Hendrix charged forward. He wanted to stop the wedding and take Noelle back. But just as he was about to reach for her hand, his eyes suddenly snapped open.

Blinding sunlight streamed through the window, stabbing into his eyes so harshly that it made him feel like tearing up. But he quickly composed himself and reached out to hold the woman lying beside him. Yet, all he found was a pillow.

He was all alone in the room. Like the shattering of an illusion, Hendrix's expression shifted dramatically. Without hesitation, he sprang out of bed.noveldrama

As he rushed downstairs, he called Noelle on the phone.

She picked up quickly. "Yes?"

"Where are you?" Hendrix's voice was hoarse and laced with unmistakable tension.

Before Noelle could answer, the doorbell rang.

On the other end of the line, Noelle seemed to hear it, too. Without bothering to ask what Hendrix wanted, she hung up and headed for the door.

It was then Hendrix realized she had been in the backyard the whole time. He sighed with relief the moment he saw her. But his eyes quickly fell on the bag in her hand-it was from a pharmacy.

Something flickered in Hendrix's mind-a thought he instinctively wanted to deny.

But Noelle didn't give him the chance. After opening the package, she took out the pills and swallowed them with

water.

Only after that did she seem to remember something. She looked up at him and asked, "Why did you call me just now?"

Hendrix didn't answer. Instead, he slowly shifted his gaze toward the pill box on the table. When he saw the words printed on it, he wasn't the least bit surprised, and the hand he had been clenching so tightly loosened.

Then, as if nothing had happened, he turned to her and asked, "Are you hungry? Let's go out and grab something to eat.

"I've already made plans with someone. In fact, I was just about to head out," Noelle replied.

It was only then Hendrix noticed she was already dressed to go out. She wore a light-colored dress, cinched at the waist with a delicate braided belt adorned with small diamonds, perfectly highlighting her slender figure. She had even put on some make-up and tied up her hair, revealing her elegant neck Frowning, Hendrix looked at her and asked, "Who are you meeting?"

Noelle didn't answer him.

But from her silence, Hendrix already knew the answer. His voice became even more tense. "Is it Dylan?"

"Yeah."

Noelle had already made her way to the foyer. Just as she bent down to change into her shoes, Hendrix strode forward and grabbed her wrist tightly.

"I forbid you from going." Hendrix said in a low voice.

Noelle froze for a moment before breaking out in a smile that didn't reach her eyes. Without a word, she yanked her hand free from his grip. She didn't bother to respond to him. After slipping on her shoes, she turned and walked out without so much as a backward glance.

Hendrix's hand remained suspended in the air. It wasn't until a long moment passed that he seemed to realize she was truly gone. Only then did he slowly withdraw his hand,

Suddenly, a fleeting thought crossed his mind-he could chase after her and see what she and Dylan were planning to do. But in the end, he didn't.

It wasn't because he didn't want to. He simply didn't have the courage to do so.

It was as if the truth were right in front of him, and he thought that by simply closing his eyes, he could ignore it

a completely foolish notion.

Hendrix wasn't sure how much time passed before he opened his eyes again. What met his gaze was the box of pills still sitting on the table.