Sandra's voice was shrill, her eyes burning with anger and batred as she glared at Noelle. But Noelle simply looked back at her calmly.

In contrast to Noelle's composure, Sandra's outburst made her seem like a frenzied fool. Her expression darkened even more, and just as she was about to say something, Noelle beat her to it.

"If I were you, I'd start thinking about what to do next."

"What do you mean by that? What are you talking about?"

"The person who's been protecting you all along is on the verge of death," Noelle said slowly. "Have you given any thought to what you'll do after that?"

Sandra instinctively wanted to argue, but just as the words reached her lips, she swallowed them back. It was obvious Noelle was referring to Matilda.

Over the years, it might have seemed like Craig was the one calling the shots in the Swanson family, but when it came to his attitude toward Noelle and Sandra, the real decision-maker was Matilda. Craig had always treated the two of them according to Matilda's preferences.

But now, Matilda was on the brink of death, and once she was gone, Sandra's only advantage would disappear, too. Sandra's face instantly turned a few shades paler at the thought. She whipped her head around to glare at Noelle.

"What do you mean by that? Dad would never believe anything you say. He-"

"I haven't said anything to him," Noelle interjected. "Besides, the fact that I'm his daughter is indisputable. So I don't need to do anything at all."!

Sandra fell silent.

Seeing her reaction, Noelle reminded her, "Maxwell should be discharged from the hospital soon, right? It's been a while since your engagement. If you manage to get married before then, I think it might make a certain someone very happy."

A certain someone? Sandra was confused at first.

It wasn't until Noelle walked past her that she finally understood. Spinning around abruptly, she snapped, "Are you kidding me? She doesn't have much time left! This is my once-in-a-lifetime wedding!"

Noelle didn't respond to her outburst.

What Sandra didn't expect was that Craig actually agreed to the suggestion. Even the Quinlan family raised no objections, and her wedding with Maxwell was hastily arranged.

A custom-designed wedding dress? Nope. A grand, romantic wedding of the century? Absolutely impossible. Even the venue was something thrown together at the last minute, and the wedding dress was still being altered on the day of the ceremony.

"We'll use a pin to hold this part up," said the stylist, sweat dripping down their forehead. "We need to lift the hem a little, or it'll drag on the floor."

"Enough!" Sandra screamed. "What kind of stupid wedding dress is this? How is it possible that I, the beloved laughter of the Swanson family, can't find a decent wedding gown?"

"Ms. Swanson, please don't be upset. We're running out of time, so we have no choice but to make do for now."

"This is wedding! How can you expect me to settle for this?"

Sandra turned her head and glared at the stylist with eyes filled with venomous resentment. "Did Noelle send you here? Did she do this on purpose just to see me humiliated?"

"No... We're really running out of time. The bridal car is almost here!"

Just then, someone else entered the room. "Is the makeup still not done? There are no bridesmaids here, either. We need to hurry up,

The comment only added to the chaos in the room.noveldrama

Sandra clenched her hands tightly. After a long pause, she finally spoke in a hoarse voice, "Do what you just said, and do it quickly!"