The Sway and Slide of Love

Noelle turned to look at Rosie.

She was pouting unhappily. But when she locked eyes with Noelle, she thought for a moment and then said, "Mommy, I want a little sister, not a little brother."

In the end, Noelle went to the airport alone. On the way, she happened to pass by

a flower shop and decided to go inside to buy a bouquet of flowers.

It wasn't until she was standing at the airport with the flowers in her hand that she realized something was off.

Why was she giving Hendrix flowers? But since she had already bought them, it seemed wasteful to throw them away. Thus, she continued to hold them as she waited.

The flight arrived soon enough. Noelle watched as passengers began to stream out, but Hendrix was nowhere to be seen.

She couldn't help but frown. Just as she was about to call him, an unfamiliar number popped up on her screen.

For some reason, her heart skipped a beat when she saw that number.

She answered the call. "Hello?"

"Is this Mrs. Freeman?" It was a woman's voice on the other end of the line.

Noelle frowned. "Who is this?"

"Ha! We have your husband. A big shot like him thinks he can just buy us off with a million dollars? How insulting! Let me tell you-my husband is dead, and I'm not going to settle for anything less than a few million dollars!"

"What do you mean? What are you planning to do?" Noelle finally realized what was going on. "Where's Hendrix? Where is he?"

"Don't worry. We're treating him well. He's just not allowed to leave for now. You need to bring us the money. We want five million dollars in cash. Understand?"

Before Noelle could say anything more, the call ended abruptly.

Immediately after that, Dan's call came through. Noelle answered without hesitation.

"Mrs. Freeman, has Mr. Freeman contacted you?" Dan asked gravely. "No," Noelle replied, her voice strained. "But just now—"

"Did the deceased's family contact you? I knew it!" Dan said grimly. "Mr. Freeman and the person in chargez had already reached an agreement, but the deceased's family insisted on speaking to Mr. Freemano personally before they'd agree to settle.

"But when we reached the village entrance, I was stopped. So Mr. Freeman went

in alone, and until now, he still hasn't come out!"

Noelle slowly clenched her hand into a fist. Yet, her mind had never felt clearer. "They just contacted me, and they re demanding five million dollars in compensation. Have someone prepare the money. I'm at the airport right now and will head over immediately."

"Should we call the police?" Dan asked. "Isn't this technically kidnapping and extortion?"

"The entire village is probably in on it," Noelle replied, already walking in the opposite direction toward another part of the airport. "It seems like they just want money. But yes, you should notify the authorities.

"Remember. Don't contact the local police-alert the higher-ups. But don't makenoveldrama

any move until I've negotiated with them. Understood?"

Noelle's voice was extremely calm. It wasn't until she reached the ticket counter that she realized her fingers were trembling slightly.

Quickly, she tucked her hands away and forced herself to calm down. Then, she said to the clerk, "I want the next flight out to Tilwick."