Chapter

399

When Hendrix saw Noelle and Erwin returning almost at the same time, he immediately frowned and asked, "Where did you two go?"noveldrama

"I went to the restroom, and I just happened to run into Mr. Lawson on the way back," Noelle answered in an unfazed manner.

Besides, this was Coppersville, so Hendrix knew Erwin wouldn't dare try anything here.

Even so, he still felt unsettled. He frowned at Erwin before finally stepping back into the private dining

room.

The food had all been served.

Erwin still wasn't fond of Jainese cuisine, but for the sake of appearances, he picked at a few bites. The alcohol, however, was a different story, as both men had quite a few.

Just as Hendrix was about to take another drink, Noelle reached out and pressed her hand against his glass.

"That's enough." Her voice was soft, but her brows were slightly furrowed, and a hint of dissatisfaction flickered in her eyes. "You haven't been sleeping well lately, so do you think your body can handle you drinking so much?"

Hendrix was momentarily surprised, then he chuckled and said, "Alright."

With that, he turned to Erwin. "Let's stop drinking for tonight."

Erwin didn't argue. He simply observed them with a meaningful expression. Most of his gaze, however, lingered on Noelle.

Honestly, if it hadn't been for what she told him earlier, he might have actually believed that she cared about Hendrix. In fact, he found Noelle's acting to be terrifyingly good.

Even though Hendrix hadn't drunk much, once they returned to Nivis Villa, Noelle still made him a cup of honey

water.

Hendrix took the cup from her, but instead of drinking, he simply studied her seriously.

"What?" Noelle asked.

"Nothing. It's just that you don't feel real. Don't you hate me anymore?"

The moment the words left his mouth, he frowned. He was just about to change the subject when Noelle suddenly sat down beside him.

"Does this feel real enough to you?" she asked.

Hendrix lowered his gaze, first looking at her hand, then back up at her face.

"To be honest, I still hate you." Noelle pressed her lips together before continuing, "But I've thought it through, and the baby is innocent.

"Also, I've seen everything you've been doing lately. I know you're trying to be a good father. So, I thought maybe the baby would be willing to give you another chance, too.

The moment she finished speaking, Hendrix tightened his grip on her hand.

Noelle didn't flinch. Instead, she simply lifted her head and smiled at him.

She understood now-in this world, if one wanted to deceive someone, one had to first deceive oneself. A complete lie would never be believed, especially by someone like Hendrix.

So, the key was to weave a story that was 70% truth and 30% lie.

The fact that she still hated him was true, but the part about giving him another chance was false.

The fact that he was genuinely trying to be a good father was true, but the baby had been a mistake from the very beginning.

Noelle couldn't accept it. She just simply couldn't. Because in his eyes, he had never truly respected her. How could a man like that ever be a good father or a good husband?

She had already made this mistake once, and it had shattered her completely. It took her everything to claw her way out, so there was no way she would ever make the same mistake twice.

At that moment, Hendrix was smiling at her, but something in his gaze shifted.

Then, he pulled her into his arms. He didn't say anything. He simply held her quietly.

Noelle didn't put up a struggle. She rested docilely against his chest, but the smile on her lips slowly faded, as did the warmth in her eyes.