Broken Memories, Intertwined Hearts




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.

"Give my your bag!" He growled, pulling out a switchblade and lunging for her.

Phoebe's eyes went wide with shock. She was rooted to the spot in fear. Suddenly, a strong arm wrapped around her neck, pulling her back protectively as the blade swished through the air. Then she heard the sound of the assailant hitting the ground.

Close enough to feel his breath, Phoebe looked up and saw the determined jawline of Noel. His lips were pressed into a firm line as he stared down the attacker.

While Phoebe was still processing what happened, Noel had subdued the would-be mugger with a few swift moves, kicking him while he was down.

"You've got some nerve, attacking people out here," Noel spat, glaring at the man on the ground.

"This is none of your business," the mugger snarled, trying to get up.

Noel answered with a cold laugh and a couple of sharp slaps.

Phoebe was taken aback by Noel's capability; he had handled the situation with

ease.

"Snap out of it and call for help," Noel barked at her.

Phoebe quickly dialed for the security guards, who arrived promptly and detained the assailant. She recounted, "This man attempted to rob me. I resisted instinctively, and he pulled out a knife and tried to attack me."

Realizing how close the knife had

come to Phoebe, Noel felt a surge of

anger. He addressed the guards

net

sternly, "What kind of security is this? It's just past nine, and we've got muggings in the parking dot. What's it like after dark? Many residents here work late. If something happens, what then?"

Content belongs to Novelxo.org

"We're sorry, sir. We've been negligent. We'll increase patrols from now on," the

guards apologized.

"This isn't the first incident. I hope you take this seriously and patrol properly," Noel

insisted.

The guards nodded in agreement. "We need to hand this over to the police and would appreciate your cooperation with the report. Could we have your contact

information to notify you later?"

Phoebe was about to step forward but Noel was quicker. He took the pen and paper from the guards and jotted down his number without hesitation.

et

The streetlights cast a dim glow over the neighborhood, leaving the subtle expressions on Noel's face just beyond Phoebe's clear sight. Yet, for reasons she couldn't quite pinpoint, she felt certain that his features were set in a stern, serious

manner. Oddly enough, his

no-nonsense demeanor gave her a

sense of security. Content belongs

to Novelxo.org

After finishing what he was doing, Noel strode directly towards Phoebe. His words were cascading over her like a sudden downpour. "Phoebe, have you completely fost your marbles? Are you literally trying to get yourself killed? I swear, I've never seen a woman act as

recklessly as you do." Content belongs to Novelxo.org