Chapter

388

Once inside the car, Noelle said, "Something's off about Beatrice."noveldrama

Hendrix gave no response.

She continued, "And I'm sure Grandma knows more than she's letting on. Nathan's return isn't as simple as it seems."

Still, Hendrix didn't react. His cold, detached expression made Noelle frown.

A voice in her head told her this wasn't really her problem. She had enough to deal with-maybe it was only fair that Hendrix had his burdens.

But Beatrice's look from earlier stuck with her, and the weight in her chest grew heavier. She was about to speak again when Hendrix finally broke his silence.

His voice was quiet. "Why didn't you accept it?"

The question threw Noelle off.

Gripping the steering wheel, Hendrix turned toward her. "She gave you a check and an easy way out. Why didn't you take it?"

The past few days had passed in an unsettling quiet, as though all their past conflicts had been nothing more than bad dreams. They hadn't spoken about those two days.

Recently, Noelle had become a familiar presence at Amity Group. More than once, people commented on how they envied her apparent closeness with Hendrix.

She heard them but felt nothing. To her, it only proved that a lie could begin to seem real when told often enough.

But now, Hendrix seemed determined to shatter that fragile peace. He sat in the driver's seat, one hand on the wheel, his gaze drilling into her.

There wasn't a sound inside the car, and outside, the leaves stayed perfectly still. The silence felt almost surreal. Noelle could almost hear the steady rhythm of their breathing.

Hendrix continued, "I know you've been waiting for your chance all this time. I used to think you'd steal company secrets, but you never did. Every time you brought me food, I expected it to be poisoned, but it never was.

"I thought maybe you were just afraid of getting caught. But tonight, she practically handed you an escape. Why didn't you take it?"

He leaned in slowly, his gaze sharp and assessing.

Noelle held his gaze.

Finally, she asked quietly, "Why did you go along if you never trusted me?"

"What do you mean?" Hendrix asked.

"You suspected I might steal your company's secret, but you still let me use your tablet. You thought I

might poison you, but you still ate the food I brought. Why?"

Suddenly, Hendrix laughed. "Because I wanted to see if you'd actually do it-and how. Besides, everyone dies eventually. If it came down to it, there were worse ways to go than at your hands.'

Noelle paused, searching for words.

After a while, she finally said, "I was worried about you."

Hendrix went still. "What?"

"You're right-I still want to leave," Noelle said. "But not now, and not this way. Beatrice is your mother, and

no matter how much pain or misunderstanding stands between you, I know she still means something to

you."

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