The Sway and Slide of Love

"It's me," Noelle said.

"I know," Hendrix replied.

"Did you handle the situation with Ebony?"

Though she phrased it as a question, her tone said otherwise.

Hendrix paused on the other end before responding with a quiet, "Yes."

"Thank you for your help, but let's end it right here. There's no need to blacklist him."

"What's the matter? Are you feeling sorry for him?" Hendrix asked, a hint of mockery in his voice. "Why would you feel sorry for a man who threw you under the bus the moment things went wrong?"

Noelle naturally understood his implication but simply replied calmly, "If he had spoken up for me back then, it would've only made things worse. Besides, we were just colleagues, so he had no obligation to defend me. And it's not like he was the only one who stood by and did nothing, right?"

Hendrix was left momentarily speechless by her words.

Noelle didn't wait for his response and continued, "Regardless, I still appreciate what you've done. As for the rest, let's just forget about it. After all, it's my show- getting it aired benefits me, too.

"So, Mr. Freeman, could you please show some mercy? Cut us some slack, and let us move on, okay?"

"Noelle, do you have to talk like this?"

"How would you like me to talk, then? Should I kneel before you again?"

After Noelle finished speaking, the line fell silent on the other end.noveldrama

She thought Hendrix would at least say something, but instead, he abruptly ended the call. She stared at her darkened phone screen, understanding that his silence meant agreement.

With that, she pushed the matter aside and returned to tidying up.

Just then, the doorbell rang.

Rosie was the first to reach the door, but her expression froze when she saw who was standing outside.

The visitor bent down and pinched her nose indulgently. "What's with that face? Am I not welcome here?"

Rosie wasn't fond of physical contact from anyone other than Noelle and Seline. So, when Dylan pinched her nose, she immediately frowned and took a cautious step back.

Dylan was taken aback by her reaction.

By then, Noelle had already walked over and taken Rosie's hand.

"What are you doing here?" she asked.

"I came to see you two," Dylan replied, straightening up with a smile. "What? You don't welcome me, either?"

"It's not that." Noelle glanced behind her before adding, "But the place hasn't been lived in for a while, and I'm still cleaning up. Why don't you wait downstairs? I'll bring Rosie down in a bit, and we can have

dinner together."

It had almost been a week since Noelle returned, and Dylan could see she had cleaned up the apartment already. Still, he didn't argue. Instead, he smiled and nodded.

"Alright. I'll wait for you two downstairs."

Noelle nodded back and closed the door after he turned to leave. Then, she immediately called Seline to give her a piece of her mind.

"I was the one who gave him your address. Did he go to see you?" Seline admitted without hesitation "Isn't that a good thing? That's what someone who likes you would do! Besides, Dylan's a great catch, so why not give him a chance?