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Chapter 21
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The Sway and Slide of Love Chapter 22
Noelle lowered her eyes, staring at the photograph in the newspaper. In it, she looked disheveled and utterly humiliated.However, right now, she was calm. She did not say anything as she picked up the newspaper and threw it into a nearby trash can. Then, she opened the car door again."Let's go," she told Levi, her voice calm.Levi did not dare start the car. He just looked at Hendrix cautiously.Hendrix was staring at Noelle impassively.Noelle did not look at him. She didn't even give him a second glance as she rolled the window up.When that happened, Hendrix turned and went into the house without hesitation.He wasn't looking at Noelle, but Noelle was staring after him, watching his back as he left. She knew what he was telling her. He wasn't going to go to the party with her, so if she got ridiculed, she would be on her own.Then again, Noelle was used to this. After all, she'd always been alone.…The party was much livelier than Noelle had expected.The Quinlans had
The Sway and Slide of Love Chapter 23
Noelle looked earnest, like what she said wasn't a joke, but Maxwell laughed."Come on. I brought back a pastry chef from abroad. I think you'll like his cakes," he said as he led Noelle forward.He was the star of the party, so most people at the party had their eyes on him.Maxwell seemed unaffected. He led Noelle to the buffet table and handed her a mini cake. He looked like a little kid, showing his friends his favorite dessert.He did not mind the stares, but Noelle couldn't ignore them. She stared at the cake for a moment before taking it. "You're being too obvious," she said.Maxwell raised his eyebrows. "Oh?""You're trying to use me as a shield, aren't you?" Noelle said, taking a small mouthful of the cake.It had been some time since she last had cake. They had personal chefs at Nivis Villa, but they never baked cakes.Cakes weren't a popular dessert amongst the upper class. The confectionery was just something for specific occasions, more for the sense of ritual than
The Sway and Slide of Love Chapter 24
Sandra's arm was linked with Hendrix. They were both wearing matching blue outfits. At a glance, it looked like they were the perfect couple.Noelle felt as if she had been slapped by her own husband. Bitterness welled up in her. Not even the cake could push the bitter taste away.She did not continue her conversation with Maxwell. Instead, she placed her cake down on the table. Just as she turned to leave, Sandra saw her."Noelle!"Her voice was loud and clear. It was impossible for Noelle not to hear her. At the same time, Maxwell stepped in front of her, blocking her path of escape.Noelle frowned at him.Maxwell did not look at her. He looked straight ahead and smiled, putting out his hand. "Mr. Freeman. I've heard a lot about you."Hendrix ignored Noelle, who had turned her back to him, and shook Maxwell's hand. "Pleasure to meet you.""Max, long time no see!" Sandra greeted Maxwell excitedly as well. Her eyes were large and bright, shining almost as bright as the stars.
The Sway and Slide of Love Chapter 25
While Noelle was trying to free herself from Hendrix's grip, he raised his other arm and wound it around her waist.Then, he tightened his hold, making Noelle stumble a few steps into his embrace. From the outside, it looked as if Noelle had thrown herself at him.Noelle's expression darkened further.Just then, Hendrix reached out and swiped lightly at her lips with a finger.Noelle had just had cake, but she wouldn't have left anything on her lips. However, Hendrix's actions made her feel awkward.Her frown deepened. Just as she was about to demand that Hendrix let her go, he spoke first, saying, "Was the cake good?"The abrupt question took her aback. Then, just as abruptly, Hendrix leaned down and kissed her.The sudden kiss was just as overbearing and domineering as the man himself. The taste of cake seemed to permeate between their lips and tongues.However, Hendrix did not seem to like the taste. His kiss became even more aggressive as he clutched Noelle closer to himsel
The Sway and Slide of Love Chapter 26
At first, Noelle thought that she was mistaken. After all, she had lost the sketchbook several years ago. She thought she had forgotten it somewhere.Going nearer, she saw that it really was her sketchbook. Her name was written on the cover."Oh, hey, Noelle!" Ruth noticed her mid-laugh and called her over, "Look! This is yours, isn't it?"I remember Sandra telling me that you draw. I thought you were some kind of prodigy artist or something, but it turned out that you're just drawing this bullshit! Someone had a pathetic crush on the most handsome guy in school!"The group burst into laughter again.Noelle did not answer. She went up and tried to snatch the sketchbook away from them.Ruth seemed to sense her actions. Before Noelle could get close, she tossed the sketchbook to the person beside her, who in turn threw it to another person.The women stood in a circle, playing Pass the Ball with her sketchbook.Noelle stood in the middle of their circle, ridiculed and humiliated.
The Sway and Slide of Love Chapter 27
Before Maxwell went abroad, he hadn't interacted much with Hendrix. Therefore, he didn't know Hendrix well at all. However, he could tell that Hendrix's look was a warning.Maxwell just laughed.Hendrix ignored him. After the glance, he left, pulling Noelle along with him.He slammed the car door shut loudly. Noelle could sense his anger. She didn't want to get into trouble, so she scooted away from him, still holding her sketchbook tightly.However, Hendrix reached out and snatched it out of her hold.Noelle's eyes widened in shock. "Give it back!" she said immediately.This was the most animated Hendrix had ever seen her in their two years of marriage. Noelle pounced on him like an angry cat, trying to snatch the book away from him.Hendrix had only intended to take a look, but Noelle's attitude made him frown. He grabbed both of her hands, trapping them so that she did not get a chance to snatch the sketchbook back."Let me go! That is mine!" Noelle cried, even more agitat
The Sway and Slide of Love Chapter 28
Noelle did not remember falling asleep. She was woken up by her phone ringing the next morning."Are you at Nivis Villa?" Beatrice's voice was as calm as ever.Noelle was startled awake immediately. "Yes, I am.""I'm coming over. Your grandma is sick. You're going to the hospital with me."Noelle wanted to turn her down. She knew, from Sandra's post, that Hendrix and Sandra had gone to the hospital last night.No one had informed her about this, so it clearly meant that she was not needed at the hospital. Why would she make an unwanted appearance?However, she couldn't bring herself to say that to Beatrice.After a pause, she answered, "Okay."Beatrice's personality was just like Hendrix's. She had only called her to inform her about her arrival.After Noelle answered, Beatrice hung up the phone immediately.Ten minutes later, her car arrived at Nivis Villa.Beatrice glanced at Noelle's outfit and frowned, but she did not say anything. She just handed her a lunchbox. "I got
The Sway and Slide of Love Chapter 29
"Did you hear what I said, Hendrix?"Ophelia's next words made Noelle purse her lips.So Hendrix was there, too.Hendrix's voice was calm as he said, "Grandma, I thought we agreed not to talk about this.""I agreed not to talk about this as long as she did what she was supposed to do! Look at this…" Midway through her rant, Ophelia began coughing violently."Grandma Ophelia!" Sandra cried."I'm fine," Ophelia said. "Hendrix, you're my only grandson. I only wish the best for you."Back then, your mother forced you to relent by holding the share of Amity Group over you, but now, she has no hold on you. You should think about ending your marriage with Noelle."Hendrix did not answer her.Noelle did not wait for an answer, either. As soon as Ophelia finished speaking, she pushed open the door and entered. Her sudden entrance made everyone in the room look toward her.Sandra was looking at Hendrix with affection in her eyes. When she saw Noelle, her expression changed. She quickly
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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
