The Sway and Slide of Love

"So, does that mean you're not going to accept my apology?" Hendrix asked.

Noelle finally snapped out of her daze. She stared at him for a moment before picking up her glass and lightly clinking it against his.

Noelle wasn't sure what Hendrix was trying to do. After all, based on his past behavior, he wasn't the type to just apologize like that. Yet here he was, doing exactly that. She found it strange but decided not to dwell on it, pretending nothing had happened as she took a sip of her water.

Hendrix didn't say much after that.

Surprisingly, the meal passed in relative peace. Noelle couldn't even remember the last time they had shared a meal so quietly.

So, when Hendrix later suggested that he might occasionally come over to have meals with Rosie, Noelle was momentarily at a loss for how to respond.

Hendrix, however, took her silence as permission granted. He then pulled a plushie from a bag and handed it to Rosie. It was a character from the stage performance they had seen at the amusement park during their last visit.

If it were someone else or any other time, Rosie would have definitely looked up to Noelle for permission before accepting. But this time, Rosie flatly refused without a second thought, "I don't want it."

Her response was firm and immediate.

Hendrix had leaned closer to hand her the gift. But Rosie quickly dodged, hiding behind Noelle and leaving Hendrix's hand hanging awkwardly in the air.

"Forget it," Noelle said, picking Rosie up. "She already has plenty of toys. She doesn't need more. Now then, the meal's over, so we'll be taking our leave now. Goodbye, Mr. Freeman."noveldrama

With that, she turned and walked away with Rosie in her arms. Her movements were decisive, and she didn't so much as glance back at him.

Hendrix's hand remained suspended for a while before he slowly and stiffly withdrew it.

Noelle had thought she had made her stance clear to Hendrix, but the next day, he showed up in her apartment complex again.

She suspected he had someone investigate or monitor them beforehand. Otherwise, how could he have timed their daily outings so precisely?

This time, he didn't bring a gift for Rosie. Instead, he handed out presents to every child in the apartment complex. The boys received high-end toy guns, while the girls were given dolls and

Sunshies.

When he announced that the gifts were free, a swarm of children

quickly surrounded him. Hendra

bent down, smiling as he handed out the toys one by one.

A long time ago, Noelle had accompanied him to an orphanage. It was part of

Amity Group's annual charity event.

Back then, Noelle had been the one interacting with the children, while Hendrix merely stood by. His cold and distant demeanor was intimidating even to adults, let alone kids.

But now, he stood there alone, effortlessly engaging with them. All the children

had gathered around him, leaving Rosie without playmates.

However, she didn't seem to be interested in the toys. She ran back to Noelle and said, "Mommy, I want to go home."

Noelle crouched down and gently patted her head. "Do you want a toy?"

Rosie quickly shook her head. "No. If I want something, you can buy it for me. I don't want things from other people."