Noelle stepped out of the car and glanced around. The spa looked high-end—definitely the kind of place frequented by wealthy socialites.
Before she could take a second look, a staff member approached her with a polite smile. "Ms. Liddell, please follow me."
She followed them inside, changed into a spa robe, and was led to a private suite. It was only then that she noticed Emma reclining in a chair with a face mask on.
"Noelle, you're here!" Emma sat up and patted the seat next to her. "You should try it, too. The estheticians here have excellent techniques."
Before Noelle could say anything, someone gently pushed her onto a reclining chair. Then, something was smeared onto her face, and a pair of skilled hands began to massage her skin.
She felt uneasy, but more than that, she was confused. By now, Emma should have heard about her relationship with Cedric. Usually, the response would be to throw a check at her and demand she leave him.
Noelle could not figure out Emma's approach. Nonetheless, by the time the massage ended, she felt much more relaxed.
Sitting up, she glanced at Emma and said, "I doubt you asked me here just for a spa treatment."
"You're right. There's something else," Emma replied and clapped her hands. Within seconds, several attendants walked in, carrying stacks of gift bags. They piled them around Noelle until she was practically surrounded.
Noelle eyed the bags and let out a quiet sigh. "Mrs. Greene, if you have something to say, just say it. There's no need for all the theatrics."
Emma dismissed the attendants with a wave of her hand. Once they were alone, she let out a soft sigh and looked at Noelle with a complicated expression. She began, "I know this is going to make things awkward between us."
Before finding out who Noelle was, Emma had actually liked her quite a bit.
Noelle spoke first. "Cedric and I have already broken up."
"Huh?" Emma's eyes widened in shock.
"This isn't about him—I just want a daughter. I even prepared a lot of gifts for you. Take them."
Emma pushed a gift box into Noelle's hands. Inside, Noelle found a car key—one for a luxury vehicle—and a thick stack of real estate deeds.
For a moment, Noelle was stunned. Instead of throwing a check at her, Emma was giving her a mansion and a luxury car.
Before she could process it, Emma handed her a legal document. "I mean it, Noelle. If you become my daughter, you'll inherit my assets. All you need to do is sign, and everything listed here will be yours."
Noelle glanced at the papers. The assets, including stocks and shares, had to be worth hundreds of millions of dollars.
Emma was practically pulling her hand toward the document, ready to press her fingerprint on it. Noelle did not move. "Mrs. Greene—"
"Call me Emma! And today, you are accepting all these gifts! From this moment on, you are part of the Greene family!"
Comments
The readers' comments on the novel: No longer a pushover (Noelle and Cedric)
So we have to pay to read now?...