Chapter 14

Yvette seemed loyal and insisted on leaving with Sadie, but in truth, she was worried Sebastian's temper might turn on her next. So, the two of them unhappily left the Cole residence, leaving only Noelle and Sebastian in the corner of the hall. Tension swirled in the air around them. Noelle held up her gift and was the first to speak. "Mr. Cole, these are gifts from me and my mom. Happy birthday, and thank you for helping my dad." It was their first proper meeting, and Noelle believed that formality and politeness were necessary. But to Sebastian, Noelle's courteous and distant tone felt too formal, and he didn't like it. Upon noticing the subtle changes in his expression, Noelle immediately wondered if she'd said something wrong. This was a reflex she'd honed after staying with the Ashfords for so long. Having been widowed young, Yasmine was sensitive, and an unintentional, misplaced word could easily sour her mood. Just as Noelle was searching for a way to ease the tensio