Without Callum Lockridge’s protection, the criticisms and sarcasm came pouring down like a storm.

Seated in the guest chair, Callum remained composed and expressionless.

Encouraged by his indifference, the pharmaceutical representative, Adelaide, became even more arrogant. “How about this, Dr. Hartwell? If you can’t find Miss Moon, why don’t you take her place yourself?”

It was a blatant show of dominance.

Though the first round of negotiations had not officially started, the psychological warfare had already begun.

Noelle smiled gently, her voice calm and soft. “Mr. Adelaide, this may be your first time in Mirage City. I wonder if you’ve heard of the phrase ‘guests should follow the host’s lead’?”

The pharmaceutical company Adelaide represented was making its debut in the local market. Its reputation was well-known, and its arrogance matched its fame.

Adelaide chuckled mockingly. “Miss Hartwell, I quite enjoy your country’s ancient culture. My personal favorite saying is ‘never be ashamed to ask.’”

Adelaide’s company had brought a groundbreaking drug for ovarian cyst treatment—something truly unique in the global market.

By quoting “never be ashamed to ask,” he was subtly implying that this negotiation was initiated because the Municipal Health Insurance Bureau needed their product.

It wasn’t going to be easy.

Several officials from the health bureau were already on edge, and murmurs of discontent rippled through the team.

“She didn’t even wait for Ms. Moon to arrive before speaking up. Ms. Moon is Mr. Lockridge’s protégé and an expert negotiator. If she says the wrong thing, it’ll ruin everything!” one whispered.

“Exactly! I bet Ms. Moon’s deliberate delay is part of her strategy. Dr. Hartwell has no idea what she’s doing. If this deal falls through, it’ll all be her fault!”

“No kidding. Doesn’t she understand that negotiation requires expertise? She’s clearly out of her depth!”

Noelle was being pushed into a corner.

If she backed down, Adelaide would seize the opportunity to escalate his demands.

If she stepped forward, she’d bear full responsibility for any failure, taking the fall for Faye Moon.

“Let her handle it,” Callum suddenly declared, his tone leaving no room for argument.

Everyone’s eyes immediately turned to Noelle.

But Noelle’s gaze was fixed on the man seated in the shadows, his figure outlined against the light.

He had said she should handle it, so casually, so indifferently.

Faye was late, had gone missing, leaving the opposing side pressing aggressively and the first-round negotiation teetering on the edge of collapse.

Yet Callum hadn’t uttered a single word of reproach. Throughout the chaos, he had sat there like a protective wall for his beloved Faye, redirecting all of Adelaide’s attacks toward Noelle.

And now, with a single sentence, he tossed the responsibility to her, shielding Faye from blame while placing her in an utterly untenable position.

“Mr. Lockridge, I am just an assistant!”

Noelle gritted her teeth, spitting out each word forcefully.

Callum sneered coldly. “If this project fails and it affects Faye, everything you want will be obliterated!”

How blatant his threat was.

What he cared about, all he cared about, was Faye Moon.

It was only now that Noelle truly understood—this man, so rational and measured in all things, could become utterly unhinged and reckless in love.

For Faye, he would crush her, shred her to pieces, just to avert any crisis that could harm Faye.

“Noelle Hartwell will stand in for Faye. The first-round negotiation begins now.”

Callum’s words finalized the decision.

The meeting officially started.

Adelaide, from his moral high ground, launched a barrage of critiques.

Noelle remained silent.

The health bureau officials sighed deeply, lamenting, “It’s over. This negotiation is bound to fail!”

Team members whispered among themselves, their dissatisfaction clear.

“It’s all Noelle Hartwell’s fault. She’s an amateur. What’s she doing interfering? If Ms. Moon were here, she would’ve nailed this case!”

“She’s just making things worse! Ms. Moon’s delay must’ve been part of a strategy, but Noelle? She’s completely clueless. If this negotiation collapses, it’ll all be on her!”

Murmurs of discontent rippled through the room.

Adelaide’s expression turned ruthless. “One pill. $560 per unit, procurement price. Dr. Hartwell, I’m being generous only because you’re easy on the eyes. A penny less, and there’s no point continuing this discussion.”

“Then let’s not continue.”

Seated at the head of the table, Noelle exuded calm authority.

Her straightforward response left everyone stunned. Callum Lockridge’s piercing gaze on her only deepened her revulsion.

Adelaide burst into laughter. “Dr. Hartwell, your people have a saying, don’t they? ‘Long hair, short knowledge.’ Ha! I’ve truly experienced that firsthand today!”

Noelle’s lips curved into a subtle smile, her tone as sharp as a blade. “Then, Mr. Adelaide, would you like to experience another saying? Something like, ‘The bamboo snake’s bite, the hornet’s sting—neither compares to the venom of a woman’s heart’?”

With that, she casually pulled out her phone, scrolling through it with an air of nonchalance.

A moment later, the projector connected, and several video clips began playing on the screen.

In the footage, Adelaide was seen sexually harassing male nurses and doctors from their team, even attempting to drug and abduct one of them.

“Harassment and attempted assault—crimes punishable under the law in any country,” Noelle said, her voice deceptively sweet. “Mr. Adelaide, do you think I should dial 911 now to report this?”

She leaned forward slightly, her full figure brushing against the edge of the table. Her posture was effortlessly alluring, exuding a dangerous mix of seduction and innocence.

The contrast was captivating, drawing every gaze toward her—Callum’s included.

He stared at her without blinking, his dark eyes deep and unreadable. His phone vibrated continuously with calls and unread WhatsApp messages from Faye Moon, but he ignored them. No one could guess what he was thinking at that moment.

Adelaide, provoked beyond control, lunged at Noelle in a fit of rage.

But as if expecting this, Noelle clapped her hands, and the hotel’s security personnel immediately rushed in. They subdued Adelaide, pinning him to the ground before handing him over to the police.

With Adelaide’s arrest, the first round of negotiations ended with the health bureau claiming a psychological victory.

The meeting concluded.

Noelle, who had been dismissed and criticized earlier, was now celebrated as the team’s hero. Leaders and colleagues alike flocked to praise her, showering her with compliments and even handing her business cards.

“Hartwell, you must’ve prepared all this in advance, right? Did you arrange for the security and police too?” a municipal official asked her with a smile.

Noelle replied honestly, “The evidence was something I had prepared beforehand. As for the security and police, I assume someone else from the team arranged that. I happened to see the security staff outside the door and called them in just in time.”

It truly hadn’t been her doing.

After leaving the meeting room, she turned a corner toward the elevators.

From a distance, she heard faint sobs and hiccupped cries.

A young woman clung to a man’s broad chest, sobbing pitifully. “Teacher, please don’t blame Sis Hartwell. Sis Hartwell probably didn’t know I was still asleep in the presidential suite. That’s why she didn’t wake me up.”

So, the lead negotiator was late for the first meeting because... she overslept?

Faye Moon continued sniffling, her voice full of grievance. “And Sis Hartwell called housekeeping to clean the room. She even told them no one was inside, which made the people looking for me think I wasn’t in the suite. That’s why everything got delayed. Sis Hartwell didn’t mean any harm. Please don’t be mad at her, okay?”

The moment her words ended, Noelle walked into the elevator as if she hadn’t heard a thing. She pressed the button for the ground floor, her expression calm and unbothered.