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Chapter 197
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The Sway and Slide of Love Chapter 198
The night after Hendrix visited Noelle, she suddenly heard a commotion from the room next door. When she got out of bed, she learned that something had happened to Matilda. Her condition had been unstable since the evening, and now, it had taken a sharp turn for the worse.Craig had already arrived, whereas Sandra was nowhere to be seen. When he saw Noelle sitting outside the emergency room, he immediately rushed over and grabbed her shoulders."How is she?"Noelle shook her head. "The doctors are still trying to save her.""How could this happen? She was fine when I left! Did you say something to her that caused her to be upset?"Craig's emotions were boiling over, and his first reaction was to find someone to take his frustration out on.Noelle simply looked at him calmly. "Aren't there cameras in the room? Why don't you check for yourself?"Her calm response left Craig at a loss for words.Soon, the door to the emergency room opened, and Craig immediately rushed forward."T
The Sway and Slide of Love Chapter 199
Sandra's voice was shrill, her eyes burning with anger and hatred as she glared at Noelle. But Noelle simply looked back at her calmly.In contrast to Noelle's composure, Sandra's outburst made her seem like a frenzied fool. Her expression darkened even more, and just as she was about to say something, Noelle beat her to it."If I were you, I'd start thinking about what to do next.""What do you mean by that? What are you talking about?""The person who's been protecting you all along is on the verge of death," Noelle said slowly. "Have you given any thought to what you'll do after that?"Sandra instinctively wanted to argue, but just as the words reached her lips, she swallowed them back. It was obvious Noelle was referring to Matilda.Over the years, it might have seemed like Craig was the one calling the shots in the Swanson family, but when it came to his attitude toward Noelle and Sandra, the real decision-maker was Matilda. Craig had always treated the two of them according
The Sway and Slide of Love Chapter 200
Despite the rushed nature of the wedding, all the important guests were still invited. Noelle, as the bride's family, stood at the entrance with Craig.She wore a champagne-colored gown, and her long hair was neatly styled up, exposing her slender neck. Her makeup was subtle, enhancing her natural beauty and giving her an exquisitely refined appearance.Although her outfit was modest enough, it was inevitable that people would still gossip about her due to the recent events. They naturally didn't say anything in front of Noelle, but the odd glances directed toward her still cut her like a knife.However, Noelle had anticipated this would happen before arriving, so she didn't react at all. Instead, she continued to greet everyone with a smile. It was at this moment that Ruth appeared.She was dressed quite extravagantly, wearing a pale, moon-white gown, seemingly unconcerned about clashing with the bride's wedding dress. Her makeup was strikingly bold, so much so that before anyone
The Sway and Slide of Love Chapter 201
Noelle simply smiled. She waited until Ruth had entered before lifting her gaze to welcome the next guest."Welcome."As she got to the last syllable, her voice noticeably softened, and her smile faltered for a brief moment. But she quickly regained her composure, her smile blossoming once more."Hello, Mr. Freeman."She wasn't sure when Hendrix had arrived, but judging by the presence of others behind him, it seemed he must have overheard her exchange with Ruth.Hendrix quickly swept past Noelle with his gaze before walking up to Craig."Congratulations.""Thank you."It wasn't even a second that they shook each other's hands before releasing them again.Noelle, however, was no longer looking at him. Instead, she turned her attention to the other guests, her smile still as bright as ever.…There were over a thousand guests today. Just the greeting portion alone made Noelle feel like her smile was about to freeze on her face. The next part of the event no longer required he
The Sway and Slide of Love Chapter 202
The ballroom was filled with a lively buzz in the air. Despite the rush, everything had gone smoothly, and the wedding was turning out just fine.Now, they had reached the moment of the evening—the exchange of rings, an event that would mark the climax of the night.Sandra looked at the man standing before her and asked suddenly, "Do you know whose idea it was to have the wedding today?"Maxwell didn't answer.Sandra smirked. "It was actually Noelle's idea. Don't you still have feelings for her? And look what happened. She didn't hesitate to drag you down just to spite me."Maxwell remained silent, as if he hadn't heard a word. He simply continued with the ceremony, slipping the ring onto her finger.Sandra clenched her teeth in frustration. "Does she think that just because I'm getting married, I'm no longer part of the Swanson family? Well, she's wrong. I agreed to this only because I wanted my dad to see how much I've been wronged. "Just wait. I'm going to take back what's m
The Sway and Slide of Love Chapter 203
Noelle didn't respond to his words. Instead, she simply glanced at this retreating figure before slowly turning her gaze back to the portrait of the deceased. The woman in the photo was Matilda in her younger years. Ironically, she looked almost exactly like Noelle.On the day of the funeral, rain suddenly began to fall in Coppersville, and the temperature seemed even lower than it had been during last year's winter.Noelle had already put on her coat, but as she stood in the cemetery, she could still feel the cold wind seeping deep into her bones.The urn containing Matilda's ashes had already been laid to rest. It was only when the sound of the pastor's voice echoed through the cemetery that Noelle, almost as if waking from a daze, fully realized that Matilda was truly gone.Whether it was love or hate, it all seemed to vanish with Matilda's death. Noelle suddenly recalled the day Matilda closed her eyes for the last time. She wasn't sure whether it was guilt or something else, b
The Sway and Slide of Love Chapter 204
"Ms. Swanson, are you sure it's a good idea to have dinner alone with Mr. Carter? I mean, he—" Her assistant, Oliver Shaw, hesitated, leaving the rest unsaid.Noelle, of course, understood their concern. Ethan's reputation in Vinton City was far from stellar. His insistence on having dinner alone with her tonight naturally set off Oliver's alarm bells—and rightly so."It's fine. It's just dinner," Noelle replied calmly.After that, she opened the car door and stepped out onto the pavement. She had chosen the restaurant herself and, to avoid any potential "surprises", arrived half an hour early to order the food in advance.Ethan arrived just as Noelle finished filling up her glass with water."My apologies for keeping you waiting, Ms. Swanson.""No worries. I just got here myself," Noelle replied with a smile.Their first interaction was smooth, and everything seemed normal so far.After a few glasses of red wine, the conversation began to shift."Ms. Swanson, you've been here
The Sway and Slide of Love Chapter 205
The woman continued her conversation, her eyes lighting up as she spotted something. She waved excitedly in that direction.Then, Noelle saw it, too—a sleek black car in the rain-soaked night. The license plate was unfamiliar, but the car's model was one Noelle recognized all too well. After all, it was Hendrix's favorite.She paused for a moment before turning her gaze away. Instead of calling for a ride, she decisively turned around and walked off into the rainy night.…"You're here!" Lana Ray didn't seem to notice anything else.As the driver stepped out to open the door, she eagerly got into the car.Hendrix was already seated inside, dressed in a black shirt with dark gold cufflinks featuring an intricate, elegant pattern. His slender hand rested on his knee, and his strikingly handsome face was devoid of any expression. His deep, piercing eyes stared ahead, shadowed by a hint of somberness."Mr. Freeman?" Lana called him again and followed his gaze for a moment, but she d
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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
