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Chapter 49
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The Sway and Slide of Love Chapter 50
Noelle didn't sleep a wink that night. Every time she closed her eyes, the nightmares crept in.A damp, dark room, a door that never quite closed, clothes inexplicably soiled and drawers rifled through, and finally, the man's disgusting, lecherous face.Eight years had passed, yet Noelle still couldn't escape the haunting memories. And now, her adoptive father, William Kaplan, was out of prison.He was free!Noelle didn't know how William had gotten her number, but the feeling it brought—the suffocating sense that she could never outrun him—was all too familiar.Even this apartment, the one she had only recently rented, no longer felt safe. She couldn't shake the sensation of unseen eyes watching her, waiting to pounce.Noelle couldn't stay here anymore.But where could she go?In the end, she went to the hospital.Noelle knew there wasn't much Cynthia could do for her, nor could she tell the latter anything. But just being there and seeing her gave Noelle a small measure of c
The Sway and Slide of Love Chapter 51
Finally, Noelle sank onto the couch, wrapping her arms tightly around herself.Just then, the same unknown number flashed on her phone again.She hadn't saved the number, but after seeing it just once the previous night, it was already seared into her memory. Without hesitation, she grabbed the phone and hurled it to the floor.…At Nivis Villa, Mabel stood on the other side of the ornate iron gate, her sharp gaze fixed on the scruffy man in front of her. "And who are you supposed to be?""I'm William Kaplan. I'm Luna's… I mean, Noelle's father," William said, baring a grin that revealed yellowed teeth. "I know she's staying here. Tell her to come out and see me."It was common knowledge in Coppersville that Noelle had been missing as a child and had spent over a decade in the countryside. One glance at the man, and Mabel instantly recognized who he was. Her lips curled in disdain as her gaze swept over him."Ms. Noelle has moved out.""She moved out? How is that possible? Isn'
The Sway and Slide of Love Chapter 52
Thanks to Mabel's reminder, Hendrix remembered that his birthday was approaching.Once he got into the car, he instinctively pulled out the lighter he always carried. It was black and gold, unadorned except for his initials engraved in the lower corner.It was a simple, unremarkable gift.However, it was the only gift Noelle had ever given him.The second year…Because he hadn't bothered to show up at their anniversary party, Noelle hadn't even sent him a perfunctory gift for his birthday last year.And this year…Hendrix cut the thought short, slipping the lighter back into his pocket before opening the tablet in front of him.But before he could focus, the car lurched to a sudden stop. The jarring motion made his brows furrow sharply, and his eyes were stern. Levi hurriedly explained, "Apologies, Mr. Freeman, but up ahead…"Before the man could finish, someone who had been blocking the car moved to Hendrix's window and began banging on it. The man appeared to be in his 50s
The Sway and Slide of Love Chapter 53
At the entrance of the restaurant, it was Levi's reminder that finally drew Hendrix's attention to the man speaking with Craig. Looking visibly annoyed, Craig stepped around the man and walked away.However, the persistent man wasn't ready to let him go and followed closely behind. Seeing that Craig was about to get into his car, he raised his voice. "Mr. Swanson, if you don't agree, I'll have no choice but to go back to Mr. Freeman and tell him everything about Luna."Hendrix had been ready to leave. After all, neither Noelle nor the Swanson family had anything to do with him anymore.But upon hearing William's words, he suddenly froze mid-step."Mr. Freeman?" Dan called out, but Hendrix ignored him, turning his head to the side to see that the previously indifferent Craig had already let William into his car.Hendrix narrowed his eyes slightly."Mr. Freeman, the 'Luna' that he mentioned…" Dan spoke with confusion. But before he could ask, Hendrix had already climbed into his
The Sway and Slide of Love Chapter 54
Noelle returned to Coppersville. She wasn't sure if Craig still had people watching her, but she made no effort to avoid meeting William.They met at Quivo—a famous restaurant in Coppersville. When Noelle arrived, William was already there, sitting in a chair with one leg crossed over the other and flirting with a waitress.His gaze was invasive, and his words were vulgar. The young waitress, visibly distressed, kept her head down while tightly gripping the menu.Even though Noelle had prepared herself for this meeting, the sight of William still made her feel uneasy.At that moment, William noticed her. He immediately got up and waved eagerly. "Luna!"With clenched fists, Noelle approached the table. The waitress, seeing her arrive, quickly set down the menu and fled as if she'd been granted amnesty.William's gaze lingered on the waitress' retreating figure for a moment before turning his attention back to Noelle. "Long time no see, Luna! You're even more beautiful now!"As
The Sway and Slide of Love Chapter 55
After a brief pause, Noelle turned back and said, "Go ahead and tell them."Her response left William stunned. Before he could react, Noelle had already walked away.Furious, William slammed his hand on the table and got up to follow her, only to be stopped by a waiter. "Sir, you haven't settled your bill yet.""What bill? I didn't even order anything!""Sir, even without ordering, we still charge a seating fee," said the waiter, his eyes scanning William with unconcealed disdain.William trembled with anger. He was about to slap his bank card—which held his last 50 thousand dollars—onto the waiter's face when another voice interjected, "I'll take care of it."Hearing the voice, William's expression shifted abruptly. He turned around to see Sandra handing her card to the waiter. She then turned and smiled at him. "You must be Mr. Kaplan, right?""And you are?""I'm Noelle's sister, Sandra.""Ah, the little orphan the Swansons picked up." William sneered, his gaze roaming ove
The Sway and Slide of Love Chapter 56
Noelle and Liam met at a private restaurant.Despite having lived in Coppersville for a few years, Noelle never would've known that such a place existed if Liam hadn't brought her there that day.The restaurant was tucked away on the border between the urban and rural areas of Coppersville. It featured white walls, black tiles, lotus ponds, and bamboo groves. At first glance, Noelle mistook this place for a scenic garden rather than a restaurant.The owner of the restaurant was a young woman whose appearance was unremarkable, but she exuded grace and spoke with elegance.It seemed that Liam had made all the arrangements beforehand. Without even taking their order, the woman simply served them coffee and left the room."Their ingredients are all prepared fresh daily. So, I had to pre-order the dishes yesterday. I hope that's okay," Liam explained with a gentle smile. One wouldn't be able to tell from his face that he was annoyed with Noelle for losing contact with him two days ea
The Sway and Slide of Love Chapter 57
"I didn't know you would also come here tonight, Mr. Freeman. Had I known, I would've invited you to join us," Liam said with a smile, his tone composed and showing no signs of awkwardness at all.Hendrix released his grip and cast a glance at Noelle, who kept her head low, making it clear she had no intention of acknowledging him.Withdrawing his gaze, Hendrix replied to Liam, saying, "Since you're on a date, I won't bother you. Goodbye.""Okay. See you."After the brief exchange, the owner continued to escort Hendrix into the restaurant, while Liam returned to his seat across from Noelle."I didn't know he'd be here tonight," Liam explained."It's fine," Noelle responded with a smile, her expression already returning back to normal.Liam didn't press further, though the atmosphere now became tense and awkward. With him no longer driving the conversation, an awkward silence settled between them.Noelle hesitated for a moment. As she prepared to tell Liam her decision, a voic
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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
The Sway and Slide of Love Chapter 854
Dylan still remembered the victory party at the villa a few days ago. At that time, George had pushed him in front of everyone. He had enjoyed all the praise and recognition while sipping glass after glass of champagne.He knew that no matter how much doubt and skepticism there had been about him in the past, it all vanished that night. That was also why George had thrown him a victory party at the very first stage.After all, only by telling everyone about his achievements would they believe in him and entrust him with their funds. But they probably didn't expect the final result to be like this.Actually, when Fuer Fund continued to add to their position after reaching the peak, George had already warned Dylan that there might be some issues. But the market was unpredictable—a moment's decision or a few seconds of hesitation could lead to failure.Thus, Dylan didn't wait. He thought Hendrix was also gambling. So, he disregarded the risk and pushed all the funds in. He wanted Hend
The Sway and Slide of Love Chapter 853
Noelle's expression changed at that moment. It took her a while to find her voice to ask, "Is that what really happened?""Hendrix definitely hasn't told you all these, right?" Dylan smirked. "It's because he's too afraid to mention them. So, tell me. How could someone like him possibly deserve a happy life? "Don't worry. I'll make sure to take him down this time. Once I get your passport, you can go whenever you want."When he finished speaking, there was sincerity and seriousness in his eyes as he looked at Noelle. He really hoped she would stay. Of course, he wanted victory. But if he could have her by his side when he achieved it, that would be even better.Although once he reached the top, anyone could stay by his side. But the person he wanted most was Noelle."Thank you," Noelle said in the end.That wasn't the answer Dylan was most satisfied with. But he knew he couldn't afford to rush things just yet. For now, it was enough that Noelle was on his side."Alright, go to
