"Has the agreement been notarized?"

A complicated emotion welled up in Tristan Lawson’s chest.

’So she only came to get the notarization receipt?’

"Are you in a hurry?"

She nodded.

"You don’t trust me that much?"

The man’s voice was cool.

’That’s right, she didn’t trust him.’

’He had a lifetime, but she only had half a year. She didn’t have time to keep dragging this out with him.’

Noelle Sutton remained silent.

Tristan Lawson’s handsome face was cold, his eyes shrouded in a hazy expression.

’Her silence was a confirmation.’

He pulled open his suit jacket, took his phone from an inner pocket, and dialed his lawyer’s number.

"Is the agreement notarized?"

"It is."

"Bring it to my office."

Putting his phone away, Tristan Lawson turned back, his sharp gaze meeting Noelle Sutton’s icy face.

He pressed his lips together, walked to his desk, picked up the intercom, and called Secretary Shaw.

"Bring in a glass of fresh-squeezed orange juice."

Noelle Sutton’s eyelashes trembled slightly.

Tristan Lawson put down the phone and leaned against his desk, staring thoughtfully at the woman before him.

It was just after ten in the morning. Golden sunlight streamed in, but it did little to warm the frigid office.

CLICK—

The faint sound made Noelle Sutton look up.

Tristan Lawson had flicked a lighter, and the tip of his cigarette slowly began to glow. Smoke drifted from his mouth and nose.

The faint scent of agarwood smoke spread through the air.

It added to the mysterious, steady aura he had been missing for the past few days, making him seem all the more handsome and captivating.

But she couldn’t read his thoughts.

KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK—

A knock on the door broke the tense atmosphere in the room.

"Come in."

Secretary Shaw entered with a glass of fresh-squeezed orange juice. He tactfully brought it over to Noelle Sutton. "For you, ma’am."

Just then, the lawyer came in.

He was holding the notarization receipt.

"CEO Lawson, it’s all taken care of."

"Give it to my wife."

Noelle Sutton took the receipt and glanced at it.

After Secretary Shaw and the lawyer had left, she took the bag off her shoulder, put the receipt inside, and prepared to leave.

"Your lips look a little dry. Drink the orange juice before you go."

Tristan Lawson’s deep, pleasant voice drifted from behind her.

Not wanting to cause any trouble, Noelle Sutton picked up the glass.

"If I go home tonight, I won’t find you there, will I?"

CRASH—

The glass in Noelle Sutton’s hand fell to the floor.

Orange juice and shards of glass made a mess of the carpet in front of her.

’He actually knew what she was planning.’

Tristan Lawson strode over, his long fingers tilting up Noelle Sutton’s chin. His refined features moved close to her face, barely a paper’s width away. "Did I guess right? Is that why you’re so nervous?"

His hot breath washed over her, mingled with the unique scent of his agarwood smoke.

Facing him, Noelle Sutton always felt a little on edge.

She was afraid that if she couldn’t get out of this office right now, Tristan Lawson would find a way to drag her back home.

The man suddenly released her and took a drag from his cigarette, blowing the smoke so that much of it billowed into Noelle Sutton’s face.

He stubbed out the half-finished cigarette in an ashtray, then grabbed Noelle Sutton and pushed her down onto the sofa.

His icy gaze was as sharp and blinding as the glint of a dagger. 𝚏𝐫𝚎𝗲𝕨𝐞𝐛𝕟𝚘𝐯𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝗺

"Answer me. Is it true?"

He had her pinned, unable to use sign language.

She pressed her lips together, and just as she was about to push him away, he lowered his head and kissed her.

She frantically pushed against his chest.

Her hands flailed, beating against him wildly.

"Hiss—"

Tristan Lawson released her.

Noelle Sutton saw the gauze on his neck stained red with blood.

In her frantic struggle, she had accidentally hit his wound.

Tristan Lawson’s brow was tightly furrowed, his thin lips drawn into a taut line. He lifted his hand, but let it fall again before it reached his neck.

He let go of her, his expression as dark as ink. "Get out!"

’What a buzzkill. She’d completely ruined his good mood.’

Without lingering for even a second, Noelle Sutton immediately fled from Tristan Lawson’s office.

Once she was out of the Lawson building, Noelle Sutton’s tension finally eased. She hailed a cab on the street, went to a mall to buy a computer, and returned to her small apartment.

She turned on the computer, went to an international animation forum, and started researching the animation styles favored by Director Smith.

If this were the Noelle Sutton from seven years ago, she would have been extremely confident in herself.

But now, the most she had done was create some simple animated stories for Joshua Lawson, all of which were of a relatively low difficulty.

However, remembering Director Ford’s encouragement, she had no intention of giving up.

Since Smith’s movie hadn’t been released yet, the script was naturally unavailable to the public. Noelle Sutton didn’t know what style he was looking for, so she based her work on his previous films, used her own inspiration to design an animated character, and began to practice.

Before long, her phone rang.

It was a call from Hugo Sterling.

Hugo Sterling knew she couldn’t speak, so after calling, he hung up and sent her a text message.

[Noelle, my grandfather saw your work and is very eager to meet you. The day after tomorrow is his birthday banquet, and he has specially invited you to attend. Would you be able to make time to come?]

Hugo Sterling seemed quite close to Tristan Lawson. Tristan would definitely be at Hugo’s grandfather’s birthday banquet, and she didn’t want to run into him.

[Mr. Sterling, I apologize, but I’m not free the day after tomorrow.]

Hugo Sterling immediately replied.

[I’ve already invited Tristan, and he agreed to come. Aren’t you going to attend with him?]

Noelle Sutton stared at Hugo Sterling’s message and put her phone down. She didn’t know him well, either.

’The transaction was complete.’

The thirty million was enough for her; there was no need to develop a deeper connection with Hugo Sterling.

Although Hugo Sterling had spoken up for her that night, he was, after all, Tristan Lawson’s friend.

Things between her and Tristan were ending, so there was even less reason to get involved with his friends.

Hugo Sterling waited for a while but didn’t get a reply from Noelle Sutton.

He called Tristan Lawson.

"Tristan, your wife can’t speak, so it’s not convenient to communicate by phone. Can you do me a favor and tell her to come to my grandfather’s birthday banquet?"

"Don’t come to me with her business!"

Tristan Lawson hung up on him directly.

Hugo Sterling listened to the dial tone and put his phone away.

’Tristan sounded very unhappy.’

’Did they have a fight?’

Feeling helpless, Hugo Sterling had no choice but to send another message to Noelle Sutton.

[Noelle, my invitation has nothing to do with Tristan. My grandfather saw the paper-cuttings you and your grandmother made and wants to meet you. He collects paper-cuttings and really loves your work. He’s become a huge fan and said he has a very important gift he wants to give you. He insisted I invite you. Would you do me the honor?]

Hugo Sterling’s words were polite and courteous through and through.

But because Tristan Lawson would be there, she really didn’t want to get involved.

Besides, she couldn’t speak. At a high-society banquet like this, if she went and people found out she was Tristan Lawson’s wife, there was no telling how the Lawson family would react.

She truly didn’t want to cause trouble for herself, so she sent another message to Hugo Sterling.

Upon receiving the message, Hugo Sterling’s brow tightened. He muttered to himself, "How could this be?"

Then, he immediately dialed Tristan Lawson’s number.