The Sway and Slide of Love

Noelle had just finished putting Rosie to sleep when Dylan sent over the e-tickets for the amusement park.

"I just checked. There'll be plenty of staff on-site. So when you're there with Rosie, you can just go straight to them if you need anything," his message read.

He seemed to know she'd be busy settling Rosie, so he didn't call. Instead, he sent a thoughtful, detailed text, listing out several precautions for their upcoming trip.

After reading through his message, Noelle hesitated for a moment before dialing his number.

Dylan picked up almost immediately. "Hey, is Rosie asleep?"

His voice was the same as always, no different from what Noelle had heard over the past few days.

But this time, she paused. It took her a moment before she finally answered, "Yeah, she's asleep."

"Did you see the list I sent? The staff should have most things covered, but you should still bring a couple of towels. And don't forget Rosie's favorite floatie—"

"Dylan," Noelle suddenly cut him off.

Just that one simple word was enough to silence him completely.

He seemed to sense something was off, so after a brief pause, he finally asked, "What is it?"

"You're going on a business trip soon, right? Who are you going with?" Noelle asked.

As his words fell, Dylan almost seemed relieved. Then, he chuckled and said, "I'm going alone."

"Is that so? And the investor-do you know them?"

"Sort of. Is everything okay? Why the sudden interest in all of this?" he

questioned, his voice still carrying a hint of amusement.

Noelle didn't respond.

Dylan listened to her breathing on the other end of the line, his smile slowly fading.

Noelle gripped her phone tightly, saying nothing.

"Did something happen?" Dylan finally asked. "Did someone say something to you?"

"Yes," Noelle replied without hesitation.

Dylan went quiet.

Noelle couldn't help but let out a bitter laugh. "Aren't you going to ask who it was?"

"Do I need to?" Dylan's voice was

flat, devoid of emotion. "It was Jean, wasn't it? knew she wouldn't let me off easy. Her parents are gone, and she's hit rock bottom. So of course, she couldn't stand to see me happy.

"Noelle, if you believe her, you're falling right into her trap. You know how much

she hates me. She'll say anything to tear us apart, so—"

"So, everything she said is a lie, right?" Noelle finished his sentence for him.

"Yes!" Dylan answered without a second thought.

"Then, tell me Who is this investor, really? And since you've already met up with Jean-what did you two talk about? What did you do with her?

And have you been lying to henoveldrama

me about your company's financial issues? Dylan, I want you to honestly tell me everything!

"Of course, you can choose to keep lying. But remember. No lie lasts forever I find out the truth eventually. And when that day

comes, what do you think will happen to us?"

When Noelle finished speaking, the other end of the line fell into complete silence. She gripped her phone tightly, listening to the sound of Dylan's heavy breathing.

He was tense—both mentally and physically pushed to his limit.