CHapter 80
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Merrick and Freya were making such a big deal about taking photos with Noe, as if they were
more excited than if they finished novels or won science awards. They even dug out their wedding
outfits to snap pics with her.
Freya’s rocking this burgundy silk dress, and man, she’s still got it all grace and poise. The dress
just added to her charm.
Merrick’s suit was an oldie but goodie, with a well–preserved fleur–de–lis brooch adding a touch. of
schrly kindness.
Noe, sandwiched between the two old–timers, snapped their first group selfie.
Freya was over the moon, and she waved at Tristan and Sienna, who look like they were about to
drool with envy.
They were practically itching to jump in and take pics with their daughter.
away
Last time at the birthday bash, they were so busy clicking at their girl that they totally spaced on
getting a group shot. Now they were kicking themselves over it.
“Come on, get in here. We’ll photoshop Stirling and ra inter.”
The whole family ended up taking a bunch of photos together.
Merrick couldn’t wait to switch his profile pic to the selfie with Noe. He hightailed it to chat with
Marcel, “Whoa, why did I change my profile pic? Can’t quite make out who’s in it, can you?” Marcel
was in the middle of a chess game with Sexton, and when he saw that message, he was so close to
flipping out. “That sly old fox’s showing off his pic with Noe, huh? Just wait until she visits me in
the hospital. I’ll get my photo op too!”
Seeing Noe all cozy with Merrick in the photo, Marcel was getting all choked up.
Why didn’t he think to take a pic with his granddaughter?
Now he’s just got to sit there and watch Merrick strut his stuff!
In the Schnabel family group chat, Beckett ‘identally‘ dropped à ton of Noe’s pics. including
the fresh ones they just took.
Ulrich: [Noe’s looking adorable. That outfit’s perfect on her. Grandma doing okay? I’ll swing by
after my surgery.]
Stirling: [What’s the deal here? Why didn’t we take any when I was home?!]
ra: [No biggie, I got Photoshop.]
She yed it cool, but she quickly edited herself into the group shot and uploaded it to the chat.
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Stirling: (Fake is fake, drop the act. You’re probably dying to cry, right?]
ra gave Noe a call, his voice pathetic, “Noe! Stirling’s saying I’m fake, so does he want to
kick me out? I can’t stand to leave you, my baby girl! Oh well, I guess I’m not really a Schnabel; I
deserve this and I’ll just leave.”
Noe’s head was spinning as she calmed her down, “Sis, I’ll swing by Emerald County when I can.
I’ll bring you some treats then.”
“Then I wanna take photos with you too!” ra said.
“Sure, we’ll take loads.”
ra hung up. She was pleased as punch and dropped the recording of the call into the group
chat.
Stirling was livid.
[You’re way out of line! You are stirring up drama to get sympathy from our sis. Right, Ulrich?] He
furiously typed.
Ulrich was not even bothering with their group chat drama. “Noe, lunch tomorrow? I wanna take
photos with you too.” He called Noe directly.
“Sure.”
After sorting through the Schnabels‘ photo requests, Noe breathed a sigh of relief.
Back in the Lambert days, she hardly ever took pics and didn’t have many keepsakes.
Except for Old Mrs. Lambert, who treasured this one photo of her as a kid. And when she wasid
to rest, that photo went with her into the grave. Therefore, Noe didn’t have a single picture left
from her time with the Lamberts.
Freya peeked at the photo of Noe’s sweet, gentle smile, sneaking a tear wipe when no one’s
watching and nting a kiss on that photo on her phone. “My granddaughter is so precious; what a
blessing.”
Noe felt a warm current flowing through her heart as she sensed Freya’s love in that simple
act.
Beckett offered his hand, “I take you to check out the music store?”
“Sure.” She answered.
As they drove off with Beckett, Noe heard him humming a tune. Sounding like he’s in a
particrly good mood.
“Noe, you wouldn’t believe it, but our folks weren’t always like this. Dad used to be super tough,
but after finding out ra wasn’t ours, he just changed – no joke, you’d have thought he was this
stony type if you met him earlier.”
Like one time, there was an elevator ident at the mall, and a kid was stuck. Dad could’ve
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had someone wait with the kid, but no, he sat there himself, saying how great it’d be if someone did
that for you if you were in trouble.
We’ve always been big on charity, especially thesest couple of years. One time, Grandma said it
was Mom’s fault for losing you, and Mom just broke down and got ill. ra’s great, but we missed
you too. Now you’re here with us, and you have no idea how happy we are.”
After a moment of silence, Noe cracked a smile too, “Yeah, I know. I’m happy too.”
Beckett reached out to ruffle her soft hair, “ra once came to me, said she’d leave the Schnabels
once you were back. But she dropped the idea as she thought that the elders wouldn’t let her go.”
Noe knew it was tough for the Schnabels at first, so she cracked open, “ra’s awesome. We are
still a family even if she finds her own, right?”
Beckett was caught off guard, then moved and reassured as he pinched Noe’s cheek.
She’s just the best, a true Schnabel through and through!
He forwarded Noe’s words to ra without changing a single letter, and added a few scolding
lines of his own, telling ra to stay put with the Schnabel family because she’ll always be a part of
it.
ra quickly bombarded him with a stream of crying emojis.
“My sis is my little angel! And how dare you scold me, Beckett? You piece of crap! Lololol! My sister
and I love each other. You are the only one getting blocked!”
Beckett looked at his phone and felt a throb in his temples.
After a moment, he couldn’t help but curse with a chuckle, “What a cheeky girl. She just has no
respect for her brother.”
But the corners of his mouth still curled up in a smile and brimmed with Joy.
The Lambert Mansion in the Tranquility City.
Vincent and Belinda were dumped rudely at the vi’s doorstep as the car with no te sped
off into the distance.
Briony, hearing themotion, hurried outside only to the Lambert couple lying on the ground.
battered and bruised.
“Mom, Dad, what happened to you? I sent the money already!”
Vincent pped Briony across the face, “You little brat. Did you dy our rescue on purpose and
cause us all beaten up? You did it all on purpose!”
Half of Briony’s face went numb. This was the first time she’d ever been hit.
“Dad, why would you do that? It took me so long to borrow that money, and I still have to pay it
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Property ? N?velDrama.Org.
back…” she muttered.
Vincent and Belinda, helped by the housekeeper, entered the house and plopped down on the
couch, heaving sighs of distress.
“Pay it back? Didn’t you borrow it from Milford? Just deduct it from the wedding gift when it’s due.
What’s there to pay back?”
That was five million! If Vincent had to cough up five million, it would be the death of him!
Paying it back was just not happening!
Briony was torn, “But…”
“There are no ‘buts‘. Call the doctor now! Ouch, it hurts like hell!” Vincent retorted.
Seeing Vincent and Belinda all bruised up, Briony was worried and anxious, “Should we call the
police?”
Vincent rolled his eyes in annoyance, “Call the police? They delivered us right to our doorstep so
what’s there to be scared of? Just go call the doctor!”
The most important thing was that during the beating, Vincent had vaguely heard some illegal stuff
the Lambert family’spany was involved in.
If he called the police, and those things got reported by the other party, the Lambert family would be
utterly ruined!