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Denise caught herself, realizing she had let her nerves get the better of her. Once she had calmed down, she explained, “I’m not blaming Noelle. I just want to know what went wrong. Was it you?”
She knew Noelle well enough to believe she wouldn’t suddenly back out at a time like this. If someone
had changed their mind, it had to be her own son.
She looked slightly displeased as she asked, “Sebastian, did you suddenly change your mind?”
There was a long pause on the other end of the line before his voice came back, tinged with an unmistakable sadness as he replied, “Mom, you know what my biggest wish has been since I was seven.
How could I possibly just change my mind now?”
She had to admit, Sebastian had a point. She knew her own son well.
Years ago, he had come home from abroad all excited, saying he was going to propose to her. But all he got in return was the news that Noelle had a boyfriend.
From then on, he barely ate, barely slept, and just kept waiting. But in the end, the only thing he waited for
was the announcement of her wedding.
Those were rough days.
William and Denise worried that Sebastian would do something reckless and tried to comfort him, but he shut everyone out, locking himself in his room for three days straight. Only after the last firework from her wedding night faded did he finally come out, acting like nothing had happened.
To outsiders, he looked fine. But his family knew better.
He stopped smiling as much as he used to, and he looked even more cold and distant, showing no
emotion at all.
Then came the night of the plane crash. At first, the news broke him. Then, against all odds, it gave him
hope.
Denise wanted to comfort him, but the words just wouldn’t come. Some things were beyond the reach of
words.
Sebastian left the Cole Group and drove alone to the restaurant where Noelle had made the reservation. By the time he pulled into the parking lot, his hands were still trembling on the steering wheel.
He stopped in front of a mirror in the restaurant’s entryway, staring at his reflection in the dark bronze glass. He told himself that he couldn’t show up looking defeated.
Sebastian furrowed his brows, telling himself that no matter what Noelle decided, he couldn’t let her feel burdened by it.
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The dull ache in his chest lingered, heavy and unrelenting.
Noelle sat by the window and accepted a glass of water that a waiter brought. After taking a small sip, a hint of nervous tension crossed her face. She kept her head down, eyes fixed on her phone as if afraid
she might miss a message.
Sebastian steadied himself and walked straight toward her table.
The moment she saw him, some of her tension eased. She heard that he had been swamped lately and worried he might not make it, so she kept checking her phone for updates. Seeing him there now, she felt
a little relief.
However, his expression was far from pleasant. It was shadowed by something she couldn’t quite read.
That made it even harder for her to find the right words. She forced a small, awkward smile and handed him the menu. “Sebastian, see if there’s anything you’d like.”
Noelle might not have been a natural when it came to relationships, but she knew how to take good advice. Mary had been around the block a lot more times than she had, so if she suggested something, it
was probably worth doing.
Taking Mary’s advice to heart, Noella stopped calling him “Mr. Cole” and started addressing him by his first name, Sebastian.
Chapter 72
Chapter 72