Chapter 123

Hearing Noelle’s weak, pitiful voice, Nicolas felt like his chest was being crushed. He took a slow breath, forcing himself to stay calm. His voice was soft, steady, anything to keep her from breaking down. “Baby, don’t cry. Tell me what happened. Where does it hurt?”

Hearing Nick’s voice only made Noelle feel worse. Her body was completely drained, aching all over. She could barely move. Lying there, she pouted and murmured, “I ran into some hitmen… my shoulder got hurt, and now it really, really hurts. Nick, it hurts so bad.”

“Hitmen?” Nicolas’ entire body went rigid. His tone darkened. “Elly, babe, where are you? Are you safe?”

“I’m home,” Noelle sniffed. “I’m safe. It just hurts a lot.”

Her voice was so soft, so fragile, like a small wounded animal. It made his stomach twist. Nicolas didn’t hesitate. “Baby, I’m coming over right now.”

“Yes, please,” Noelle whispered, her voice shaking. “Nick, hurry….”

“I will. Stay put.” He ended the call.

Not wasting another second, he strode out of his office. Right then, Bryan walked in and almost bumped into him. He blinked in surprise. “Mr. Sawyer, where are you–”

“Get a car ready for the Anderson family’s house. And bring some proper gifts,” Nicolas ordered, not even looking back.

Bryan hesitated, looking anxious. “Sir, you can’t leave now! The chairman of the Atoraka–Nowedon Economic Association is about to arrive. You don’t have time to go anywhere.”

Nicolas didn’t slow down. “Then push the meeting back.”

Bryan’s face turned pale. Lowering his voice, he tried again. “But, sir, the chairman has a terrible temper. If we reschedule last minute, this deal—”

At that, Nicolas suddenly stopped. Bryan barely managed to avoid crashing into him.

Slowly, Nicolas turned, his lips curling into a cold smirk. “Bryan, have you forgotten? We’re the ones calling the shots here. No matter how bad his temper is, he’ll have to suck it up when he sees me.”

Bryan could tell right away, Nicolas was actually angry this time. And that surprised him. He had worked for the man for years, and if there was one thing he knew, it was that Nicolas never let his emotions show.

No matter the situation, he was always calm, unreadable. But now, it was obvious something had happened with Noelle.

Without hesitation, Bryan lowered his head. “I’m sorry, Mr. Sawyer. I shouldn’t have said that.”

Nicolas shot him a cold glance before turning away. “Just get it done. Now.”

“Understood.” Bryan didn’t waste another second.

Dinner time rolled around, but Noelle still hadn’t come downstairs. Kimberly glanced toward the staircase. “Is it just me, or has Noelle been asleep way too long? She usually naps for an hour or two, but she’s been out all afternoon.”

Eli immediately stood up. “I’ll go wake her–”

He had barely taken two steps before Damon blocked his way. Eli frowned. “What the hell, Damon!”

Damon crossed his arms, his expression cold. “She’s sick. Just let her rest.”

Eli scoffed. “And she doesn’t need to eat just because she’s sick? If anything, she needs food even more right now.”

He tried to step around him, but Damon moved again, blocking him.

Eli’s patience snapped. “Are you looking for a fight!”

Damon clenched his jaw. “Stop making a fuss.”

“A fuss?!” Eli stared at him like he had lost his mind. “I’m literally just trying to get her to eat! What is wrong with you?”

His eyes narrowed. “And since when are you this close to Noelle!”

Damon didn’t answer. He just stood his ground, unmoving.

“Damon, move.”

Damon didn’t flinch. “Or what?”

Eli huffed. “Get out of my way!”

“Not happening.”

By now, the rest of the Anderson family was watching. It was clear Damon was being unusually odd. Vincent frowned, looking at him, “Damon, what’s with you today?”

“Exactly,” Kimberly said, frowning, “Damon, Eli just wants to call Noelle for dinner. Why are you stopping him?”

Charlie didn’t say anything, but his eyes stayed on Damon, like he was trying to figure something out.

Leus, on the other hand, looked furious. Her eyes were red, her face full of resentment. She couldn’t understand. Damon used to hate Noelle. Now, all of a sudden, he was acting like he cared.

It didn’t make sense. He had always been on her side, always the one who cared. Something must have happened between him and Noelle while they were out. Something that made him change.

No matter how she looked at it, there was only one explanation: Noelle had somehow bewitched him.

Damon, meanwhile, kept his mouth shut. Noelle didn’t want anyone knowing what had happened earlier, so he had to keep it a secret.

But his silence only made things more suspicious. The tension in the room was thick when a servant suddenly announced, “Mr. Sawyer is here.”

Vincent raised a brow. “Nicolas Sawyer? What is he doing here at this hour?”

Eli scoffed, already annoyed. “Tell him to get lost! We don’t need him here.”

Vincent shot him a warning look. “Eli, watch your mouth. He’s Noelle’s fiancé. You can’t treat your future brother–in–law like that.”

The moment he heard “fiancé,” Eli lost it.

“Fiancé? Dad, are you serious?” He stepped forward, his voice rising. “Nicolas is nothing but a spoiled, useless playboy! And you want Noelle marry him!

“He’s just another rich kid who spent his days partying and doing nothing. How is that guy supposed to be worthy of her?”

Vincent’s expression hardened. He couldn’t deny that Eli had a point. This whole engagement had never felt right.

Noelle was smart, responsible, and independent. Meanwhile, Nicolas, despite being the so–called heir of the Sawyer Family, held no real power. He wasted his time fooling around and playing rich boy.

To be honest, Vincent wasn’t sure if Nicolas was good enough for Noelle either. Even though Vincent wasn’t happy about it, he wasn’t as hot–headed as Eli.

“Eli,” he muttered, his tone low but firm, “He’s a guest. You don’t just kick out a guest. And in case you forgot, the Anderson family and the Sawyer family go way back.

“Even if you can’t stand him, at least show some basic respect. I won’t have people thinking our family has no class.”

Eli let out a short laugh. Of course. His father cared more about appearances than anything else. He wondered if there was anyone in the world who could make him set that aside.

Vincent told the servants to let Nicolas in, and soon, footsteps echoed from the entryway.

Even though the Andersons kept talking about their families being close, they had barely interacted with Nicolas. Everything they knew about him came from their minds; he was nothing but a spoiled, sleazy playboy, slicked–back hair, flushed cheeks, and the lingering smell of alcohol.

“Mr. Sawyer, please come in,” the servant announced.

Everyone turned toward the door, expecting a mess. Instead, a sharply dressed man in a tailored suit and polished leather shoes stepped inside.

Chapter 124