Hendrix knew this might just be a dream. If possible, he wished it would never end.

Time passed quickly.

Autumn in Coppersville was always short, and in the blink of an eye, winter arrived. On the first day of winter, Beatrice called Noelle and invited her to dinner at Freeman Manor.

Before Noelle could respond, Beatrice said, "By the way, I heard you're pregnant. Ophelia was thrilled when she found out. You two haven't been back in a while.

"Of course, if you don't want to come, that's fine. I'll just head over to Nivis Villa instead. Either way, I have to make sure Ophelia's sentiments are conveyed.".

She wasn't giving Noelle any room to refuse.

Noelle pressed her lips together, but in the end, she agreed.

When Hendrix returned from his meeting, she told him about it.

Hendrix frowned. "You said yes?"

"Yeah."

"Alright. Then, we'll go together tonight."

Then, he casually handed her an invitation letter. "This just came in. Take a look."

Noelle paused briefly but instinctively took it.

The moment she saw the sender's name, her heart skipped a beat. She opened the invitation card and

saw a wedding photo of Dylan alongside an unfamiliar woman.

"How filial of him," Hendrix commented as he watched her pale face for a moment. He then slowly added, "Do you know who she is?"

Noelle pursed her lips but didn't respond.

Hendrix didn't mind. He simply continued, "Brian Fisher's daughter."

Noelle shut the card and looked at him. "And?"

"Nothing. Just thought I'd share the good news. When the day comes, shall we attend together?"

Noelle didn't say a word. She shoved it back into his hands and walked away.

Hendrix watched her retreating figure, then looked down at the invitation card in his hands.

Suddenly, he felt utterly unamused.

She had been playing her role perfectly these past few weeks, obediently eating meals with him and

going to prenatal checkups. She had even swallowed her feelings about the baby and kept her emotions under control so well-only to crack because of a wedding invitation from Dylan?

Was Dylan really that important to her? More important than their child?noveldrama

Hendrix tossed the invitation card onto the table.

Nonetheless, he quickly adjusted his mood and strode toward Noelle with a composed expression. "Let's

go.

Didn't you say we're having dinner at the manor?"

His voice was steady, and there was a small smile on his face. It was as though the stormy expression from earlier was just a figment of imagination.

Noelle, however, couldn't match his ability to switch emotions so effortlessly. Even after getting into the car, she refused to speak to him and stared silently out the window.

Soon, they arrived at Freeman Manor.

It had been a while since Noelle last saw Ophelia. The latter looked much more drained, but when the topic of Noelle's pregnancy came up, she managed to force a smile.

"That's good news," she said while retrieving a silk-covered box, "This was a wedding gift I got when I married into the Freeman family. I want you to have it."

Noelle was about to refuse, but Hendrix reached over and took it before she could.

"Thank you, Grandma," he said.

Ophelia glanced at Hendrix as if she wanted to say something, but in the end, she remained silent.

Instead, Beatrice stood up. "Noelle, I have a gift for you, too. It's upstairs. Come with me to get it." Chapter 386