Chapter 74
Chapter 74
Sebastian couldn’t help getting a little worked up, stumbling over his words as he tried to explain. “I thought… the reason you asked me here was to talk about calling off the wedding.”
In an instant, his whole demeanor changed, and his striking features came alive again. Even the mood
between them lightened.
Noelle let out a helpless little laugh, teasing him, “Is that really what you think of me? You think that I’d go back on my word like that? This isn’t some game. Why on earth would I suddenly call off the wedding?”
Her words calmed him, stopping his mind from running in circles.
Suddenly, everything on the table seemed to taste a whole lot better. He started helping himself to the dishes with genuine enthusiasm, his appetite returning in full. “So… is this dinner about talking through the wedding plans?”
They still had plenty of time ahead of them, but truth be told, they hadn’t spent much time together yet. There was a lot worth discussing. He wasn’t in a rush. But if Noelle was, he was more than happy to
follow her lead.
Looking at the man across from her, who seemed like a completely different person from just moments ago, Noelle’s eyes lit up. The speed of that change was almost comical.
She shook her head, shooting down his guess. “It’s not about the wedding. I’ve already gone over that with my mom, and we agreed to let your family take the lead. I asked you to dinner because…”
But before she could finish, his eyes widened, making Noelle hesitate mid–sentence.
Was he expecting something?
But what she was about to say was the last thing he’d want to hear. A man like him probably had people
coming to him for favors all the time, he must get tired of it.
She lowered her gaze with a quiet sigh. The last thing she wanted was to become someone he resented
before they were even married.
So, instead of diving straight in, she eased into it by saying, “I was wondering if I could ask you something about the Cole Group.”
He arched one of his brows. Considering half of the company would one day be hers, there was nothing strange about her wanting to know more.
But in her mind, this was just the opening. She’d start with questions about the company, then work her way to the project. If signing with the Novara Corporation meant the Cole Group would take a big financial hit, she’d know to drop the matter completely.
Sebastian’s voice picked up with interest. “What about the Cole Group? Ask me anything, and you’ll get a straight answer.”
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With that kind of opening, Noelle didn’t bother beating around the bush. “Does the Cole Group have a project downtown right now?”
His eyes softened into a squint as a smile spread slowly across his face. The thought that Noelle was taking an interest in the family business meant it was only a matter of time before she started caring
about him too.
He said, “We’ve got plenty of projects downtown. Which one do you mean?”
Noelle knew the Ashford family’s business inside and out. But as soon as she named it, his expression. darkened. She waited, out of politeness, for Sebastian to speak.
Instead, there was a heavy thud.
Noelle gasped. Sebastian’s head had dropped forward onto the table, his body going slack. Her stomach
dropped.
“Sebastian! What’s wrong?” she asked anxiously.
Everyone in the restaurant turned to look in their direction. The manager hurried over, concern etched on his face. “Miss, do you need help?”
Noelle nodded frantically. “Yes, please! Can you call an ambulance?”
This wasn’t the first time she had seen something off with Sebastian. A healthy person wouldn’t just
collapse at the table for no reason.
In that moment, she became even more certain that Sebastian was hiding some kind of illness he
couldn’t tell anyone about.
Chapter 75
Chapter 75
