The Sway and Slide of Love

Marla hadn't held back, and Noelle's cheek immediately flushed red.

The household staff standing nearby paled at the sight and rushed forward to block Marla.

"Get out of my way!" Marla snarled through clenched teeth. "Noelle, you're nothing but an ungrateful bitch! After everything Seline did for you-if it weren't for her, you'd be long dead!

"Back then, you lived worse than a stray dog left out in the cold. Seline helped you so much—she even died saving Rosie! And this is how you repay us, her parents?"

Marla was hysterical.

The household staff tried to shield Noelle while calling Hendrix. But Noelle stopped them. Then, she stepped forward to face Marla directly.

"Mrs. Freeman." The household staff looked worried, but Noelle ignored them.

She stood before Marla and asked, "I have a question for you."noveldrama

"What is it? You-"

Noelle cut her off, "Did you have anything to do with my disappearance and injury?"

The softly spoken question instantly silenced Marla. The fury that had been on the verge of erupting also vanished in that moment.

"I" She opened her mouth as if to speak, but her face and voice were pale and weak.

"So you knew, didn't you? Or were you the mastermind?"

"Nonsense! As if I could ever be a mastermind. What happened to you was purely an accident. I had no choice but to-"

The words spilled out before Marla could stop herself. Only when they hung in the air did she realize she'd said too much.

Moreover, Noelle was suffering from memory loss. She wasn't supposed to remember what happened, so just now, she was-

"You tricked me?" Marla's eyes widened in disbelief. "You were purposely trying

"

"Not entirely," Noelle said quietly. "I

really have remembered some things by now. I know it was Dylan who took me away, and by then, was already injured. Hendrix went missing in your estate. that time, you knew I was hurt.

So at

"But instead of sending me to the hospital, you let Dylan take me away. You didn't care why he was taking me or what he'd do next. You even helped him alter the estate's surveillance to evade the police and hid my whereabouts from Hendrix."

ve

Noelle's voice was soft, yet each word made Marla tremble uncontrollably. Though

not interrogative in tone, Noelle was as good as saying Marla was guilty of everything.

"Did you ever consider I might die? Or was that what you wanted?" Noelle finally asked.

Marla stared at her for a long

moment before suddenly laughing. "Die? If only you had! If you had died then, would any of this have

ovel.ne

happened? I misjudged you! I

actually thought you were

kind-hearted.

"I even considered letting Seline's death slide because I wanted you to go on

living well. Yet, this is how you treat us? If Seline knew you-"

Before Marla could finish, Noelle interrupted, "But when you let Dylan take me away, none of this had happened yet."