Chapter 134: Chapter 134: This Is the Design He Wants

Wyatt Yates drove Noelle Sutton back to her apartment.

Wyatt had to focus on driving, so it was inconvenient for Noelle to communicate with him on the way.

As soon as they entered the apartment and sat down, Noelle immediately faced Wyatt and began to apologize in sign language. "I know you only went to fight Tristan Lawson to stand up for me. I shouldn’t have used such a harsh tone with you. I’m sorry."

She had been incredibly anxious and frantic just moments before.

Now that she had a lawyer to help with the lawsuit, things were much better than if she had tried to file it herself.

Take the agreement she signed with Tristan, for example. It was actually incomplete, but since she wasn’t a professional lawyer, she couldn’t tell.

She had been in such a rush to file the suit herself that she had almost forgotten she couldn’t speak, which meant she would have no way to face off against Tristan’s lawyers in court.

Wyatt had calmed down considerably. He knew his actions had indeed been impulsive.

But he was still heartbroken. "I’m the one who should be apologizing..." he said in a low voice.

She had no family left. Neither her husband nor her son cared for her. Wyatt’s willingness to stand up for her brought her a warmth and protection that felt like family.

Deep down, she was grateful.

She had only scolded him because she didn’t want to drag him into her troubles.

Noelle signed slowly, her movements deliberate as if to soothe him. "Wyatt, I know you mean well, and I appreciate it. I just haven’t had a chance to explain... The reason I asked Hugo Sterling for help is because..."

Noelle told Wyatt everything—how she met Hugo Sterling and how Old Master Sterling had agreed to help her.

Afraid he might misunderstand, Noelle added in sign language, "I never doubted your abilities, and I know you’re not afraid of Tristan Lawson. But I am. I’m afraid he’ll come after you, and then it would all be my fault. Wyatt, can you understand how I feel?"

He could understand, but he didn’t like that The Little Mute was treating him like an outsider.

He felt even more frustrated. His social standing and power couldn’t compare to Tristan’s, and that was why things like this happened.

And now he was making The Little Mute worry about him.

Wyatt forced himself to say, "I understand. Since Hugo Sterling’s side can arrange a lawyer to handle your divorce, I won’t interfere for now. It’s almost noon, let’s go out for lunch."

They had lunch at a nearby restaurant. As Wyatt was leaving, he told Noelle to find some time to see him at the hospital tomorrow so he could discuss the details of the minimally invasive surgery with her. 𝒻𝑟𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝑛𝘰𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝘤𝘰𝘮

When Noelle returned to her apartment, she lay down on the bed.

She had vomited blood yesterday, been rushed to the hospital, and rested overnight, but she was still exhausted today.

She set an alarm as she lay down, so she wouldn’t miss her appointment with Director Ford and Mr. Smith.

After a nap, Noelle got up, took a shower, changed her clothes, and checked the portfolio saved on her phone. Seeing the time, she realized she had to leave soon.

Director Ford had arranged to meet Mr. Smith at a coffee shop and had sent her the location earlier.

She grabbed her bag and headed out.

Hugo Sterling had no interest in getting into a pointless argument with Tristan Lawson. He simply accused Tristan of overthinking things.

Then he left Lawson and returned to the Sterling Group.

For most of the day, Hugo couldn’t stop thinking about what Tristan had said.

"Does that include you?"

Tristan had been referring to his earlier comment that there were plenty of people who wanted to treat Noelle well.

’But what did Tristan really mean by that?’

’I’m two years older than him, and I’ve never been in a relationship or truly cared for any woman.’

’That poor little thing who can’t speak...’

’I have to admit, she’s captured my attention.’

’But my interest in her stems mostly from that night at The Carmine Club, when I found out she was Tristan Lawson’s wife.’

’For that interest to make Tristan think such a thing... Is he just being overly sensitive, or have I been acting abnormally without even realizing it?’

Noelle hailed a taxi on the street and went to the designated coffee shop.

She arrived at the same time as Director Ford, and the two of them entered the coffee shop together.

Director Ford once again explained the misunderstanding from last time to Noelle.

In truth, Noelle didn’t mind.

Neither Director Ford nor Mr. Smith knew about the conflict between her and Tristan, nor were they aware of Tristan’s preference for Sophie Hughes. It was only natural for them to mistakenly believe Tristan was trying to secure the role for her.

They sat down to wait for Mr. Smith.

Not wanting to offend Tristan Lawson, Mr. Smith had arranged to meet with him before coming.

Tristan knew Noelle was meeting with Mr. Smith. Although he had little desire to see her, he decided to come along with Smith anyway.

’I want to see for myself what real talent she possesses that has earned her such favor from both Director Ford and Mr. Smith.’

Before long, Mr. Smith and Tristan Lawson arrived.

Today, his mother’s belongings had been damaged, and both Wyatt Yates and Hugo Sterling were meddling in his marriage to Noelle. A palpable chill emanated from him.

As he stepped into the coffee shop, the surrounding temperature seemed to drop.

The table in the coffee shop was rectangular. Noelle and Director Ford were seated in the booth on one side.

Mr. Smith thoughtfully sat down opposite Director Ford.

Tristan sat down directly across from Noelle, his gaze sweeping over her with detached coldness.

Director Ford sensed the strange atmosphere; the young couple seemed to be having a spat.

To ease the tension, Director Ford said with a smile, "Mr. Smith, we have an old saying in China: good things come to those who wait. After a few twists and turns, you finally get to meet Noelle."

Mr. Smith gave Director Ford a polite smile. "It certainly has been a winding road, but a pleasant and surprising one."

Unable to speak, Noelle could only nod and smile at Mr. Smith.

Since Noelle was Tristan’s wife, Mr. Smith was naturally even more cordial to her.

"Mrs. Lawson, my mother is also from Glenwater, so I have some understanding of your country’s culture. In recent years, all sorts of animation designs have emerged, but your graduation project, with its distinct Eastern characteristics, felt like a breath of fresh air. I have very high hopes for your work. Have you created any new designs recently?"

Noelle took out her phone, found a short animation she had specifically created for her meeting with Mr. Smith a few days prior, and handed the phone to him.

Noelle had learned online that the character design Mr. Smith had been struggling to find was a mermaid.

Mermaids exist not only in Western legends but in Eastern ones as well. Since ancient times, they have been mysterious beings that capture the imagination.

Consequently, countless variations of mermaids have appeared over time, cementing a conventional image in the public’s mind. The reason Mr. Smith hadn’t found the right person for the job was likely because he wanted to break new ground.

So, Noelle broke away from the traditional concept of a beautiful, alluring human upper body and a fishtail lower body.

Mr. Smith pressed play. The short, minutes-long animation showcasing various mermaid designs and styles instantly captured his attention.

He shot up from his seat, excited.

"This is the mermaid I’ve been looking for!"