Chapter 121: Chapter 121: Ten Sophie Hughes Are No Match for Me

Fortunately, he wasn’t holding her too tightly.

Noelle Sutton quickly turned away, dodging his attempts to kiss her again.

Her fingertips were still trembling.

Before she could react, Tristan Lawson took advantage of the momentum and pushed her down onto the bed. With a knee bent and an elbow propped on the mattress, he hovered over her, his body completely covering hers.

The burning look in his eyes made his intentions perfectly clear.

Noelle Sutton felt helpless.

It wasn’t that she didn’t want to fight back.

She had fought back many times, but it was always useless.

No matter what she did, she was no match for his strength.

Tristan Lawson raised his other hand, his fingertips gently brushing the hair from her forehead. His voice was low and soft. "Trembling this much? And still acting so tough."

Noelle Sutton burned with shame. When it came to carnal matters, men seemed to possess an innate frankness and openness that women lacked.

Just as Noelle Sutton turned her head to avoid his gaze, his warm palm cupped her cheek. He squinted, a faint smile on his lips. "How about we wash up first? You go, or should we go together?"

All she wanted was to get away from him. She quickly raised her hands, signing that she would go first.

Tristan Lawson didn’t press the issue. He readily rolled to the side, and she immediately scrambled off the bed, rushing to the closet to grab her pajamas.

’He was shamelessly planning to stay the night, and she had to figure out a way to get rid of him.’

’They were getting a divorce. She absolutely would not let him bewitch her into sleeping with him again.’

Last time, she had planned to ask him to persuade Director Ford to take Sophie Hughes as a student. However, before she could use that as leverage to discuss their divorce, other things happened. She still didn’t know what despicable means he had used to make Director Ford come to him for help. On top of that, because of her cancer, she had to refuse Director Ford’s invitation, so Sophie Hughes naturally became his student instead.

’This time, she had to be quicker. She had to negotiate with him as soon as possible.’

She didn’t go to the bathroom right away. Draping the pajamas over her arm, she faced Tristan Lawson and began to sign. "You care so much about Sophie Hughes’s career, even getting Director Ford to mentor her. I imagine she must have hit some creative bottleneck. If you agree to one thing for me, I can teach her all the techniques that Director Ford and Smith praised in my own animation."

’Sophie Hughes was so focused on her career and would surely continue to work in animation. A mentor needs a protégé who can take on great responsibility.’

’As a student herself, she was willing to contribute to the industry as a whole.’

’Even though it was Sophie Hughes—a fact that disgusted her—it was a small price to pay if it meant she could finally be free of Tristan Lawson. She could bear it.’

Tristan Lawson drawled, "Are you trying to use this to threaten me?"

Noelle Sutton pressed her lips together and, without a second thought, signed her answer: "Yes!"

Tristan Lawson stood up and slowly advanced on her. His steps were light, but he radiated an intimidating aura.

She instinctively backed away.

Until her back was pressed against the closet.

The man raised a hand, planting it on the closet door beside her head. He looked down, squinting at the woman he had cornered.

"Good. Very good." He tilted her pointed chin up. "Since you’ve gotten so bold, why don’t you take a guess? Do you really think you can threaten me?"

Noelle Sutton ducked, slipping out from under his arm and putting some distance between them.

Tristan Lawson lowered his hand from the closet. He turned, placing his hands on his hips, his once-gentle eyes turning cold and sharp.

Holding back a surge of anger, Noelle Sutton’s hands moved in sharp, resolute gestures. "If you refuse, then I’ll fight her for everything. Whatever project she works on, I’ll compete for it. Tristan Lawson, I’m telling you, I’ve seen Sophie Hughes’s portfolio. The only reason I’m not known is because I haven’t been working these past few years. If I had been, ten of her couldn’t even begin to compete with me!"

"Such big words!" Tristan Lawson scoffed. "I don’t like women who boast. I don’t want to hear that again. Stop this nonsense and go take your shower."

Just then, Tristan Lawson’s phone rang again.

He pulled it out. It was Sophie Hughes. He answered the call.

"Tristan, my ankle is terribly swollen. I don’t know if it’s more than just a dislocation. I can’t walk... it hurts so much. Can you come take me to the hospital?"

The room was silent.

The voice from the earpiece of Tristan Lawson’s phone was audible in the quiet room.

Noelle Sutton heard every word.

Tristan Lawson glanced up at Noelle Sutton, his lips pressed into a thin line. He then lowered his voice. "It might take me a while to get there. Can you bear it?"

"Are you busy? If you are, I can just call Kyle."

"I’m not busy. I’m just in Noelle’s hometown to pick her up. You can’t rely on Kyle Sawyer. After all these years, don’t you know what he gets up to at night?"

Hearing that Tristan Lawson was in Noelle Sutton’s hometown, a sour feeling twisted in Sophie Hughes’s gut.

Still, she said, "It’s fine. Picking up Noelle is more important. I’ll just call an ambulance. I have to go."

The line went dead.

’Even though Sophie Hughes said she would call an ambulance, Tristan Lawson was still worried. She lives alone at The Orchidelle. If something happened to her, he would never forgive himself.’

He put his phone away, walked over to Noelle Sutton, snatched the pajamas from her arm, and tossed them onto the bed. Grabbing her hand, he said, "We’re leaving tonight. We’re not waiting until morning."

Noelle Sutton violently yanked her hand away.

’He’d claimed he was exhausted and insisted on staying.’

’But the moment Sophie Hughes complained about a swollen ankle, he was rushing back—and trying to drag her along.’

’Why on earth should she have to travel through the night for Sophie Hughes’s sake?’

She signed her message clearly: "Tomorrow, I’m visiting my mother’s and grandmother’s graves."

’This was the whole reason she had returned. For seven years, she hadn’t been with her mother and grandmother for the Mid-Autumn Festival.’

’No matter what, she wasn’t leaving.’

Tristan Lawson stared at her for a long moment. It occurred to him that for the past seven Mid-Autumn Festivals, she had always been with the Lawson Family and hadn’t been back to visit her mother’s and grandmother’s graves. He didn’t insist on her leaving with him that night.

"Wake up early tomorrow, take care of your business, and I’ll have Secretary Shaw come pick you up."

With that, Tristan Lawson turned and left.

Noelle Sutton watched his tall, hurried figure retreat, her own expression turning bleak.

「The next day.」

The white chrysanthemums Noelle Sutton had ordered were delivered from the florist. She stepped out of the house, carrying the offerings she’d bought the day before, and saw Wyatt Yates as soon as she opened the door.

Wyatt Yates was dressed in a black suit today, holding two bouquets of white chrysanthemums.

He stood by his car, waving to Noelle Sutton. "Morning, Little Mute."

Noelle Sutton smiled and walked toward Wyatt Yates.

Just then, Secretary Shaw’s car pulled up.

He saw his boss’s wife, a gentle smile on her face, walking over to Wyatt Yates.

’Previously, CEO Lawson had even asked him to investigate the Yates Family.’

’Does CEO Lawson already know?’

’What should I do? Should I report this to CEO Lawson?’