No Renewal My Contract Husband (Nella and Alfred) novel Chapter 386

Chapter 386 Burned Into Memory

In the blink of an eye, the holidays arrived.

Because of the car accident, Clifford and Felicia had canceled their trip to Cloria.

On New Year’s Eve, the three of them celebrated at home together.

After dinner, the family of three sat on the couch watching TV.

Outside the window, fireworks crackled and popped on after another.

Bursts of color exploded across the night sky in all shapes and sizes.

The TV was filled with laughter and cheer.

Nella curled up on the couch with Marshal lying beside her, lazily swishing his tail.

Just then, her phone buzzed with a text message.

“Happy New Year.”

Three simple words-nothing more.

The sender was just a string of numbers.

It was Alfred’s phone number.

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Even though she had deleted all of his contact information after the divorce was finalized, she had memorized that number over three years ago. It was burned into her memory like a brand.

One glance was all it took for her to know it was from Alfred.

She stared at the number for a long time. Part of her wanted to reply with a simple “Happy New Year” too, but after thinking it over, she decided against it.

She set her phone down and went back to watching TV with Marshal in her arms.

Meanwhile, at the Keywood Estate.

The estate was as lively as it always was on New Year’s Eve.

This year, with Tolina returning home after more than 30 years away, Regis was overjoyed.

The entire household had gone all out to welcome her back, making the holiday dinner even more festive than usual.

After dinner, the whole family gathered in the living room to chat and watch TV with Regis. The atmosphere was warm and harmonious.

All except for Alfred, who stood alone on the balcony, clutching his phone and staring at the message he had sent hours ago, still waiting for a reply that never came.

He knew he shouldn’t reach out to her anymore. They were divorced. It should be a clean break, with no

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Chapter 386 Burned Into Memory

more entanglements.

But knowing it and actually doing it were two very different things.

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Ever since the divorce, he knew she didn’t want to see him, so he had kept his distance and stayed out of her life.

But now, in this moment when families everywhere were coming together, the longing he had tried so hard to suppress suddenly erupted like a geyser, completely out of control.

In the end, all he could bring himself to send was the most ordinary holiday greeting.

And even that didn’t get a reply.

“Hey, Alfred. Thinking about Nella?”

Camelia had somehow appeared behind him, her face full of curiosity.

Alfred quickly pocketed his phone and shot her an expressionless look. “Mind your own business.”

With that, he turned to head back inside.

Camelia hurried after him.

“You know, if you keep acting like this, even if you marry someone new, you’re just gonna end up divorced again.”

Alfred didn’t slow down.

The endless sound of fireworks outside only made him more restless.

But Camelia kept chattering in his ear. “Alfred, so you’re really just gonna let Nella go like that? Can you honestly say you’re okay with it?”

Her words made Alfred stop in his tracks.

He had always thought his little sister was unreliable and not exactly the sharpest tool in the shed.

But right now, for some reason, he found himself curious to hear what she had to say.

Was he okay with it?

Of course not.

But what could he do about it?

Go back to his old ways and chase after her relentlessly, refusing to take no for an answer?

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