The way Sebastian said Noelle's name caught her off guard . Meanwhile , Denise's warm , unwavering gaze stayed on her as if she were reluctant to look away . This was the first time Noelle sensed such wholehearted fondness from someone she barely knew . " William and I have been looking forward to meeting you for a long time , Noelle . We didn't expect you to drop by today . We weren't prepared at all . " Noelle frowned ever so slightly . What did that mean ? Was she not supposed to be here ? She pressed her lips together and hesitated briefly before saying , " I'm sorry , Mr. and Mrs. Cole . I should've thought it through and called ahead . " William chuckled . " You've misunderstood , young lady . What Denise means is that we weren't ready to host you properly . " I heard from Sebastian that you'd wandered around the yard for a while , and that's on us . Please forgive our poor hospitality . " " Relax , Noelle . It's just us here , " Sebastian murmured a reminder . Denise eagerly continued , " We've sent all the other guests away to give you our full attention . Have you eaten yet ? Tell me what you'd like , and I'll cook . " Sebastian smiled faintly and leaned in to whisper into Noelle's ear , " My mom doesn't cook often . " Flustered , Noelle waved her hands . " That's not necessary , Mrs. Cole . I came just to wish Mr. Sebastian a happy birthday and to bring the gift my mom and I prepared . " William stepped in to reassure Denise , saying , " You're just too eager . Can't you see she's still the same young lady she was as a child ? " Once she gets used to us , we can keep her for dinner . There's no rush . " In the end , Denise relented . " Fine , fine . If Noelle's too shy , I won't overstay her welcome . " Then , she waved a hand at Sebastian . " Go on and open your gift ! " Mary's gift was a pair of gold cufflinks . Though they weren't made of the purest gold , they still gleamed with the rich warmth of near - pure 22K gold . Sebastian smiled as he ran his thumb over them . " Please thank Mrs. Spencer for me . " Compared to the cufflinks , Noelle's bottle of perfume felt almost personal . It seemed almost like something one might give a close friend . A hot wave of embarrassment crept up her neck as she realized she'd made a mistake again . Chapter 15 2/2 How could she have thought of giving a bottle of perfume ? But to her surprise , Sebastian treated the bottle of perfume with utmost respect . In this case , it meant unboxing it immediately and spraying it onto his wrist . He lowered his head to take a whiff of the scent . Then , his expression softened . " This is incredible . I haven't smelled such a nice perfume in years . " Thank you for the gift , Noelle . I love it . " Sebastian made no effort to hide his delight , which helped Noelle feel a little better . Though her gift was not the best compared to his other gifts , it was fine as long as it was up to Sebastians ' liking . Since Noelle wasn't staying for dinner , she decided not to stay any longer . After a few polite exchanges , she rose to leave . Denise then winked at Sebastian and gestured , saying , " You should see Noelle out , Sebastian . " So , Sebastian set the gifts aside and took Noelle's hand with practiced ease . " Come on , Noelle . Let me take you home . " Noelle's eyes flicked to the edge of Sebastian's cuff , where the carpal bones at his wrist stood out so strongly beneath his skin that she couldn't look away . Soon , she had followed Sebastian all the way to his car . By the time they circled the driveway and drove out, Noelle was surprised to see the once - crowded yard now empty save for the housekeepers cleaning up the mess . The car had barely gone past the gates when Sebastian let out a sudden sneeze . It was as if he'd suddenly been ambushed by an invisible allergen . Even Noelle couldn't help worriedly ask , " Are you alright ? " But Sebastian merely pulled over , sneezing again and again . When he finally lifted his head , the tip of his nose was flushed pink , From Noelle's seat , she could see the flush spreading down his jaw to his throat . Sebastian then helplessly told the truth , " Noelle , I think I need a doctor and can't take you home anymore . " Chapter 15 Chapter 16