Chapter 221 A Gilded Cage
The air inside the villa felt thick and heavy, the faint scent of alcohol mixing with a stifling stillness that made it hard to breathe. The silence was heavy, pressing down on Sadie’s chest like an unseen force.
Noah lounged on the leather sofa, his posture deceptively relaxed yet exuding an undeniable authority. He swirled the amber liquid in his glass, the ice clinking softly against the crystal.
The chandelier’s warm glow cast sharp shadows across his face, accentuating the slight part of his unbuttoned collar and the sculpted lines of his collarbones.
The moment Sadie laid eyes on Noah, something inside her snapped. Her nails dug into her palms, her teeth sinking into her lower lip as she fought to steady herself. But the storm inside her refused to be silenced.
“Noah Wall!” Sadie burst out, her voice unsteady with fury. “What the hell do you think you’re doing?”
Noah’s gaze lifted slowly, his dark eyes locking onto Sadie with an intensity that made her breath hitch. He didn’t respond immediately, his silence only fueling Sadie’s anger.
Sadie’s heart pounded, her words spilling out in a rush. “Why are you going after the Howe Group? You know Alex has helped me before; why are you doing this?” Her eyes reddened, unshed tears shimmering, but she refused to let them fall, clinging desperately to her composure.
Noah swirled the glass in his hand again, the amber liquid catching the light and casting a cold, almost predatory gleam. “It’s just business,” he said, his tone indifferent. “In the world of commerce, there’s only room for one winner. Surely you understand that.”
Noah’s words struck Sadie like a dagger, sharp and unrelenting, piercing straight through her.
“Just business?” Sadie echoed, her voice fracturing under the weight of disbelief. “Noah, why do you keep coming after me? We settled everything between us; there’s nothing left. So why can’t you just let me go?”
Sadie couldn’t understand why Noah kept pulling her back when she had already walked away.
Noah stood, his movements steady, each step punctuating the thick silence between them. Stopping just inches away, he locked eyes with her, a quiet menace lacing his voice as he murmured, “Sadie, are you asking me to spare the Howe Group and alter my company’s entire strategy?” He leaned closer, his voice dropping to a whisper. “You’ll need more than words to make that happen.”
Sadie’s breath caught in her throat as her mind flashed back to the night when Noah had been drugged.
Her hands shook, and her nails dug into her palms as she fought to hold herself together. The bag she had been holding slipped from her fingers, landing with a dull thud on the floor, its sound echoing in the silence.
Sadie raised her head slowly, her eyes meeting Noah’s with a quiet but firm defiance. A single tear fell, but she refused to let it break her composure.
For a moment, the world seemed to stand still, and Sadie knew the decision she had to make. She couldn’t let the Howe
family crumble under Noah’s pressure, nor could she allow her studio to be dismantled.
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<Chapter 221 A Gilded Cage
Sadie’s hands trembled, but an unshakable resolve anchored her. She began unfastening each button of her blouse. The room seemed to shrink around her, the air thick with an unspoken weight.
A chilling frost settled in Noah’s eyes, his expression turning unreadable. The lengths Sadie had gone to for another man ignited something cold within him that he hadn’t expected.
Noah’s glass slipped through his fingers, crashing onto the floor in a violent shatter. The sharp sound sent a ripple through
the tense air.
“I have no interest in someone like you,” Noah said, his voice low and controlled.
Sadie froze, her body going rigid as the full weight of his words crashed over her like a tidal wave, swallowing her whole in a suffocating tide of shame.
Noah took a step closer, his presence looming over her like a shadow. “I’m not finished yet,” he murmured, his tone edged with finality. “There’s been no hostess at this house for too long. And the position, well, it’s yours, whether you like it or
not.”
Without waiting for a response, Noah bent down, picked up Sadie’s fallen bag, and threw it at her. His next words left no room for argument. “You’ll stay here at Myrtlewood Estate.”
Turning away, Noah walked upstairs but paused midway. Glancing back at Sadie, who had collapsed onto the floor, he spoke with chilling calm. “If you try to run again, I’ll make sure Howe Group ceases to exist.”
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