Fake Heiress Reborn Drops Masks Finds Family (Noelle and Sebastian) novel Chapter 557

Noelle frowned too.

Christine had personally sent someone to invite her, and not just once, but twice. The sincerity was obvious, but what was hiding behind it, she couldn't tell.

Still, she was determined to infiltrate the Four Great Families. She wanted to get close to the Pattons. She wanted to find Sebastian. The Duncans stood at the head of the four families. If she could use this opportunity to learn more about them, it might actually work in her favor.

She glanced at the man, then lowered her eyes to the gold-embossed invitation in her hand.

"I'll go."

"Noey!" Lucas blurted out.

"It's fine." Noelle slipped the invitation into her sleeve. "You guys head back first. I'll be back soon."

Lucas wanted to say more, but Jasper stopped him. He looked at Noelle in silence for a moment before quietly saying, "Be careful."

Noelle nodded and followed the man out.

…

The Duncan Residence was much larger than the Covingtons', and far grander too.

Tall, dark-brick walls surrounded the property, with massive crimson gates standing at the entrance. A plaque hung above them with bold letters engraved across it: Duncan Residence.

Noelle followed the butler, Gavin Fairbank, inside, through the front courtyard, down winding covered walkways, and past a small garden.

Christine stayed in the main courtyard residence.

Gavin led her to the door and knocked lightly. "Ms. Duncan, Ms. Kain is here."

"Come in." A woman's voice drifted out from inside, calm and unhurried with a trace of lazy ease.

Gavin pushed the door open and stepped aside. "Ms. Kain, please."

Noelle walked in.

Christine was reclining against a cushioned daybed with a book in hand. When she saw Noelle enter, she set the book aside and sat up straighter.

She was wearing a pale ivory lounge robe today. Her hair was loosely pinned up, and without all the elaborate jewelry she usually wore, she looked much softer than she had on the high platform before.

"Ms. Kain, have a seat." Christine gestured toward the chair nearby, her tone casual, like she was chatting with an old acquaintance. "No need to be nervous. I didn't call you here for anything serious. I heard you're skilled with needle therapy, so I wanted to try it myself."

Noelle sat down without speaking and simply looked at her.

Christine smiled and extended her right hand, wrist facing upward.

Her hand was clearly well cared for, pale skin and long, elegant fingers, but there was slight swelling around the wrist that made it obvious something was wrong.

"It's an old issue. Years of overwork left my wrist in bad shape. Both the Nightfall Circle and the Duncans depend on these hands, and I can't exactly rest. I've seen plenty of doctors on the island and taken more medicine than I can count, but nothing's helped."

After a brief silence, she suddenly spoke. "Ms. Kain, there's something I want to say."

Noelle looked up.

"It's about my niece, Shirley."

Christine sighed, sounding a little helpless. "She's been spoiled rotten by her parents since she was little. She's narrow-minded, bad-tempered, and sharp-tongued. If she's done anything to offend you, don't take it personally. I'll apologize on her behalf."

Noelle froze for a second.

She hadn't expected Christine to say something like that. The head of the strongest family among the Four Great Families apologizing to a newcomer who had just entered the Nightfall Circle?

That was way too strange.

Christine seemed to notice her confusion and smiled as she lifted her cup for a sip. "She's not a bad person. She's just been spoiled beyond reason. I'm usually too busy to manage her, and her parents can't control her either, so she's only gotten worse."

She set the cup down and looked at Noelle. "You just joined the Nightfall Circle. If you ever run into trouble later, you can come to me."

Noelle looked back at her, but the caution in her heart never eased.

Christine was being far too polite—abnormally so.

This was their first meeting, yet Christine apologized, showed goodwill, and even told her to come to her for help in the future. That wasn't how people treated a newcomer. It felt more like recruitment.