Fake Heiress Reborn Drops Masks Finds Family (Noelle and Sebastian) novel Chapter 553

But Christine still remained unmarried after all these years and often stayed by Floyd's side, though Floyd rarely saw her.

Shirley immediately lit up like she'd been injected with adrenaline. Her eyes sparkled as she raised her hand high and called sweetly, "Aunt Christine! Aunt Christine! I'm over here!"

She waved enthusiastically while shouting, terrified that people might not know about her connection to Christine.

The surrounding crowd instantly looked at her with envy. "Ms. Shirley's aunt is the one controlling the Duncans. No wonder she's so confident."

"Exactly. The Duncans are the strongest of the Four Great Families. With that kind of connection, getting into the Nightfall Circle is basically guaranteed."

Hearing the whispers around her, Shirley lifted her chin even higher.

She turned and glanced toward Noelle, her eyes practically screaming, See that? That's my aunt. Who the hell are you?

Noelle didn't even look at her.

Once the Four Great Families had taken their places, the representatives from the different departments stepped forward next.

Medicine Department, Guard Department, Records Department. The heads of each division and Mark walked onto the platform one after another, taking their positions behind their respective family factions.

The Medicine Department walked out first. Its department head was a chubby man around 50 with a round smiling face.

Behind him walked the skinny old man from yesterday, Mark, the same man who'd personally accepted Noelle into the Medicine Department.

Mark had changed into a cleaner gray robe today, though the straw sandals were still the same pair, and still holding the same teapot.

The second he stepped onto the platform, he immediately started looking around, squinting as his gaze swept through the crowd like he was searching for something.

"Girl! Kain!" he suddenly shouted. His voice wasn't loud, but powered by deep inner energy, it carried across the entire plaza.

Everyone froze.

Hundreds of eyes turned toward him at once before following his gaze into the crowd below.

Shirley froze too. Instinctively, she assumed Mark was calling for her.

After all, the Duncans held the highest status among the Four Great Families, and she was the Duncans' direct heir. Surely he was calling her.

She was just about to respond with an elegant wave when Mark shouted again. "Kain! The Kain girl! The one who did the needle therapy yesterday! Where are you?"

Shirley's expression instantly stiffened.

Noelle stood where she was, the corner of her mouth twitching slightly.

She didn't want attention, but Mark's voice was way too loud. Hundreds of eyes were already searching the crowd for "the Kain girl."

Lucas gave her a shove from behind. "Go already. He's calling you."

The crowd below instantly burst into whispers.

"Who exactly is this girl? Why does Mr. Shelton value her so much?"

"I heard she saved someone suffering from aconitine poisoning yesterday using only three needles. That technique's supposedly been lost for decades."

"No wonder. Mr. Shelton's obsessed with needle therapy. When he sees someone who knows needle therapy, he treats them like his own daughter."

Shirley stood below the platform with a face so dark it looked stormy. She'd originally assumed today's spotlight would belong to her, but Mark hadn't even spared her a glance. Instead, he'd practically elevated that country bumpkin to the heavens.

She clenched the handkerchief in her grip so tightly that her nails dug into her palm and her knuckles turned white.

Grinding her teeth, Shirley forced the words out between them. "Why does that country bumpkin deserve this?"

Up on the platform, Mark was still patting Noelle's shoulder with a blatantly possessive attitude that practically screamed, She's one of mine.

Winston, meanwhile, seemed genuinely interested now. He tilted his head slightly and asked the attendant beside him, "What's that girl's background?"

The attendant flipped through a registry booklet. "Her last name's Kain, and she was recommended by the Covingtons. Yesterday, during the Medicine Department trials, she saved someone suffering from aconitine poisoning using three needles. Mr. Shelton approved her special admission on the spot."

Winston gave a quiet "Oh," his gaze lingering on Noelle for a second before withdrawing.