Too Good for You The Ex-Wife You Lost novel Chapter 154

Being denied by Anne cut Noelle deeply.

After the event ended, she slipped away in a hurry, unwilling to face the awkwardness of staying behind. She couldn't bear to see her old teammates.

Back at her small apartment, she drowned herself in bottle after bottle of liquor.

By the time Hunter arrived, the floor was littered with empty bottles. Noelle sat slumped on the carpet, tilting her head back for another swig—only for him to snatch the bottle out of her hand.

"Enough," he said firmly.

He knew what it must have done to her to see Anne again after all these years, especially now that Anne stood beside her greatest rival.

Noelle shook her head with a bitter smile. "When I had that accident and missed the Tempest Cup, everyone thought I was a coward, that I had lost my nerve." Her voice caught. She buried her face against her knees. "When I woke up, it was already over."

The media plastered Nancy's triumph across every headline.

The once dazzling Solar Squad vanished overnight, as if it had never existed.

Now the world only called Nancy the number one female racer, while Sheila was mentioned in passing at best.

Noelle couldn't reach anyone from the team. She thought they had abandoned her.

At the time, she didn't even believe she could stand again, let alone return to the track. She was too afraid to reach out.

Later, when she finally tried, she discovered the team was gone.

They all held resentment against her. No one understood why she had failed to show up for the most important race of their lives.

She owed them an explanation. But she couldn't turn back six years. She couldn't stop the accident.

Hunter lowered himself beside her, letting her lean against his shoulder. His chest ached with her every word.

"It won't happen again," he said hoarsely. "No matter what comes, I'll be here. You'll never face it alone again."

He had failed her once, six years ago. He would not do it again.

Her eyes blurred with tears as she collapsed into his arms, sobbing until exhaustion dragged her into sleep.

Watching her peaceful face, he gently lifted her and laid her down on the bed. Even in slumber, the dried tear stains on her face cut him to the core.

Hunter bent down, brushing a soft kiss against her nose. "Don't worry, Noelle. I'll be your shield. No one in this world will ever hurt you again."

With that, he straightened and stepped to the window, pulling out his phone. "Have Celestial Net dig into how Nancy got her Tempest Cup slot back then," he ordered.

On the other end, Gale nearly dropped his phone. "Mr. Hunter, you want to use Celestial Net to investigate a racer? That's overkill!"

Celestial Net was the top intelligence network on the dark web. And though Hunter himself was its mysterious leader, even Gale thought this was excessive.

But Hunter's voice turned glacial. "Are you questioning me?"

The chill in his tone snapped Gale to attention, panic flooding his voice. "No! I'll handle it right away."

Hunter was not someone he could afford to cross paths with.