The Sway and Slide of Love

On the way to the restaurant, Noelle asked Hendrix, "Who's Mrs. Swift? Didn't you say before that I didn't need to know these people?"

Though she didn't want to stay cooped up at home every day, Noelle found herself inexplicably resistant to people from her past ever since running into Dylan at the hospital. She didn't know what kind of attitude she should take toward them.

"Do you remember Seline Swift?" Hendrix asked her.

Seline Swift? The name gave Noelle a strange feeling-one that sent a faint, electric jolt through her, stopping her in her tracks.

It was similar to what she had experienced when she first saw Hendrix. She knew she had met Seline before and that Seline might have been someone very important to her.

"Swift... So, is Mrs. Swift Seline's mother?" Noelle asked. "Was Seline someone I knew?"

"Yeah, she was your friend."

"Friend?" Noelle froze, then frowned. "I had a friend? Then, why didn't you tell me about her before? I still haven't seen her until now. She "

"She's no longer in this world," Hendrix said bluntly.

He had been hesitant to tell her at first. But now that things had come to this, he chose not to hide it. Also, since he had decided to bring her to meet the Swifts, she would have to face the past sooner or later.

As his words fell, Noelle seemed to freeze in place. Then, she looked up, her eyes locking onto Hendrix's.

She knew he liked to tease her. So, at this moment, she hoped that this was just another one of his jokes.

But it wasn't. His expression was serious, his gaze fixed unwaveringly on her.

Noelle slowly balled her hands into fists. "How did she die?"

"You could say she died trying to save Rosie," Hendrix replied softly. "She took Rosie skiing, and they got caught in an avalanche. The Swift family was devastated by it."

Noelle fell silent, her fists suddenly loosening. She stared at Hendrix for a long

moment, then said, "So was it our fault that Seline died?"

"It was a natural disaster," Hendrix

said firmly. "And the person in charge of the ski resort was jailed over it. Logically speaking, Seline's death had nothing to do with you or Rosie."

Noelle frowned but didn't respond.

Hendrix then asked, "Do you remember what happened right before you lost your memory?"

"What?"

"The day you really went missing, you were supposed to attend a banquet at the Swifts' estate," he told her. And despite all the

surveillance cameras on their el net

property, not a single one captures your disappearance. Even the car that took you away was never found."

"You mean..."

"You don't remember anything now, and there's no evidence, so we can't draw

any conclusions," Hendrix said. "But the Swifts are definitely involved."

"Is that why you brought me here tonight?"

Hendrix didn't answer, but his silence was confirmation enough.

"But of course, if you want to leave now, I won't stop you," he added quickly. "I'II

take you home right away and explain things to them myself."noveldrama

"What if they really were the ones behind it?" Noelle asked.