Chapter 159: Chapter 159: Does He Really Like Her?

Hugo Sterling carried Noelle Sutton to the car. He got into the driver’s seat, his heart aching as he looked at Noelle, who seemed so tormented and lifeless.

"You want to go to the hospital for an examination?"

She nodded, weakly picked up her phone, and typed a sentence: "It’s the only way to get a divorce."

The reason she had sought out Hugo Sterling instead of Wyatt Yates was that she was afraid Wyatt would have been even more ruthless.

’Even Hugo Sterling, a man she’d only known for a short time, had furiously stabbed Tristan Lawson once and had been ready to do it again. What would Wyatt have done?’

Hugo Sterling said no more and drove Noelle to the hospital.

Tristan Lawson’s abdomen was still bleeding. He got dressed, and his white shirt was quickly stained red with blood.

He threw on a jacket and left Noelle’s apartment.

He’d had his driver bring him over last night. Now, he could only hail a taxi by the roadside to get to the hospital.

The wound was too large; it needed stitches.

Tristan Lawson rushed to the hospital. Seeing it was a knife wound, the doctor asked, "Did someone stab you?"

"Yeah."

"Do you need me to call the police?"

"No need."

The wound required four stitches. After it was bandaged, Tristan Lawson left the hospital, intending to call Hugo Sterling.

’He probably won’t pick up right now.’

But he had to go explain things to Noelle.

Thinking about what happened yesterday, Tristan Lawson closed his eyes. ’I must have been out of my mind.’

He called Secretary Shaw and asked him to come pick him up.

Standing at the hospital entrance, he lit a cigarette.

’Things are getting worse and worse. After this, she’s probably never coming back.’

Smith called Noelle Sutton.

Noelle was in the middle of her examination, so her phone was with Hugo Sterling, who answered the call.

"Mrs. Lawson, I’ll be there to pick you up in half an hour."

"Smith, it’s me. Noelle... has something going on right now. She might not be able to go abroad with you. I’ll ask her in a moment and see what she says."

Smith was very keen on having Noelle join his production team, so he said, "Alright, I’ll wait to hear from you."

When Noelle came out from her examination, Hugo Sterling told her about Smith’s call.

The light in Noelle’s eyes dimmed further, and she looked like she was about to cry again. She had to take the phone from Hugo Sterling and type out her reply. She told him that she wouldn’t be going abroad for now, but she would still create the character and communicate with Smith daily.

She couldn’t leave in her current state.

She was weak and exhausted and needed to rest. Besides, she might have more to attend to in a little while.

Hugo Sterling called Smith back.

Smith’s main priority was for Noelle to be in charge of creating the character. While it was a shame she couldn’t go abroad with him, the outcome was still what he wanted, so he didn’t press her further.

He did, however, express concern and ask what had happened to Noelle.

Hugo Sterling couldn’t bring himself to tell Smith the details, only saying that it was very serious. He added that Noelle had been very keen on going and hoped Smith wouldn’t hold her missing the trip against her.

After they had sorted that out, Noelle discussed her next step with Hugo Sterling: she wanted to report it to the police.

Hugo Sterling had considered calling the police as well.

If Noelle was determined to hold Tristan Lawson accountable for what he did last night, it was a crime.

"Noelle, do you want him to go to jail?"

Noelle froze.

Then she typed her reply on her phone: "I just want a divorce."

Besides, if it involved jail time, the case wouldn’t be resolved in a day or two.

She didn’t have that kind of time to deal with it.

"If divorce is the goal, I’d suggest not involving the police. Let’s have the Women’s Federation and the Disabled Persons’ Federation handle it. You’ve had the examination here, so they can create an official record. If you ever want to charge him with marital rape in the future, all the evidence will be preserved, and you’ll still be able to."

’Hugo Sterling knew full well that getting Tristan Lawson sent to prison wouldn’t be easy, but this evidence would be more than enough for a court to grant their divorce.’

Noelle agreed.

As she was mute and considered disabled, the Disabled Persons’ Federation would take a case like this very seriously.

She made her intentions clear: she didn’t want to make a huge scene, but she hoped the relevant organizations could help mediate the divorce.

The Women’s Federation also filed the necessary applications.

After what had happened, Noelle hadn’t changed her clothes or washed herself, precisely so she could do all this.

She wanted to divorce Tristan Lawson. Perhaps Tristan’s high-powered lawyers could have refuted her previous evidence, but what happened last night? No lawyer, no matter how clever, could argue against this.

After taking care of everything, Hugo Sterling took her to a hotel.

Once Noelle was settled, he went out and bought her several complete outfits, from undergarments to daily wear, and brought them back.

There were pajamas as well as clothes for the day.

When he returned, Noelle was still in the bathroom.

Hugo Sterling took a set of pajamas out of the bag. "Noelle, I’m leaving the clothes by the bathroom door. You can grab them when you’re ready."

Noelle tapped on the wall with the showerhead to let Hugo know she’d heard him.

Hugo Sterling closed the bathroom door, went to the living room, and arranged for his secretary to buy some fruit, snacks, and drinks.

’Noelle hadn’t eaten breakfast, and it was almost noon. In her state, she definitely wouldn’t want to go out for a meal.’

After contacting his secretary, Hugo Sterling received a text from Tristan Lawson.

[Where are you?]

Hugo Sterling’s expression turned grim and cold. He didn’t reply to Tristan Lawson’s text.

’Noelle is Tristan’s wife, and I’m Tristan’s friend. I shouldn’t be getting involved in this.’

’But I just can’t help myself.’

He couldn’t help but think of what Adrian Grant had said that day.

’Do I really... care for her? Like her?’

He couldn’t describe his feelings.

’When I saw Tristan treating Noelle so coldly, I couldn’t stop myself from wanting to confront him.’

’When I found out she wanted a divorce, I couldn’t help but get involved.’

’The last time I heard Tristan had bullied her, I was furious.’

’This time...’

’I almost wanted to stab him to death.’

He didn’t know what to make of it all.

’Even this morning, when I saw the skin of her long legs through her torn, disheveled clothes, all I felt was a desire to protect her and a deep ache for her pain. I didn’t have a single inappropriate thought.’

Just then, he heard the sound of a door opening very softly.

Then, the rustle of a bag being picked up.

’Even knowing she was in the shower right now, I don’t have any improper thoughts.’

’I just want to protect her.’

Hugo Sterling’s thoughts were a tangled mess.

A little while later, he heard Noelle come out of the bathroom, so he went and knocked on the bedroom door.

Noelle opened the door. 𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝙬𝙚𝓫𝒏𝓸𝓿𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝙤𝓶

Hugo Sterling gazed at her and said in a low, hoarse voice, "Get some rest. Don’t worry about anything else. I’m here for you, okay?"

’Hugo Sterling was Tristan Lawson’s friend. Logically, he should be taking Tristan’s side. But for some reason she couldn’t explain, Noelle trusted him completely.’

’Even when Tristan had told her that Hugo had his own motives, she had never once doubted him.’

Hugo Sterling urged her, "Go lie down. I’ll leave after you’ve fallen asleep."

’After what just happened, he couldn’t bring himself to leave her alone.’

Noelle had just lain down on the bed when Hugo Sterling’s phone rang.