all be over.”

Her eyes caught something reflected in the mirror.

On the red carpet in the living room, a pair of men’s boxers lay scattered alongside a few opened condom wrappers.

Nearby was a no-wire bra in a pastel pink—a style young girls often wore.

Feeling a sense of discomfort from her mild OCD, Noelle called the hotel front desk before leaving, requesting housekeeping to clean up.

When she arrived at the conference room on the third floor, she noticed Callum leaning against the hallway wall, seemingly waiting for someone.

She raised an eyebrow but chose to ignore him, heading straight for the door.

But as she passed him, he suddenly spoke.

“Noelle, these past five years without you, I’ve lived a peaceful and comfortable life.”

“?”

What did that have to do with her? Why was he telling her this?

So what if he’s doing well? What does it have to do with her?

If not for the family villa, Noelle thought, the two of them would likely never cross paths again, even in death.

“Faye is by my side. She’s pure and kind. She doesn’t scheme against me or constantly think about what she can take from me.”

“And so?”

Noelle couldn’t help but chuckle.

She shrugged. “Mr. Lockridge, are you trying to show off your love life to me this early in the morning?”

Was he insane? Or had last night’s passion with Faye been so intense that it scrambled his brain?

With that thought, her professionalism as Faye’s OB-GYN kicked in.

“Mr. Lockridge, Mrs. Lockridge is less than three months pregnant. Even if you can’t restrain yourself, for the sake of your wife and child, you really should exercise some self-control.”

In truth, the Callum she knew wasn’t one to indulge recklessly.

To be precise, his self-discipline was extraordinary. If he didn’t want something, even if a woman stripped naked and threw herself at him, he wouldn’t budge.

Yet, when it came to Faye, he repeatedly broke his own rules and lost his composure time after time.

If that wasn’t love, what else could it be?

Once upon a time, Noelle had also foolishly dreamed of receiving such special treatment from him.

But in the end, she realized it was nothing more than wishful thinking—a road to self-destruction.

She smiled faintly, said nothing further, and reached for the door to enter the conference room.

Callum, however, grabbed her arm, his brows furrowed deeply. “What did you mean by what you just said?”

“Exactly what the words mean, Mr. Lockridge. Please behave yourself.”

Noelle shook off his grip, convinced that his brain was still muddled from last night’s excitement.

“You—” Callum began, trying to stop her again.

Just then, a group of pharmaceutical company representatives emerged from the elevator.

The moment they spotted Callum, they immediately beamed and struck up conversations about everything under the sun.

Noelle took the chance to slip away, grateful for the reprieve.

The meeting started promptly at 9 a.m.

According to the usual process, Faye, as the lead negotiator, was supposed to probe the price floor first.

Since they were a third party, the actual client—the Municipal Health Insurance Bureau—would observe the first round without offering any response.

This was a psychological game.

For any case to reach a finalized contract, it typically required at least ten rounds of negotiations.

And while the first round might seem inconsequential, it was, in fact, crucial. Whoever gained the psychological upper hand in this stage would likely emerge as the ultimate victor.

Noelle knew this because, back when she accompanied Callum during his studies, she had learned some negotiation strategies to pass the time.

At 9:15 a.m., the main client representative still hadn’t shown up.

The pharmaceutical company representative looked displeased. “For the first negotiation, the lead representative being late—doesn’t that seem a bit insincere?”

Fifteen minutes late and still unreachable, yet the representative managed to phrase it diplomatically. Clearly, they were holding back their temper out of respect for Callum.

Another fifteen minutes passed.

Faye’s phone was still off.

The pharmaceutical company, unwilling to direct their frustrations at Callum’s precious wife, turned their anger toward Noelle instead.

“Dr. Hartwell, your boss has gone missing. Shouldn’t you, as her servant, give us an explanation?”