The rooftop grew increasingly crowded, with the sound of fireworks blooming above adding to the chaos.

But for some reason, Noelle suddenly felt as if everything around her had gone quiet. It was as if the entire world had faded away, leaving just the two of them.

The people, the noise, even the fireworks overhead, all seemed to vanish.

Then, the words Jennifer had told her some time ago began to echo in her mind. At the time, she hadn't reacted to Jennifer's words. On the surface, she had even dismissed them as nonsense.

After all, Hendrix didn't seem like someone who would ever do such a thing. Even if he did, it wouldn't be toward her.

However, those words had been like a stone dropped into the calm surface of her heart. It hadn't caused a storm, but it had left ripples that lingered. Those ripples hadn't faded, even until tonight.noveldrama

And now, Noelle saw Hendrix's steps shifting forward one step closer. That single step felt like a jolt of adrenaline, shooting straight into her heart.

Her body stiffened slightly. Then, she clenched her hands and began walking toward him. The distance between them quickly shrank to just a few steps away.

As she hesitated over whether to stop, someone behind her accidentally bumped into her shoulder. She stumbled forward a few steps.

After that, Hendrix reached out and wrapped his arm around her. His familiar scent filled her nose almost instantly. With his arm now firmly around her waist, she was reminded of their first embrace. It had been during their wedding photoshoot.

Noelle's teenage girl dream was suddenly brought to life. Yet, she was a mess that day.

If she were to quote what she'd overheard in the bathroom that day, her posture was stiff, and her smile was awkward, like a puppet whose strings had been cut.

When she returned to the photoshoot set, the photographer gave them new instructions. They were to hold each other's waists and kiss.

These were the most basic poses for wedding photos, yet it was the first time they had been this close to each other.

At that time, Hendrix's hand rested on her waist, and his expression faintly betrayed suppressed impatience. Her fiery yet nervous emotions slowly cooled down after noticing that.

But now, as his gaze landed on her, she felt as though her ance calm and unshaken heart had started beating again. Hendrix's striking brow line and high, straight nose gave his deep-set eyes an even more profound look. With his long, thick lashes, every downward glance seemed to radiate a quiet, deep emotion.

At this moment, Noelle not only saw the dazzling fireworks in his eyes but also her face reflected within. She blinked Then, without hesitation, she reached out, wrapped her arms around his neck, and kissed his lips

The snow continued to fall. Hendrix's lips were still cool to the touch, but the arm around her waist

tightened. When Noelle tentatively brushed her tongue against his lips, his other hand clasped the back of her head, and he deepened the kiss.

The fireworks display carried on. Laughter echoed around them, but Noelle could no longer hear a thing. All she could feel was the warmth of the man before her and the breaths they exchanged. Chapter 131

They had kissed many times before, but those had always been under the influence of desire. This time, it wasn't. It was simply because they wanted to kiss.