The Mistress Is Reborn As The Fiancée
Chapter 25: Back From The Dead

Chapter 25: Back From The Dead

A collective gasp rippled through the air, a wave of disbelief and shock. They were all so shocked at Noelle’s appearance that they failed to notice that she had not come in alone. Flynn entered after her and lingered by the door, not wanting to interrupt Noelle’s welcome.

Noelle walked further into the room, her eyes wide, her face pale and weak looking, but she was unmistakably alive. Her skin looked unhealthy and she was gaunt from losing all that weight l. But she was there, standing before them, a ghost miraculously returned from the dead.

Ma-Ri’s breath hitched. Her carefully constructed world shattered, the illusion of control crumbling into dust. She stared at Noelle, her eyes wide with disbelief, her mind reeling. How did she escape, how was she alive, why had the men she had paid not done a thorough job?

"Areum my child?" Grandmother whispered, her voice trembling. "Is that really you? Tell me my eyes are seeing well."

Noelle nodded, her eyes filled with a mixture of exhaustion and relief. "Yes, halmeoni," she said, her voice hoarse. "It is me, I have come back."

A wave of emotion washed over the room, a mixture of relief, joy, and disbelief. Grandmother Jia rushed towards Noelle, her arms outstretched, her eyes filled with tears. Uncle Vernon followed close behind, his expression a mixture of veiled disappointment and confusion.

He had been happy at Noelle’s disappearance and wished that it was permanent. He cursed the gods that allowed her find her way back just as he was beginning to believe that he would be unchallenged at taking all the Ryu fortune.

Ma-Ri remained frozen, her mind struggling to process the impossible. How? How could Noelle have survived? The footage, the wreckage, she wished she had insisted that they go down to the car and shoot her to make sure...

She forced herself to move, to join the others, to feign an expression of relief and joy so that she would not look strange. She could not afford to show her true feelings, to reveal the dark secret she had so carefully concealed.

"Noelle!" she exclaimed, her voice laced with a false sense of concern. "We were so worried about you, where did you hide at!"

Noelle looked at her, her eyes filled with a cold, unwavering intensity. Ma-Ri’s heart pounded in her chest. She knew that Noelle suspected something. She could see it in her eyes, the unspoken accusation. But since there was no evidence, there was nothing she could do.

The celebration was subdued, tinged with a lingering unease. Noelle’s presence, though a cause for relief, was also a stark reminder of the danger she had faced. The questions remained, unanswered, hanging heavy in the air.

Ma-Ri knew that she had to act quickly, to regain control of the situation. She had to find out how Noelle had survived, who had helped her, and how to eliminate the remaining threat.

She realized now that she was not safe. If Noelle had survived them it meant that she would go to the police, she would give descriptions and those thugs could be found. If they were found they would finger her.

She could not afford to underestimate Noelle. She had underestimated her once, and she wouldn’t make that mistake again. This time, she would finish what she had started.

"Oh, my dear child," Grandmother Jia wept, her voice trembling. "What happened? You are hurt!"

Noelle, her face pale, her movements slow and deliberate, offered a reassuring smile. "I am alright, Grandmother," she said, her voice hoarse but steady. "I’m just... tired."

They noticed then, the subtle signs of her ordeal. The faint bruises that marred her skin, the slight limp in her gait, the arm brace, the weariness that clung to her like a shroud. The relief that had initially flooded the room was now tempered with a deep, unsettling concern.

As the commotion subsided slightly, Noelle’s gaze fell upon Ma-Ri. She saw the flicker of unease in her eyes, the subtle shift in her posture, the almost imperceptible tremor in her hands. It was a fleeting moment, a brief glimpse behind the carefully constructed facade, but it was enough.

Noelle’s suspicions were confirmed. She had always suspected that Ma-Ri was involved in the attack, but now, she knew it. The fear, the anger, the sense of betrayal – they coalesced into a cold, unwavering resolve.

"Grandmother," Noelle said, her voice clear and steady, "I was attacked."

A collective gasp echoed through the room. Grandmother’s eyes widened, her expression a mixture of shock and horror. "Attacked?" she echoed, her voice trembling. "Who... who would do such a thing?"

"I don’t know," Noelle said, her voice laced with a quiet intensity. "But I intend to find out."

Uncle Vernon, his face flushed, stepped forward. "How did you escape?" he asked, his voice sharp. "Where was your car?

"

"My car... it’s gone," Noelle said, her voice barely audible. "I was rescued."

"Rescued?" Grandmother asked, her voice laced with confusion. "By whom?"

"A stranger," Noelle said, her eyes filled with a distant memory. "He pulled me from the wreckage."

Uncle Vernon glanced towards the doorway, where Flynn stood silently, his expression calm and composed. "Is that the stranger who pulled you out of the wreck?" he asked, his voice laced with suspicion.

Everyone turned and noticed the young man who stood there silently.

"No," Noelle said, her voice firm. "He is not the one."

A wave of confusion rippled through the room. Who was this mysterious rescuer? Where was he and who was this stranger.

"Where is the kind stranger so that we can show him our gratitude." Grandmother asked, her voice trembling. "And who is your friend?

"

Noelle offered a reassuring smile. "He did not wait to see how I was doing." She said with some bitterness.

She had lingered at the clinic till her departure was unavoidable, waiting and hoping that her angel would come and see her. But he had not come.

"And this man." Noelle said and held a hand out to Flynn who came and took it, his hold cool and reassuring.

"He is my husband."