The Sway and Slide of Love

Beatrice stood nearby, her voice filled with surprise when she heard what Hendrix said. "You have news about Noelle? Where is she?"

"Creston. I'm going to bring her back now," Hendrix replied.

"Who told you this? Why would she be in Creston? And why hasn't she contacted you all this time? Is this information reliable?" Beatrice remained calm, firing off several questions in a row.

But Hendrix didn't have time to explain. "I'm heading to Creston now. Just take good care of Rosie."

"Wait. What if it's a scam? Hendrix!" Beatrice tried to stop him, but he didn't even break his stride.

By the time she ran outside, he was already in the car.

A scam? There was indeed a possibility that Dylan was lying to him just to buy time. There could be people waiting for Hendrix in Creston, ready to kill him as soon as he arrived. But so what?

It had been so long since Noelle vanished without a trace. No one knew how Hendrix had made it through this time. For the first time, Hendrix understood what it meant to feel like a walking corpse. If it weren't for the belief that he could still find her, he might have already been dead.

So, there was no way he could stay calm right now. Even if he was certain that Dylan was lying to him, he had to go and see for himself because he had no other choice.

He had already arranged for a flight. Due to the urgency, he couldn't get a direct flight to Creston. But it didn't matter. He had booked a flight to a nearby city. Once he arrived, he could drive the rest of the way. In any case, he didn't want to wait a single second longer.noveldrama

Just as Hendrix was heading to the airport, Erwin called him. "You've seen the news, right? What's our ne-"

Hendrix cut him off, "Pause the plan for now."

"What did you say?"

"Pause the plan. Dylan already told me where Noelle is. I'm going to get her now."

Erwin fell silent on the other end. It seemed like he was seriously processing what he had just heard.

Once he was sure he hadn't misheard, he exploded. "Hendrix Freeman! Do you even know what you're doing? Do you have any ideà how much I've put on the line for this? And now you just want to call it off? Do you know how much could be lost in a single day, no, a single hour?"

"I'll take full responsibility for any losses," Hendrix replied. After a pause, he continued, "I'll send you my real-time location later. If I can't find Noelle, or if something happens to me-make sure to call the police for me."

"Call the police for you? Can you even think of anyone else besides Noelle? Listen. I won't be calling the police for you because you're better off dea—"

Not wanting to hear the rest, Hendrix simply hung up.

As if he hadn't gotten his fill of cursing, Erwin called again. Hendrix ignored it and instead called Dan. Knowing Erwin's temperament, there was a real chance he actually wouldn't call the police. So, Hendrix had to make other arrangements.

"If something really happens to me, my will is with my lawyer. Please look after my mother and daughter."