Mag-log inShare
Chapter 137
Kaugnay na kabanata
The Sway and Slide of Love Chapter 138
Noelle saw Hendrix again two months later. It was at an auction Brandon had brought her to.At the time, she was in the backyard, and standing before her was Clark, whom she hadn't seen in months, either. Compared to their last meeting, he seemed much more dejected. His face had clearly grown thinner, but when he faced her, he still managed to force a smile."It's been a while, Noelle."Inwardly, she cursed Brandon several times for bringing her there, but on the surface, she maintained her polite smile. "Yes, it has," she said. "How have you been these days?" Clark asked."Pretty good.""Haven't you and Mr. Freeman reconciled?"The moment he said that, memories of that humiliating night in the car came flooding back to Noelle's mind. Her hands at her sides clenched slightly before she finally replied, "No."Clark fell silent.Noelle, however, couldn't bear the quiet tension hanging in the air. So, she said directly, "Please excuse me."As soon as she spoke, she started to
The Sway and Slide of Love Chapter 139
Clark froze in place, and the woman quickly pointed a finger at Noelle.She reprimanded, "You're doing all this for this worthless woman, huh? Do you know why Hendrix divorced her in the first place? It's because she slept around! "She was in her teens when she got involved with that adoptive father of hers. Now, you're messing around with her. Aren't you afraid of getting sick?"At this point, nearly everyone in the front hall had gathered around.The woman's words were spoken quickly, her piercing voice reaching the ears of everyone present.Noelle stood frozen, unable to move. Even the words she had been preparing to say disappeared.Clark's expression shifted, and slowly, he turned to look at Noelle. His shocked gaze, combined with the sudden eruption of voices from the crowd, felt like a tidal wave crashing over her, completely drowning her.She had thought she wouldn't care about this. After all, months ago, she had revealed this dark past of hers in front of so many pe
The Sway and Slide of Love Chapter 140
"Sandy! You…"As the car was about to start, someone rushed over, seemingly trying to remind Sandra of something. But Sandra quickly shook her head and said, "Noelle is my sister. I can't leave her behind. Don't worry. I'm fine."At that moment, her gentle and considerate demeanor seemed angelic to any onlookers. After finishing her words, Sandra swiftly rolled up the car window. Soon, only the two of them and the driver remained in the car. Sandra had originally planned to continue the act, but in the next moment, Noelle questioned, "Were you the one who told her?"By now, Noelle's rationality had slowly come back. With her head lowered, she kept her voice as calm as she could manage, though it still trembled slightly.Sandra looked at her for a moment and then smiled. "Yes."Noelle lifted her eyes."I put in quite a bit of effort for today's performance." Sandra winked and continued, "But Noelle, it's your own fault for being too naive. How could you trust a man like Clar
The Sway and Slide of Love Chapter 141
"You're talking nonsense!" Sandra blurted angrily. "Stop trying to drive a wedge between Hendrix and me. I know you're jealous, but—""It's true Beatrice asked Hendrix to marry me in the first place. But the problem is, he didn't stand his ground, either. Maybe, to him, it's all the same who he marries. More importantly, if Hendrix likes you, do you really think he'll let you get engaged to Maxwell?"Oh, Sandra, you shouldn't underestimate how possessive a man can be. All this just means he doesn't like you as much as you think. Besides, I'm no longer with him, which makes everything you're doing now even more pointless," said Noelle in one breath.Sandra's expression darkened. She just sat there, with her chest heaving violently, staring daggers at Noelle.Noelle didn't bother to say anything more. Instead, she ordered the driver in front to stop the car. The driver didn't answer. Nonetheless, the car slowly came to a stop."So what if what you're saying is true? You've already b
The Sway and Slide of Love Chapter 142
"It was me who arranged for you to meet Clark," Brandon finally admitted. "But I had no idea Sandra would show up out of nowhere, let alone… say those things. Noelle, you're my friend, no matter what. I haven't sunk so low as to scheme against you like that."Noelle said nothing. Instead, she slowly lowered her gaze, as if she were weighing the truth behind his words."Regardless, tonight was an oversight on my part," continued Branndon. "And I'd like to formally apologize to you. From now on—""That won't be necessary," Noelle interrupted. "I don't think there's any need for us to meet again in the future.""What do you mean?" Brandon's voice tightened. "You still don't believe me, do you?"Noelle smiled faintly. "I'm going to head up now. Goodbye, Mr. Quinlan."Without waiting for a reply, she started making her way home. But Brandon suddenly gripped her wrist just as she was walking past him."Let's get married."The suddenness of his proposal made Noelle jolt. She slowly tu
The Sway and Slide of Love Chapter 143
This was Yvonne's first visit to Freeman Manor. She had thoughtfully prepared gifts for both Ophelia and Beatrice, and it was clear from their reactions that they really welcomed her. For the first time in months, there was finally a stir of liveliness in the once-quiet manor.Hendrix was actually quite surprised by Beatrice's reactions. After all, he had always assumed she adored Noelle, that her loyalty to Gerald's wish was unshakeable.It was only at that moment that Hendrix realized something he hadn't before—Beatrice simply didn't like Sandra. It was just as she had once said to him, "You can be with anyone but Sandra."The same smile Beatrice had once offered to Noelle now found its way to Yvonne.During dinner, Ophelia suddenly brought up the previous night's auction. "I heard there was quite a commotion at the auction last night."Hendrix's hand paused mid-motion. Yvonne glanced at him first before replying with a smile, "Yes, Mrs. Freeman Senior. How did you know?""Ho
The Sway and Slide of Love Chapter 144
Hendrix was in no hurry to go back to dinner after finishing his call. Instead, he hung back in the yard to have a smoke. As the minty taste of the cigarette slowly filled his mouth, so did his emotions gradually subside.Suddenly, his phone rang just when he was about to finish smoking. He immediately declined the call after taking a glance at the caller ID. But the other party called again not even one second later. Hendrix frowned, and after hesitating for two seconds, he finally gave in and accepted the call."Hendrix, did you purposely let Brandon win the bidding for the Extensa Project?" asked Maxwell, his voice tight."Yeah," answered Hendrix softly.Maxwell suddenly laughed. "My! You really are quite generous, aren't you? It's not every day I hear about someone handing over such a big project to their business competitor. Are you really that eager to help Brandon climb the ranks?""Are you done?" asked Hendrix impatiently. "Because if you are, I'm going to hang up now.""
The Sway and Slide of Love Chapter 145
"And since she doesn't exist, you might as well marry a woman who can help you with your career," argued Beatrice, all logic.Hendrix was familiar with this side of her. After all, he wouldn't be where he was now if she hadn't brought him up that way.After staring intently at her for a while, he finally asked, "Why must I get married?"His question stumped Beatrice.Hendrix chuckled softly. "It's true I don't have anyone I like right now, but that doesn't mean I'll be willing to use my marriage as a barter. So, no. I'm not going to marry Yvonne, nor will I have any other relationship with her once the collaboration between our companies ends."He was about to walk away when Beatrice asked, "But haven't you done it once already? What does it matter if you do it again? Or could it be the reason you were willing to do it the first time was because the woman you were marrying was Noelle?"Her last question made Hendrix stop in his tracks. He looked over his shoulder and questioned,
Pinakabagong kabanata
The Sway and Slide of Love Chapter 845
Amy spun around instantly and saw Hendrix walking toward her.Even though their relationship was purely transactional—and even though Amy knew better than anyone that catching feelings for a client was the worst mistake she could make—she still had to admit something.Even without Hendrix's status, his looks and presence alone were enough to make any woman blush and her heart race. Being able to call him her boyfriend, even if only on the surface, gave Amy a kind of prestige wherever she went.Seeing that Hendrix was about to reach her, Amy was about to greet him when Hailey suddenly stepped ahead of her."Hi! Are you Amy's boyfriend?" she asked.Hendrix narrowed his eyes at her. "And you are?""I'm her friend. We were out shopping together today. What a surprise to run into you like this!" Hailey said with a grin. "Amy's always bragging about you. Now, I finally see why she's been hiding you from us."As she spoke, Hailey moved to slip her arm through Hendrix's. She was wearing
The Sway and Slide of Love Chapter 844
Lately, Amy had been living in the lap of luxury. Hendrix not only bought her jewelry and designer bags but even a sports car—a bright red one, with the emblem of an angry bull on the front.When Amy drove it out, she immediately attracted the envy of countless people. They spoke words of admiration and praise for Amy. But behind her back, they were practically grinding their teeth in envy.Of course, Amy could see through their little games, but she didn't care. Even if they cursed her behind her back, she acted like she never heard a word of it.To be honest, if they had been in her shoes, they probably wouldn't have been able to seize the opportunity. They would have likely been kicked out due to overstepping the first time Hendrix made them sleep on the couch.So, some things were just meant to be hers.Besides the jewelry, bags, and car, Hendrix had also given her a black card with no spending limit. Now, when she entered those stores, she no longer had to carefully check the
The Sway and Slide of Love Chapter 843
On the contrary, Hendrix seemed to care a lot about Noelle. Otherwise, he wouldn't have rushed over like that. Even Amy could feel the passion in the way he looked at Noelle—it was intense and almost burning. There wasn't a trace of the indifference he had shown back at the party.So, it was very likely the two of them were acting. But for what reason?Amy couldn't figure it out, but she knew one thing—she might have just uncovered a huge secret. And this secret could very well…Amy was still thinking when the door suddenly opened in front of her. Startled, she instinctively took a few steps back, staring in shock at the person before her.Hendrix was standing there, looking at her."I didn't say anything!" Amy blurted out without hesitation. She even held up her phone, as if offering it for inspection.He gave it a glance, then quickly looked away and said, "Come on out. We've got a business deal to discuss."…"Who sent this to you?" the tanned-skin man asked.Only then did D
The Sway and Slide of Love Chapter 842
"Do you not trust me?" Noelle asked.Hendrix was momentarily stunned, then he slowly frowned. "What did you say?""Do you not trust that I can protect myself or that I can help you? Or do you think I'm just a burden?""Of course not," Hendrix immediately denied it, his expression growing darker. "How could you think that of yourself? If I thought that, why would I bring you here?""Since it's not that, then why don't you want to—""Because I don't want you to be in any danger," Hendrix said in a low voice. "Clearly, we could have used other methods, couldn't we?""But right now, this one is the fastest and most convenient, right?"Hendrix couldn't answer.Noelle smiled. "See? You're admitting it, too. And honestly, you don't have that much time, either. So, weighing the pros and cons, doesn't it make the most sense to choose the most efficient option right now?""No," Hendrix said through gritted teeth.Yet, he couldn't pinpoint exactly what was wrong.After meeting his gaze
The Sway and Slide of Love Chapter 841
"I know things aren't that simple," Noelle said quietly.Her sudden change of topic caused Hendrix to furrow his brows slightly.He wanted to say something, but Noelle continued, "If it were that simple, you wouldn't have agreed to let me use this method to lure Dylan out from the start. This isn't Coppersville, and more importantly, the people around you now are only driven by self-interest."So, it would be impossible for them to help you find Dylan and make him lose everything. That is—unless he makes a move against you first. But in that case, Dylan would definitely be extra cautious. He might even hide for years or decades."As Noelle spoke, Hendrix suddenly laughed. "So what? You think I can't wait?""I know you won't wait." Noelle looked up at him. "I know you're not as indifferent as you appear to be about what happened to the Swifts. If I don't do this, you'll definitely think of other ways, right?"And I also know that those ways of yours would be even more dangerous tha
The Sway and Slide of Love Chapter 840
The text message Hendrix had received just now was from Noelle. It contained the motel's address and the room number she had booked.The two of them hadn't seen each other at all these past few days—not even a phone call. Noelle wasn't sure if Dylan had sent anyone to watch them, and even the slightest trace of contact could become the reason everything fell apart.Noelle knew she wasn't clever enough to cover every detail flawlessly, so instead she put on a performance so convincing, even she almost believed it.She understood that in Dylan's mind, he always believed himself to be a noble man. The belief came from the way his family had raised him and the public image he maintained.Dylan and Hendrix were completely different. Hendrix had never cared about what others thought of him. Even in public, if he disliked someone or found them disgusting, he wouldn't bother pretending otherwise. The fact that he didn't humiliate someone outright was already the limit of his courtesy.Wh
The Sway and Slide of Love Chapter 839
Amy figured that maybe Hendrix had somehow found out what she had been thinking earlier and wanted to kill her now to keep her quiet. After all, no one who could survive in that circle was really normal.She knew how this worked. To people like him, women like her weren't even human. If he was in a bad mood and decided to use her to vent, that would be totally normal to him.She licked her lips, just about to try explaining, when she realized that he wasn't even paying her any attention. He got out of the car without a word and walked straight inside.That reaction left Amy completely thrown. For a moment, she was at a loss for what to do.Should she follow him? But what if he really was planning to do something to her? If someone like her died here, no one would even notice.But if she didn't follow, and he wasn't planning anything, wouldn't she be missing a golden opportunity?Amy felt completely torn.As she watched him disappear into the motel, she threw all her concerns away
The Sway and Slide of Love Chapter 838
This was the second time Amy had seen Hendrix. The last time, he had picked her out of a group—and today, he did the same.More importantly, Amy was now wearing the jewelry he had bought her. That piece alone had cost hundreds of thousands of dollars, and he hadn't even blinked at the price.From that alone, Amy was certain that she had won. She had stood out among the prey and become the object of his favor. The only thing she wasn't sure of was how long his interest toward her would last.In the social circles of Nuvark, women like Amy had their own internal rankings—a list sorted from most to least desirable targets. Hendrix wasn't on that list, but Amy knew that he was easily one of the top players in the game.She could tell that just by how Erwin and the others treated him. So, the fact that she hadn't hesitated and went straight for the win was the right call. And now, all the others could only look at her with envy and jealousy.The uniquely styled sports car sped down the
The Sway and Slide of Love Chapter 837
Then, Dylan hesitated a little. "Are you pitying me?""No, no!"Noelle quickly shook her head. "I just feel like I dragged you into this. It's like because I almost married you back then, Hendrix has been targeting you ever since. If not for that, you'd probably still be doing fine back home, and the Swift family wouldn't have ended up like this. So, I feel guilty."Her voice grew more hoarse as she spoke.Dylan stared at her for a moment, then suddenly burst into laughter. He laughed like he had just heard the funniest thing in the world, completely delighted."So, now you finally see Hendrix for who he really is?" he asked. "I told you before—he's never treated you right. Otherwise, why would you have taken Rosie and run to another city in the first place?"And back then, if it hadn't been for me, you never would've been forced to marry him. So, Noelle, have you remembered now? The one you actually love is me."Noelle stared at him, stunned.Dylan stood up at that moment, closin
