Chapter 7 Harold snorted , his tone dripping with contempt . " Her ? Apologize sincerely ? I don't buy it . She's an ungrateful snake ! " Menu " Mom , unless Noe apologizes , how else can we be sure she's really cured ? " Raymond asked , a glint of steel in his eyes . " If she doesn't , we'll send her back to the sanatorium . And this time , she's not coming out . " " But ... but ... " Hester mumbled , her voice barely audible . " It's still humiliating ... " Raymond thought Hester was worried about Noelle's pride , but Noelle knew better . She knew Hester was ashamed of her . In her three years at the sanatorium , Noelle had replayed her single year with the Martinez family over and over . Every face , every word , every gesture - she'd dissected them all . In the end , she'd realized the painful truth : their blood ties meant nothing to them . They resented her - because she'd once been kidnapped , because she was raised an orphan . They found her uncultured , useless , and worst of all , a stain on their image . Once she accepted that , everything suddenly became much easier . After that , she stopped begging for scraps of affection or twisting herself inside out for a shred of approval . " I'm not afraid of being embarrassed , " Noelle said firmly . " I promised I'd do it , and I will . " Her resolve silenced Hester's faint protests . Even when they reached the venue , Hester still looked pale . As the three of them arrived , the music paused . The golden sunset bathed the sky in warm light , and rose petals began to flutter down from above like a dream . On the massive screen , the romantic strains of " Marry You " played , accompanied by a slideshow of Lucinda and Darin's childhood moments . Darin , dressed in a crisp white suit , stepped forward holding a large bouquet of roses . He walked toward Lucinda with measured steps . Around them , young guests pulled out their phones , snapping photos and filming with excited gasps and gleeful cheers . Older guests watched the golden couple with warm , approving smiles . The Martinez family's beloved girl , bathed in love and romance , said yes to her boyfriend's proposal in front of a crowd of elites and socialites . The crowd erupted in applause . " See that ? " Raymond whispered in Noelle's ear . " Forget whatever little schemes you're holding onto . You're not going to come between them . Later , you should go apologize . Lucie will appreciate it . " Noelle nodded . All those childhood memories she once had with Darin - they felt like dreams from another lifetime . Their families had long been bound by an engagement , a promise made when they were children . After she returned to the Martinez family , Lucinda pulled her aside privately and told her that since the engagement was between the two families , it naturally belonged to her , the biological daughter . Besides , she said , she had no feelings for Darin - her heart already belonged to someone else . At seventeen , Noelle was a naive romantic , her head full of fairy - tale notions of love . Darin , with his striking looks and elegant charm , was like a prince straight out of her wildest dreams . He was the kind of boy she'd never dared to dream of in her old life . So if Lucinda didn't want him , then Noelle believed that it wasn't wrong to love him . With all her heart , she ran toward him like a moth to a flame . In pouring rain, she'd tilted her umbrella to keep him dry , even as she soaked to the bone . At a wilderness camp , she gave him her last two pieces of bread even while doubled over with hunger cramps . Γ. When Darin fell and hurt his leg playing basketball , she nursed him for a month , tutoring him and massaging his leg muscles . 71221 Binance : Buy Bitcoin & Crypto Download 3.5 % < Chapter 7 But to Darin , all her efforts were the scheming of a homewrecker trying to ruin his relationship . Eventually , it all culminated in that awful night ... Noelle bit down hard on her lower lip . The sharp taste of blood jolted her back to reality . She forced herself to push the memories away , Menu Binance : Buy Bitcoin & Crypto Discover our latest featured short drama reel. Watch now and enjoy the story!