The Sway and Slide of Love

People always subconsciously justified their past actions when recounting events, positioning themselves as morally righteous. Dylan had done it earlier, and now, Hendrix, too.

The same incident became two entirely different stories when told by different people.

But Noelle didn't press further. After all, no matter what, she had ultimately chosen Hendrix in the past.

Moreover, she now knew that the reason Hendrix had gone to the village back then and gotten injured was all because of her. However others might judge it, his feelings for her were indeed genuine.

Therefore, she should trust her feelings in this moment, and she should also trust the choices she made in the past.

Choosing not to dwell on it any longer, she simply looked up at Hendrix. After meeting his gaze for a moment, she nodded. "Okay."

Hearing that, Hendrix finally breathed a sigh of relief. Then, he offered her a smile.

Noelle had already seen Cynthia. Just as Hendrix had warned, Cynthia's condition was dire. The machines were the only things keeping her alive. Without them, she wouldn't even last a day.

Noelle wasn't sure if living like this was torture for Cynthia. But she couldn't make the decision to end it either. So in the end, she just squeezed her hand tightly and called her "Mom".

The woman lying there showed no reaction at all. Even the heart rate monitor next to her showed no sign of fluctuation. But that was to be expected, as real life granted no movie-perfect miracles.

On the way back, Noelle received a phone call.

"Hello, is this Noelle?" The voice on the other end sounded hesitant.

"Who is this?" As Noelle spoke, she glanced at Hendrix.

Hendrix had been closely watching her every move. The moment he met her pleading gaze, he immediately took the phone from her.

Her phone was one Hendrix had bought for her just a couple of days ago. Though the number was still the same one Noelle had used before, very few people knew she was still alive.

Who else could have gotten the news so quickly and called her?

Though Hendrix had already guessed, hearing the voice on the

Othond still made his gaze turn

cold.

"Mrs. Swift? Is that you?" he quickly asked.noveldrama

There was a noticeable pause on the other end before Marla said, "You're Mr. Freeman, right?"

"That's right. It's been a while," Hendrix replied.

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"Yes. I heard last night that you had returned, but I could hardly believe it. It's such a relief to know you're safe."

"Yes, thank you for your concern."

"And Noelle? Is she alright?"

"She's fine."

"Oh, that's good," Marla murmured, then fell silent.

But she didn't hang up.

Hendrix wasn't in a hurry. He simply held the phone and waited patiently for her to continue.

After a moment, Marla couldn't hold

back any longer. "I hope this isn't too abrupt, especially since you and Noelle have just returned, but it's

been long since I've seen her.

Would the two of you be free to have dinner together tonight?"

Hendrix first turned to look at Noelle. She was staring back at him in confusion.

With a faint smile, Hendrix replied, "Sure. We're free."