The Sway and Slide of Love

"You go ahead and sleep. I'll take a shower first," Hendrix said.

"Okay," Noelle replied, turning away immediately.

Though she had accepted her identity, she was still clearly uncomfortable being close to Hendrix. The tips of her ears burned red as she faced the other direction.

Hendrix was about to tease her when his phone rang. The name on the screen wiped the smile from his face.

After glancing at Noelle, he stepped out to answer.

"We just got word the Swift family has pulled their funds together," the person on the other end reported. "Seems they've heard you're back and decided to pause their plans."

Amity Group was too massive to target. It would take months to fully dismantle it.

Dylan had gotten this far as he did not because Hendrix's absence left the company in chaos but also because of the Swift family's backing. Now that Hendrix had returned, they knew things wouldn't be so simple.

And without a swift victory, prolonged financial strain would become a problem- even for a powerhouse like the Swift family. Thus, retreating to assess Hendrix's next moves was the most logical choice.

"I thought Mr. Swift had gone senile," Hendrix said with a chuckle. "Turns out he just let his guard down around Dylan."

"So?" The person on the other end of the phone cut to the chase. "What should we do next?"

"I'll handle Amity Group. As for the Swift family, you can start closing in on them."

"I don't think that will be enough."

"It's fine. No need to push them too hard," Hendrix replied expressionlessly. "It'll be bad if Mr. Swift gets desperate and jumps off a building. I don't want his blood on my hands. Besides, what if Noelle finds out and gives me hell for it later?"

After Hendrix finished speaking,

there was a brief silence on the

there was a

other end. Then, the person said,

"Let her. Divorcing you would be for

the best."

With that, he hung up.noveldrama

Hendrix wasn't angry. He knew the guy was just jealous that he couldn't find real

love and couldn't stand seeing him happy.

But considering the guy was nothing more than a lonely soul who didn't even know where he'd be sleeping tomorrow night, Hendrix decided not to bother with him.

Shaking off the thought, he turned and headed straight back to the bedroom.

Noelle was already asleep in bed. She had the covers pulled up to her chin, lips pressed tight, and brows slightly furrowed.

Hendrix watched her quietly. Whatever he had planned to do, whatever he needed to do—he forgot it all in that moment.

He just stood there with his eyes

her. Then, he noticed het

frown deepening and her breathing

5 kg ever so slightly.

Until finally, her eyes snapped open. "What exactly are you trying to do?"

Hendrix laughed. "So, you were awake all along. I thought you were already sleeping."

Noelle bit her lip. "How could I sleep with you staring like that?"

The words had barely left her mouth when Hendrix suddenly leaned down and kissed her on the forehead.

"There now. Sleep tight," he murmured softly.

The gentle tone of his voice instantly smoothed out her irritation. She blinked at him, a little dazed, then let out a soft "okay".

After that, she closed her eyes again. But not long after, she turned over so that her back was facing him.