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Chapter 102
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The Sway and Slide of Love Chapter 103
Noelle and Hendrix had never shared a bed before. No matter how exhausted he left her, she would always remember to return to her own room. In truth, Noelle had always felt that they weren't really husband and wife. They were more like partners, both in bed and in life.To Noelle, lying together in the same bed without doing anything was far more intimate than sex. Only people who were truly in love could do that. And she and Hendrix clearly weren't.Now, she crouched beside the bed, watching him as he slept. She was very familiar with his face. She could clearly picture the sharp lines of his features even with her eyes closed. When she was younger, she had drawn his face more times than she could remember.Back then, Hendrix, in a crisp white school uniform, had been the center of attention at their school.Then, he grew up. His face became more striking and refined with age. His elegant demeanor only intensified. Noelle always felt worlds apart from him even when he was stan
The Sway and Slide of Love Chapter 104
Hendrix eventually went on the date.He was slightly surprised to see who his date was."Hello, Mr. Freeman," the woman said with a bright, dazzling smile. "I think you might remember me?""Yvonne Wright." Before Hendrix could respond, she extended her hand and supplied the answer. "We danced at the masquerade ball.""Ms. Wright, a pleasure," Hendrix replied, shaking her hand briefly. He made no mention of what happened at the ball, keeping his response curt."Why did you leave so suddenly that night?" Yvonne asked."An urgent matter came up," he said smoothly."Is that so?" Yvonne's smile deepened, carrying a subtle undertone that Hendrix didn't care for.It wasn't that her knowing look rattled him—he wasn't concerned about being caught in a lie. It was the energy she exuded—a kind of calculated playfulness—that made him uneasy. Hendrix didn't mind dealing with intelligent people, but he had no patience for those who fancied themselves too clever.Sensing the shift, Yvonn
The Sway and Slide of Love Chapter 105
Sandra's hands clenched into fists. "Why haven't I heard that you two are together?" "Maybe your sources aren't very reliable," Yvonne replied with a cheerful smile.Sandra couldn't come up with a response. She could only turn her gaze to Hendrix.But Hendrix wasn't paying attention. He was staring off into the distance, lost in thought. He finally snapped out of it, turning to look at her."Hendrix?" Sandra called his name softly."Didn't you say you had something to do? You should head out," Yvonne interjected before Hendrix could respond.Sandra glared at Yvonne for interrupting her, but Yvonne only smiled sweetly, meeting her gaze without a care."Fine. I'll be going, then," Hendrix said bluntly before turning and walking away.Sandra instinctively moved to follow him, but Yvonne stepped in her way. "Ms. Swanson, is there something else you need?""I want to talk to Hendrix. Why are you getting in the way?""Oh, that reminds me. I haven't had the chance to congratulate
The Sway and Slide of Love Chapter 106
Noelle studied Carl in front of her for a long moment before finally speaking, "Mr. Townsend, you should know who I am.""I do. I think we've even crossed paths at a few parties before, haven't we?" Carl asked."I just got divorced," Noelle added, her tone matter-of-fact."Yes, I heard. I have to say, I admire how decisively you ended things with Hendrix."Clark responded to everything Noelle said with an easy smile, which left her uncomfortable. She finally sighed and said, "I'm not interested in dating anyone right now.""That's fine," Clark replied with a grin. "We don't have to date. We can start as friends."Noelle found herself at a loss for words."Does that mean you agree? Great! Let's go!" Clark said as he reached for her hand.Startled, Noelle instinctively took two steps back.Clark looked at her in confusion. "What's wrong? Do you think my hand's poisonous?""No, I suddenly remembered I have something to take care of. I can't go.""Oh? What is it?""Work," Noell
The Sway and Slide of Love Chapter 107
Inside Percy Gardens, Hendrix sat in his study, scanning emails on the screen as his fingers drummed lightly on the phone beside him.Notifications kept popping up on his feed, but he only glanced at them, uninterested.It was past 11:00 pm when the front door creaked open.Hendrix stopped tapping on his phone but didn't get up. Instead, he turned off his screen with an unreadable expression.Noelle moved quietly, her steps barely making a sound. She checked his bedroom first, but when she found it empty, she headed to the study. The door was closed, and she stood outside for a while, not making a move. Hendrix ignored her, his face blank as he looked at the computer screen.Two minutes passed before she finally knocked. However, Hendrix didn't respond. After a brief hesitation, Noelle turned the handle and opened the door."You're... still working?" she asked softly, standing in the doorway.Hendrix finally looked up. Noelle had just showered, her damp hair clinging to
The Sway and Slide of Love Chapter 108
Hendrix never brought up that night again, and Noelle didn't, either.Two days later, Clark asked her out again, saying he wanted to grab some sliders.It was the first time Noelle realized asking someone out could be that simple.Clark was fun to be around. He loved a good time and always knew how to make it happen. He grew up in Coppersville, where nearly everyone in his circle knew him. Yet he wasn't drawn to flashy, extravagant clubs or bars. Instead, he preferred taking Noelle down old alleyways. Sometimes, they'd try a local delicacy, and other times, they'd pick up quirky trinkets.Hendrix, who also grew up in Coppersville, never took Noelle to places like that. They went out alone only a few times, and when they did, it was always to high-end restaurants.The only exception was when Noelle took him to a barbecue joint, though they didn't even manage to finish their meal that time.Clark was the complete opposite of Hendrix. He didn't carry the aloof, superior attitude t
The Sway and Slide of Love Chapter 109
Noelle didn't answer. She slowly took the stuffed animal from Clark's hands.Clark immediately noticed something was off. "What's wrong?"Noelle didn't respond. She lowered her eyes and murmured, "It's nothing. Let's go.""What happened?" he asked, his voice tinged with concern.She took a deep breath. "Someone bumped into me just now."Clark froze for a second. Then, as realization sank in, his expression shifted. "Which one?""What?""I said, which one?" His voice was sharp, and without waiting for her answer, he turned, scanning the crowd.At that moment, the man who'd bumped into Noelle walked up to another girl, still wearing that same sleazy grin."Is that him?" Clark asked, eyes narrowing.Before Noelle could respond, he had already rushed forward and punched the man in the nose."How dare you?" he yelled...."Mr. Freeman, the painting's been delivered. Here's the acceptance form," Dan said, handing Hendrix the paper.Hendrix nodded without a word.Dan hesitated.
The Sway and Slide of Love Chapter 110
Clark's jacket was draped over Noelle's shoulders, and she sat with her head lowered.She held the steaming cup of coffee the officer had given her, yet her body trembled uncontrollably.Clark had suffered a severe beating, outnumbered by the group. At first, he had held his own, but once they surrounded him, the fight quickly turned in their favor.Noelle had tried to step in, but Clark had blocked her way. No one could've imagined what might have happened if the arcade staff hadn't intervened so quickly."I'm fine. Don't worry," Clark said, still giving his statement to the police. When he noticed how pale Noelle looked, he gently took her hand.Noelle finally lifted her gaze, intending to say something. Yet, she froze as if she'd seen something too terrifying to process. Her already pale face drained further, and her fingers turned icy cold.Clark noticed and started to turn around, but a hand landed on Noelle's shoulder before he could check."I'm here to bail her out," Hend
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The Sway and Slide of Love Chapter 863
The moment Hendrix fixed his eyes on Noelle, she suddenly found herself at a loss for words. As their eyes met, even the tips of her ears began to flush red without her realizing it."Why are you looking at me like that?" Noelle couldn't help but ask."So, have you remembered everything?" Hendrix asked instead. "Everything about us?""No," Noelle replied, turning her head away. "My head hurts. Didn't you say you were going to get the doctor? You can go—"But before she could finish, Hendrix suddenly grabbed her hand. His grip wasn't strong, but the way his fingers gently moved across hers felt like an intimate caress.Noelle couldn't help but tremble, and she instinctively tried to pull her hand back.But then Hendrix suddenly said, "Actually, even before we got married, I'd seen you many times."Noelle hadn't expected him to bring this up. She froze for a second. Then, she quickly said, "I know. Back then at college—""Not just at college. After I graduated, I went to see you,
The Sway and Slide of Love Chapter 862
"Who are you?"That was the first thing Noelle said when she opened her eyes.Hendrix had still been basking in the relief of her waking up, but the moment he heard those words, the expression on his face vanished completely."What did you say?" he asked, his voice slightly strained.Noelle didn't answer. She simply stared at him, confusion clear in her eyes.Hendrix clenched his fists tightly. Maybe it was because he had gone through something like this before that he was able to calm himself down quickly this time."I'm your husband. My name is Hendrix Freeman. Do you still remember your own name?" he asked."Husband?" Noelle frowned slightly. "As in—we're married?""Yes. And we have a daughter. Her name is Rosie. She's three years old. This is her picture."As he spoke, Hendrix started to pull up a photo on his phone.But Noelle quickly asked, "Then why don't I remember you?""You were injured. But don't worry. I'll get the doctor to take a look at you."As Hendrix moved
The Sway and Slide of Love Chapter 861
Dylan had been wrong all along.Money and power—none of that had ever been what he was truly meant to chase. Because no one could stay at the center of power forever, and no one could possess those things for all time. What he should have been chasing was just that one light. That one light that would stay on for him late into the night. But now, he knew it was all too late.As he closed his eyes, Dylan suddenly thought of his mother, Leah. He remembered how, as a child, he had longed for a new set of paintbrushes. He had asked his parents for them many times. He even wanted to use his own Christmas money to buy them. But they refused.They believed it was wasteful. It didn't align with the frugal and disciplined lifestyle they lived by. So in the end, Dylan stole the set of paintbrushes from the stationery store.Because he came from a prestigious scholarly family and always kept a refined, gentlemanly image in public, the store owner never suspected a thing.But his parents fo
The Sway and Slide of Love Chapter 860
"Are you crazy? Noelle, let go of the wheel!" Dylan struggled to regain control of the car, but Noelle held onto the steering wheel tightly, refusing to let go.The car didn't slow down. On the contrary, it raced forward at an even faster pace.How long did this go on? Maybe it lasted only dozens of seconds. But for Dylan, it felt like the blink of an eye. Because the next moment, he saw the oncoming car.That car was speeding as well.Dylan didn't even have time to grab his gun. Just as he was about to slam on the brakes, the two cars collided at high speed. There was a deafening crash as the cars were thrown into the air, then slammed back down.Dylan's eyes widened. But in that instant, his first instinct was to turn and look at Noelle. Her eyes were already closed. She looked as if she had been prepared to face death all along. She must have known what he intended to do, and she also knew he didn't actually want to die.The only reason he took her away was so he could use her
The Sway and Slide of Love Chapter 859
Erwin was just about to repeat his question when a voice came from behind."Excuse me, but I think I know where your wife is."Hendrix spun around immediately.Standing behind them was a woman with long hair and big eyes. "I saw her just now in the backyard. Someone was taking her away. If I'm not mistaken, I think it was Mr. Pritchett from Morphy Fund?"At the mention of Dylan, Hendrix's expression turned dark as thunder. He charged up to the woman. "Where did they go?""I'm not sure. But I did take down his license plate number. Do you need it?""Where is it?" Hendrix barked.The woman held out her hand. "I'll give it to you for 1,000 dollars."Hendrix didn't carry cash with him. But he shoved his bank card into her hand without hesitation. "The license plate number!"The woman looked at the card, a little dissatisfied. But considering Hendrix's status, she figured he likely wouldn't care about such a small amount of money. Thus, in the end, she still showed Hendrix the phot
The Sway and Slide of Love Chapter 858
"Erwin!"The voice came just as Erwin stood on the terrace, smoking a cigarette in frustration.Although they had technically won the battle and he had earned a great deal from it, he felt, strangely enough, not the slightest trace of satisfaction. Maybe it was because Hendrix had forced him into the game. Or maybe, by now, winning and losing simply didn't stir anything in him anymore.At the beginning, Erwin had been somewhat excited. He had thought Dylan would be a difficult opponent—someone who could cause serious trouble, maybe even defeat them entirely. That would have been interesting. But instead, everything had gone far too smoothly. There had been no twists and no turns. Just a clean finish. It was boring, to say the least.And the current victory party? Equally so.Hendrix had insisted Noelle attend the party, saying she had flawlessly completed her part of the plan and that this victory was also hers. So, the party had turned out very wholesome, or rather, dull.Erwi
The Sway and Slide of Love Chapter 857
Erwin still showed signs of dissatisfaction. It seemed he was saying something, but Noelle could no longer hear him. She didn't look back either, instead turning her gaze to the other people at the party.The loud music continued, and the excitement and energy of the crowd remained high. But Noelle knew that this wasn't the usual celebration. This, in fact, was just Hendrix's way of making her adapt and accept the situation.Though she had known this for some time, the realization still made Noelle uncomfortable. Then, she suddenly remembered something Dylan had told her a few days ago about her past with Hendrix.Even though she knew Dylan's words weren't necessarily true, that didn't mean everything he said was a lie. How much of the past he mentioned was real, and how much was false?Noelle actually thought her life was fine now. She was willing to accept her past choices and believed in Hendrix's feelings for her. At least, this was what she thought sometimes.But at other tim
The Sway and Slide of Love Chapter 856
Dylan didn't dare to stay there. He immediately drove back to his place.He wanted to take Noelle with him and leave. Even if she didn't have her passport, it didn't matter. After all, there were definitely people looking for him right now.But no matter what, he was going to protect her. Even if they had to roam the world, it didn't matter. As long as they were together, it was fine. Even if it was just a shabby house, as long as there was a light on, that would be their home.However, when Dylan returned to the apartment, he found Noelle nowhere in sight. Gone also were all her things. The desk and floor were spotless, as if nothing had ever existed there.Dylan remained standing where he was. It took him several minutes to finally process what he was seeing. Then, he couldn't help but laugh. It was as if he had just heard the biggest joke—he laughed so hard that his whole body shook.Of course, how could he have thought she would be waiting for him here? How could she possibly
The Sway and Slide of Love Chapter 855
"I'm damned for ever believing your words! Now, just die!" George didn't give Dylan another chance to speak. He pulled the trigger, aiming to shoot a bullet through Dylan's forehead.In that instant, Dylan finally understood. This time, Hendrix didn't intend to leave him alive.If the goal had only been to swallow up Morphy Fund and make Dylan lose everything, the matter would have ended there. However, it seemed that Hendrix must have said something to George, which led him to believe that Dylan and Hendrix were working together—that Dylan had betrayed Morphy Fund.At this point, George had no way out. So, it wouldn't be surprising if he shot Dylan in the head. What Hendrix wanted was for him to die.Dylan didn't know what he was thinking at that moment. By the time he reacted, he had already grabbed the gun's barrel and twisted it violently. The bullet scraped past his head.Without hesitation, George moved to pull the trigger again when Dylan, still holding onto his wrist, forc
