The Sway and Slide of Love

Chapter 312

Noelle hadn't told Hendrix which hotel she was staying at. But this was Coppersville, and there was little here he couldn't find out if he wanted to.

The next morning, just as Noelle woke up, the doorbell rang. When she opened the door, Hendrix stood there, smiling brightly at her.

"Let's go to the courthouse," he said.

He wasn't wearing a jacket today, just a crisp white shirt. Combined with his soft, slightly tousled hair, it made Noelle pause for a moment.

For a fleeting second, it felt like she was back in the past, hiding in a corner, secretly watching him. But s she quickly shut down the thought.

Now, she knew better. The person he had been back then was a lie, just as the version of him she thought she'd come to understand later was a lie.

The man standing before her now-shameless, ruthless, and utterly self-serving-was the real Hendrix. "I've already picked out clothes for you. You've got your documents ready, right?"

Noelle had planned to say she hadn't brought them, but Hendrix seemed to have anticipated her excuse. "You've already signed the agreement. I doubt you'd stoop to using forgotten documents' as a delay tactic, would you? Don't you find that pointless?"

Noelle clenched her hands involuntarily. Finally, she said, "Don't worry. I have everything."

Hendrix's smile deepened in satisfaction. He held out a bag toward her. "Good. Then, get changed, and we'll head

out,"

Before long, they arrived at the courthouse.

This was Noelle's third time coming to this place. What she hadn't expected was that all three times, it would be with the same person. The difference was her heart grew colder with each visit.

Neither of them was new to marriage, so the process had a strange sense of familiarity. In less than an had the marriage certificates in their hands.

hour, they

Noelle didn't spare hers a second glance. She simply tossed it into her bag and turned to hail a cab. But Hendrix quickly grabbed her hand.

Noelle frowned and looked at him. "What now?"

"I told my grandma and mom that I'd bring you home for lunch today."

Noelle's breath hitched, but she quickly responded, "I didn't agree to that."

"Do you I

your opinion matters?" Hendrix looked at her and continued, "Besides, you haven't properly visited my mom since she woke up, have you?"

Noelle gave a forced smile. "Didn't I already see her once?"

"I mean actually meeting her and having a conversation. Don't you have questions you want to ask her?" Noelle fell silent.

Taking advantage of her hesitation, Hendrix guided her straight into the car.

Chapter 312

The sun blazed overhead, and the yard at Freeman Manor was, as always, meticulously maintained. Uniformed staff bustled about the estate, their presence adding to the atmosphere of wealth and order. Noelle couldn't even recall the last time she'd been here. Seeing it all again now gave her a strange sense of disconnection, as if it belonged to a different lifetime entirely.

Hendrix had clearly informed them in advance of their arrival, yet when they stepped inside, there was no one in the living room, saved for Beatrice.

"Mrs. Freeman Senior hasn't been feeling well since last night, so she didn't come downstairs this morning," Grant murmured to Hendrix.

Whether she was truly ill or not, no one could say for sure. Still, it was at least a passable explanation, enough to avoid making Noelle feel awkward.

Not that it mattered-Noelle clearly didn't care. Her attention was entirely focused on the person standing

in

front of her.

Beatrice smiled warmly at her. "Noelle, it's been a while."

Noelle closed her eyes briefly, then finally replied, "Hello, Mrs. Freeman."

"You've already registered your marriage, haven't you? Just call me Mom," Beatrice said with a faint

smile, glancing at the household staff beside her!

The household staff immediately understood and handed over an ornate gift box.

2