The Sway and Slide of Love

But that was only if Sid had been willing to accept it. The way Hendrix had looked at him back then-cold and disdainful.

And when he'd spoken, his voice had been so certain, as if he'd known Sid would take the money. And in the end, he had. But that didn't give Hendrix the right to look down on him.

The more he thought about it-the way he'd been overjoyed when he first met Noelle during their matchmaking, the time and emotion he'd wasted on her-the more resentment burned in his chest.

"What do you want?"

Noelle could feel the danger radiating off him. She kept stepping back, but Sid only advanced, step by step.

"What do I want?" Sid let out a cold laugh. "Simple. You just need to sleep with me once."

"What did you say?" Noelle stared at him in disbelief.

For a moment, she thought she must have misheard.

"Stop playing dumb!" Sid snarled impatiently. "Cut the act! I know you're no longer pure. I saw that bastard sneaking out of your house this morning. You've got some nerve. Your mom's still around, and you two were messing around right under her nose.

"If you're that desperate, consider this me doing you a favor."

As he spoke, he took a few quick steps forward and grabbed Noelle's wrist.

"What are you doing? Let go! I said, let go!" Noelle screamed.

But before she could shout again, he clamped his hand over her mouth. He then forced her down onto the grass, pinning her beneath him.

"No need to scream yet. There'll be plenty of time for you to do that later," Sid said as he frantically tore her clothes off. "If it weren't for what happened, you'd be my wife by now. Back when we were together you wouldn't even let me kiss you. noveldrama

"I thought you were simply reserved, but it turns out you're just a used-up sl—"

Before Sid could finish speaking, a sudden kick sent him flying a good distance away. Before he could recover, another kick landed squarely on his abdomen.

The sheer force of the blow made him feel as if his insides had been ripped apart. He let out a series of agonized screams. But Hendrix showed no mercy. He stood over Sid, towering above him.

Hendrix was dressed in a simple shirt, now slightly wrinkled. Yet, he still looked impeccably clean, elegant, and untouchable. His gaze toward Sid was nothing short of disdainful.

Even as Sid screamed in agony, there wasn't the slightest change in Hendrix's expression. Until, eventually, Sid could no longer make a sound.

Only then did Noelle rush forward and throw her arms around him. "Enough, Hendrix! That's enough!"

She clung tightly to his arm, trying to pull him back. She was afraid that if she let go, he might actually kill Sid.

At the moment she held onto him, the cold darkness in Hendrix's eyes slowly faded. Then, he looked down at her.

Tear tracks were still visible on Noelle's face, but her grip on him was firm. It was as if she were terrified that he could charge forward again the moment she let go.

Hendrix stared at her for a moment before finally speaking. "Don't be afraid. I won't let anyone hurt you."