hapter 29 Noelle linked arms with Mary as they walked toward the elevator . Eric hadn't exactly been quiet , so every word he'd said had reached her ears . Still , she simply stood in front of the elevator in silence , not wanting to comment further . Mrs. Cole ? That title stirred some indescribable feeling within her . Mary looked at Noelle in confusion . " Noelle , what are you thinking about ? " It was then that Noelle noticed the elevator doors had already opened , so she forced a small smile . " Nothing . " Then , she stepped inside . Mary liked her future son - in - law very much , but Noelle's expression wasn't exactly reassuring . And between the Spencer family's reputation and her daughter's happiness , Mary would always choose the latter . She said , " Noelle , if you don't like Sebastian , I'll step in and call off the engagement ." After all , there hadn't been much interaction between the two before . So , how could Noelle be expected to suddenly fall in love ? But Mary also had another concern . Noelle's bond with Conner had run deep . Otherwise , she wouldn't have silently endured so much mistreatment from the Ashfords . Although Mary wanted Noelle to move on from losing her husband , forcing things onto her would inevitably have consequences . However , Noelle's thoughts seemed to drift further and further away . When they got in the car , she suddenly asked , " Mom , is Sebastian really the same as when he was little ? Why don't I have even the slightest memory of him ? " Mary smiled and fondly looked at her . " Everything about you is wonderful except your memory . But I can't blame you . You were only six years old then , so it's perfectly normal not to remember . " Noelle narrowed her dark eyes and shook her head . " Not a thing I only know because you and Dad mention it sometimes . " However , if she tried to recall it herself , there wasn't a single image in her mind - not one trace . Upon thinking back to 20 years ago , Mary couldn't hide the smile tugging at her lips . " Dinner wasn't much , Chapter 29 but what happened afterward was the fun part ! " Noelle frowned . She wondered just what could've been so amusing to make Mary smile like that . " From the moment Sebastian saw you at seven years old , he said he was going to marry you . The seriousness in his little face … Well , I can still picture it perfectly . " 2/2 Mary's smile softened with a hint of regret . " It's just a shame he went abroad not long after , and by the time he returned , you were already engaged to Conner . " Back then , the gap between the Spencers and the Coles was too wide , so your childhood engagement faded away ." When Mary realized she'd inadvertently brought up Conner again , she quickly shut her mouth . Noelle naturally knew what Mary was thinking , so she squeezed her hand . " Mom , it's okay . Conner isn't someone who can't be mentioned . I've truly let go of him ." If Conner had actually died , Noelle might never have moved on in this lifetime . However , he hadn't died . In fact , he had faked his death . Then , he abandoned his lawfully wedded wife and threw away all their years of love to do something so absurd . He had shown Noelle the depths of human evil . Mary glanced sideways at Noelle , who was looking out the window at the scenery . She couldn't figure out whether her beloved daughter had truly let go of Conner or if she was just pretending . Norland had a traditional custom of hosting an engagement party the week before a daughter's wedding . The Spencer family was also traditional , so naturally , they'd arranged for one too . However , this engagement party welcomed not only the people the Spencer family wanted there , but also some people they definitely didn't want there too . For example , the Ashford family wasn't on the invitation list . Claim Bonus For Free Every Day >>