Broken Memories, Intertwined Hearts novel Chapter 531

Noel was fuming inside. His anger was simmering beneath the surface as he made his way to the office. The irritation Phoebe had sparked in him refused to dissipate.

Glancing at the stack of papers on his desk, he picked up the top file. His staff had just presented it to him today - a dossier on Phoebe. He hadn’t had the chance to go through it thoroughly yet. With a snort of disdain, he flipped it open: 27 years old, editor-in-chief of a fashion magazine - no wonder she had such a sharp tongue. The words from her were like a punch to the gut. Her best friend was Ines, which caught Noel off guard. He double-checked, just to be sure he hadn’t misread. It made sense now; that was why he had seen her at the hospital when he visited Ethan.

What a damned coincidence.

A sly grin spread across Noel’s face. Now he didn’t need Ines to play matchmaker. He was already well acquainted with her.

As for her relationship status, the details were sketchy due to the short notice. All he knew was that she’d been on the dating scene for the past couple of years. He didn’t care about her past; as long as she was single now, that was all that mattered.

He had guessed her age correctly, though she looked younger than her years. She was well-maintained. Except for her reddened eyes, she showed no signs of nearing thirty.

Closing the file, Noel raised an eyebrow. This was the first time he’d been so intrigued by a woman. Perhaps it was worth pursuing her.

As soon as work was over, Noel drove straight to the magazine office where Phoebe worked. He waited outside, watching the stream of people leaving the building. Nearly half an hour passed without sign of her. His work number was blocked, so he had to use his personal phone to call her, but she didn’t pick up. He saw her car was still in the underground parking lot, so he didn’t need to guess to know that she was still at work. Instead of leaving, he decided to wait by her car.

Phoebe had seen the unfamiliar number calling but was too busy editing to answer. At nine in the evening, she finally finished proofreading the last of the articles.

Standing up, Phoebe stretched her sore shoulders. “Great work, everyone. That’ll be it for today. Get some rest and come in two hours late tomorrow. Catch up on some sleep.”

“Thanks, boss!”

“Thanks!”

At the sound of Phoebe’s words, everyone’s faces lit up with relief. Nothing was more delightful than the promise of a lazy morning.

She walked to the parking lot and spotted a Lamborghini identical to the one Noel had been driving earlier. Her brow furrowed in suspicion. She couldn’t help but stare a little longer when she noticed the car window was down. Noel, unmistakably, was asleep inside. It was no coincidence that he was here. The companies they worked for were in the same business district but not so close that they shared a parking lot. The only logical explanation was that he came here specifically to intercept her.

Annoyed, Phoebe slipped into her car and drove off quietly.

Noel’s instincts kicked in as he heard the engine start, but by the time he opened his eyes, her car was gone. Cursing under his breath, he also drove away.

After parking her car, Phoebe realized someone was following her. Her neighborhood was upscale but not new, and the parking lot was a fair distance away. The path was poorly lit and had been the scene of several incidents. With a pounding heart, she quickened her pace, but the pursuer seemed relentless. Glancing back, she saw a man with a menacing look rushing toward her. In a panic, she ran, but he caught up, grabbing for her bag.