Fake Heiress Reborn Drops Masks Finds Family (Noelle and Sebastian) novel Chapter 5

"Honey, I just greeted you. Why are you acting so cold? You should say, ‘Good afternoon, honey!' You're hurting my feelings!" Noelle said with grievance, the total opposite of how cheerful she'd been a second ago. She hung her head, looking very pitiful.

Sebastian's sharp eyebrows knitted together, and instantly, the housekeepers tensed up like something big was about to happen.

Their boss was always cold and distant. Even Lucas, who was closest to Sebastian, didn't dare talk to him like that.

Asking Sebastian to greet someone with a "Good afternoon"? What a joke.

Sure enough, Sebastian's brows were so tightly knitted it looked like he could crush a fly between them.

Noelle was too enthusiastic. She might annoy Sebastian!

But suddenly, everyone watched their cold boss slowly relax his brows and calmly say, "Good afternoon."

The housekeepers froze in disbelief.

Gus was surprised.

He broke into a huge, goofy smile.

I knew it! Mr. Menzie treats Mrs. Menzie differently.

Sebastian's frown wasn't because he was unwilling; it was the first time anyone had ever asked him to say something like that.

He didn't say "honey," just "good afternoon," but Noelle was satisfied. She grinned, leaned in, and gave Sebastian a loud peck on the cheek.

"You're the best, honey! Love you!"

Sebastian was taken aback.

The housekeepers watched their boss get "molested" were dumbstruck.

They all gasped.

They sneaked nervous glances at Sebastian. When they saw that his expression returned to normal and he calmly told the housekeepers to serve food to Noelle, they swallowed hard. Ever since Noelle showed up, their nerves had been through hell.

"Mrs. Menzie."

While Noelle ate, Gus walked over with a grin. "Today is your second day after getting married. It's our tradition for the bride to visit her family on the second day. We have prepared a list of gifts for your family; please take a look."

Noelle glanced at the list—and froze.

It was worth at least several hundred million!

Every item was insanely expensive.

No way these were going to the Kains!

Noelle spoke up right away, "You can't give these to the Kains! I already cut ties with them. If you're going to give these away, just give them to me!"

"Cut ties?" Sebastian frowned.

"Yeah!" Noelle had nothing to hide. She calmly explained that the Kains had cut off their relationship with her. "They only adopted me because I have Rh-negative blood. They wanted me to be a blood bank for Viola. When we were kids, Viola would hurt herself, so I'd have to give her so much blood that I would pass out! I don't want family like that anymore! So these gifts can't go to them. I don't want them getting anything out of me!"

She said it calmly, but the housekeepers still felt their hearts ache. They couldn't believe Noelle had lived such a miserable life before!

Sebastian's thin lips pressed together. He'd looked into her background and knew her life at the Kain's estate wasn't good, but he didn't know it was this bad.

His lips moved as if he wanted to say something comforting, but didn't know how to say it. Unless you've lived through it yourself, anything you say just sounds hollow.

"But I'm happy now! I have you, honey, and everyone here at Melrose Manor. You're all like family to me!" Noelle smiled brightly, her eyes sparkling.

Like a little ray of sunshine.

Gus and the other housekeepers felt their hearts soften.

Mrs. Menzie is way too adorable! She even sees us as family. God. We will definitely treat her well!

All of this for me ...

Tsk. I actually ran into Felicia Hernandez here.

Felicia was Viola's friend, a few years older than them, and a junior at Riverdale University's medical school.

The Hernandezes owned a small hospital. Whenever Viola got hurt and needed a blood transfusion, the Hernandezes handled it. At first, it was Felicia's dad. Later, when Felicia reached middle school, she started drawing blood for Noelle.

Back then, Noelle was small, and her veins were hard to find. Felicia would poke her dozens of times each visit, leaving her whole arm bruised, swollen, and covered in needle marks.

Sometimes, she would even intentionally miss the vein just to jab her a few extra times.

But the Kains would just say, "Felicia, it's fine! Just practice on Noelle until you get the hang of it before you use the needle on Viola!"

"Exactly, Felicia! Just poke. Noelle isn't afraid of pain! But Viola's different; she's afraid of pain."

Those lines still echoed in her mind.

Noelle found it all ridiculous. This was the family affection she had valued so highly.

In fact, she had even studied medicine for Viola. Did they think Viola's rare blood disorder was cured by magic? It was because she...

But none of that mattered anymore.

"You're here too, aren't you?" Noelle said calmly.

"I'm not like you!" Felicia instantly lifted her chin like a proud peacock. "You're here to pick up cheap junk, but I... " She dragged out her words on purpose, clearly showing off. "I'm going somewhere higher-class."

She was here just to visit Alliance 749's herbal shop.

Alliance 749 owned tons of stores in all kinds of industries—including herbal shops. The biggest one in the night market was theirs.

They had rare herbs, and even pills.

Although the Hernandezes owned a hospital and herbal shop, theirs didn't even come close to those at Alliance 749's. She was here to buy herbs.

While bragging, she suddenly spotted the bruise on Noelle's wrist. Her smirk widened, even more mocking. "Oh? You've got bruises on your wrist? Did your psycho husband abuse you? Looks like Viola was right. You did marry a monster."