Noelle collapsed onto her bed and fell asleep almost instantly before she was unsurprisingly caught in a nightmare.

Half of her pillow was soaked with tears when she woke up. The sky outside had brightened with the arrival of dawn.

She sat on the bed momentarily before she reached for her phone.

She had anticipated a flood of messages and calls. However, there were surprisingly none. There wasn't

a trace of news online, nor even the faintest whisper within their circle,

Ruth would normally have seized the chance to mock and ridicule her if she had caught wind of such a thing. However, she hadn't made her move yet. This could only mean that someone had suppressed the news.

The person who was capable of doing that was self-evident

However, Noelle immediately dismissed the thought when it crossed her mind. After all, how could that be possible?

She couldn't think of any other explanation apart from that

She kept an eye out for related rumors for the next few days but nothing about her surfaced. Instead, she came across another piece of news that Maxwell and Sandra were getting engaged.

She couldn't help but be slightly stunned when she first saw the news.

However, it quickly made sense to her. She had severed ties with the Swanson family. Sandra was their only option if they wanted to pursue a marriage alliance.

Besides, the Quinlan family had previously hinted at the prospect of a marriage alliance, so their union was no surprise to everyone.

However, Noelle had learned about the news online. Thus, she was uncertain of its authenticity. Evelyn messaged her soon after, telling her that the printing house had completed her books.

Although her latest work had been discontinued, the publication plans for her previous two books were still on track. She would need to sign them once the books arrived, leaving her no time to dwell on other

matters.

She was about to order takeout when Maxwell called

Her hand froze momentarily when she saw his name on the screen. After all, they hadn't been in contact since she bluntly rejected him last time.

In truth, Noelle would have liked to remain friends with him. However, it was clear that Maxwell didn't share the sentiment.

The call ended while she hesitated over whether to answer. Noelle breathed a sigh of relief for some

reason.noveldrama

However, Maxwell called again soon after.

"Do you have the time? I'd like to treat you to a meal," he said directly after she answered the call.

Noelle couldn't tell if it was just her imagination, but Maxwell's voice carried a hint of coldness. That tone oddly resembled Hendrix's.

"Sure," she eventually agreed after a moment's thought.

Chauter 64

They arranged to meet at a renowned restaurant in Coppersville. He had even reserved a private room. The dishes had already been served by the time she arrived. There was also a dessert in addition to a few homestyle dishes. She couldn't help but pause briefly at the sight.

"You're here," Maxwell greeted her naturally. "Have a seat.

The table was about five feet in diameter. It would have been excessive for her to sit across from him. She eventually settled for a seat that was two spots away from him.

Maxwell pursed his lips slightly before he quickly rotated the dessert toward her. "This is one of their signature dishes. Give it a try."

"Okay. Thank you," she replied politely.

Maxwell stared at her for a moment before breaking into a smile. "What's with you? Since when have we become so distant?"

He tried to force a smile, but he knew how strained that simile was even without Noelle pointing it out.