"In any case, you should think about your adoptive mother, who's still in the hospital."

That was the last thing Hendrix said to Noelle before leaving

Noelle couldn't help but feel that he had misunderstood something. Perhaps it was because she appeared too calm, and he thought she had already resigned herself to the worst possible outcome. Did he even think she might consider ending her life?

If that was what he 'thought, then he was truly overthinking What Noelle simply wanted was peace and quiet. And if she did end her life, it would only mean that Craig got what he wanted. After all, wasn't it his ultimate plan for her to be gone?

The mere thought of the vile, horrifying things they had done to Noelle made her tremble uncontrollably. She had never imagined that the people so desperate to see her dead would one day turn out to be her own biological parents.

Sitting on the bed, Noelle closed her eyes tightly. They were dry now, utterly parched. There wasn't a single tear

left to shed.

Noelle had told her lawyer about the dealings between Craig and William, but the lawyer's investigation turned up with nothing. And with William still in a comatose state, there wasn't even a witness to back up her claims. Thus, she could only remain silent.

Time passed, day by day. Until one day, a prison guard unexpectedly brought her a plate of Christmas pie. It was only at that moment that Noelle realized that it was Christmas Day today.

Noelle stared at the plate of Christmas pie and suddenly remembered the previous year's Christmas. That night, she and Hendrix had spent it at Freeman Manor, and because they were staying up to celebrate, they had spent the night in the old estate.

It was one of those rare occasions when she was allowed to stay in his room. Noelle had never told Hendrix, but she had always loved his room at Freeman Manor because it held so many things from his past.noveldrama

On good days, Beatrice would even show her his old photo albums. There were pictures of Hendrix from elementary school to his university graduation, along with photos of him holding trophies or medals from competitions.

Noelle had wanted to etch every single one of those items into her memory forever, but Hendrix had never cared about any of it. He never clung to the past, nor did he ever look back.

And the words he had once said to her still echoed in Noelle's mind-he only cared about the results when it came to most things-

Noelle was lost in thought, staring blankly at the plate of Christmas pie, when someone suddenly spoke, Someone sent you a gift."

She lifted her head, a little dazed. It took her a moment to snap out of her daze before she reached out to take the envelope from the person in front of her.

Whoever sent it hadn't even sealed it properly. As soon as Noelle took it, the contents spilled out. It was a few photographs.

On Christmas Day, Freeman Manor was left with only two people. Not long ago, Ophelia had held some resentment toward Beatrice, but now, all that remained was quiet sorrow.

She had little appetite for the Christmas dinner. After forcing down a few bites, she set her cutlery aside. After Hendrix helped her back to her room to rest, he left and drove himself out of the manor.

Although people everywhere complained that the festive spirit of Christmas Day seemed to fade more each year, it remained irreplaceable by any other holiday and continued to be the most important one in the country.

The streetlights in Coppersville were all adorned with Christmas lights, and the glass windows along the streets were decorated with Christmas decorations.

The roads, usually busy with traffic, were unexpectedly quiet tonight. It seemed that everyone was home at this hour, enjoying their family Christmas dinner. As Hendrix drove along the streets, he suddenly found himself unsure of where he could go.

Tonight, the cook at Freeman Manor had also made Christmas pie, but after eating one, Hendrix felt something was off with the taste. He then vaguely remembered that the Christmas pie from last year had been made with a flavor personally crafted by Noelle.