Chapter 158: Chapter 158: Hugo Sterling Raises a Knife to Stab Tristan Lawson

Noelle Sutton’s hand, gripping the fruit knife, trembled uncontrollably.

The man was sleeping soundly, completely unaware.

The fruit knife still didn’t fall.

At sixteen, she was granted early admission to Glenwater Media University and came to this unfamiliar city.

Although Director Ford sponsored her and helped her apply for scholarships, she didn’t want to be useless. At night, she would set up a stall in the park to sell paper cuttings.

One evening, business was slow, so she stayed out a little later and was nearly assaulted by a few thugs.

She couldn’t speak and had no way to even call for help. It was Tristan Lawson, who was passing by, who noticed something was wrong and saved her.

After dealing with the thugs, he called the police, and they were arrested.

All these years, she had never forgotten the overwhelming feeling of seeing him appear under the streetlight like a god.

At the peak of her despair, on the verge of giving up on life, he was the one who gave her hope to live again.

He wrapped his suit jacket around her filthy form and personally drove her back to school.

From then on, he took up residence in her heart.

Later, she saw him on TV. At only eighteen, he had already graduated from college. He was a rising star in the business world, the heir to the Lawson corporation, and held numerous patents.

To her, he was an unattainable existence.

But she fell hopelessly in love with him anyway, secretly following everything about him.

His competence, talent, and unparalleled good looks drew her in deeper and deeper.

She never dared to dream that her life would intersect with Tristan Lawson’s, but life is often full of unexpected surprises.

After seven years of marriage, though he treated her with utter indifference, she still felt he was different from everyone else.

A man like him—proud, powerful, someone who valued every second for making money—had still noticed a little girl being bullied on the roadside, had been willing to intervene, and had even been gentle enough to take a frightened her back to school.

She had always firmly believed that he had a kind heart.

But last night, he did what those thugs had failed to do twelve years ago.

’How could he expect me to go on living?!’

She just wanted to leave him, to give the position of his wife to the woman he loved.

She just wanted a divorce.

He wouldn’t even grant her this one small wish.

She didn’t know how things had come to this.

For a moment, she truly wanted to plunge the tip of the knife into his heart!

But she couldn’t do it.

She couldn’t even bring herself to kill a fish, let alone stab a person.

Suppressing the feeling of her heart shattering into a million pieces, she choked back a sob and pulled back the fruit knife that was nearly touching his heart.

She hated how useless she was. She had even thought that if she couldn’t kill him, she would kill herself.

’But why should I punish myself for someone else’s mistake?’

’My life has been hard enough.’

She had finally convinced herself not to give up hope. She finally had a chance to run toward freedom, a chance to be able to speak again. She didn’t want to give up.

The fruit knife in her hand fell to the floor with a sharp CLANG, yet it still didn’t wake Tristan Lawson.

Noelle Sutton picked up her phone and sent a message to Attorney Miller.

[Attorney Miller, come to my apartment to collect evidence. This will be enough for a successful divorce.]

After sending the message, Noelle felt all her strength drain away, and she collapsed weakly onto the floor.

Attorney Miller guessed the evidence Noelle mentioned must be serious, so he went to find Hugo Sterling.

When Hugo saw the message, his face turned pale. The short text was enough for him to guess what had happened.

He remembered that Tristan Lawson had just tied her hands and forced himself on her.

His heart clenched violently, and he strode quickly out of his office.

Attorney Miller followed close behind Hugo.

They rushed to Noelle’s small apartment.

The door wasn’t locked, so they pushed it open and entered.

The bedroom door was open, and Hugo practically stormed in.

When he saw the scene in the bedroom, he froze, completely stunned.

The air was thick with a distinct smell.

As a man, he knew what it was.

On the floor, Tristan Lawson’s clothes were scattered about.

The bedsheets were in complete disarray.

Tristan was shirtless, his dress pants hanging loosely.

And through it all, he was still sleeping soundly!

Attorney Miller immediately backed out, not daring to look any further.

Hugo Sterling unbuttoned his suit jacket and took it off.

He walked heavily over to Noelle and, very, very gently, wrapped the jacket around her, covering her torn clothes.

On her cheeks, on either side of her jaw, were clear, purplish bruises from fingerprints. The corner of her mouth was sticky with a dried white residue.

The skin that had been exposed moments before was densely covered with an overlapping mess of bite marks and fingerprints.

He knew Tristan Lawson well.

He couldn’t imagine Tristan would do something like this to Noelle.

Noelle, who had thought she had no more tears to cry, suddenly felt them stream down her face when she saw Hugo. Her body trembled with choked sobs.

At that moment, the veins on Hugo’s forehead looked ready to burst.

His fingertips trembled. He wanted to caress Noelle’s face to comfort her, but he didn’t dare touch her.

Near Noelle’s feet lay a fruit knife.

Hugo pulled back his hand, snatched the fruit knife from the floor, and marched recklessly to the bedside.

He plunged it forcefully into Tristan Lawson’s abdomen!

Only then did the soundly sleeping Tristan’s eyes fly open, and he swung a punch instinctively.

The first thing he saw was Hugo Sterling’s furious, bloodshot eyes.

His fist stopped just beside Hugo’s face.

But Hugo ripped the fruit knife out.

Blood sprayed out, splattering across Hugo’s face.

Blood gushed from Tristan’s abdomen.

Hugo raised the knife, about to stab Tristan again.

A pair of soft arms wrapped around his waist from behind, pulling him back.

Against his back, he could feel Noelle shaking her head frantically.

Hugo’s hand suddenly went slack, and the fruit knife clattered to the floor.

He turned to see Noelle’s tear-streaked face, contorted with grief.

If he had followed through, it would have complicated the case immensely.

Tristan Lawson clutched his throbbing abdomen and rubbed his temples. His head ached with a dull, heavy pain.

Memories replayed in his mind like a movie...

He shot to his feet!

He looked up.

Hugo Sterling’s suit jacket had fallen at Noelle’s feet.

Her clothes were torn to shreds by his own hands, revealing skin covered in a network of deep and shallow marks.

Her face... the corner of her mouth...

Even her perfectly straight, jet-black hair, always so neat, was a tangled mess.

Tristan Lawson’s brow furrowed tightly, his trembling fingertips curling into a fist.

"Elle..."

The name caught in his throat. Any explanation would be pale and powerless.

Last night, he had...

Hugo turned his head, his icy glare filled with enough hatred to tear Tristan apart.

Noelle didn’t spare Tristan a single glance.

She tugged on Hugo’s shirt.

Hugo retracted his gaze, which looked as if it could devour Tristan, and bent down to pick up his jacket. He draped it over Noelle, then swept her up into his arms.

He strode out.

Tristan wanted to follow. 𝙛𝓻𝒆𝓮𝒘𝙚𝙗𝒏𝙤𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝒐𝙢

But his feet felt as if they were filled with lead.

Blood from his abdomen snaked its way down...