Page 124 of The Sins of Noelle

"Noelle…"

"I should get dressed," she interrupted Yuyu.

She didn't want to rehash the past.

It was done. There was no reason to argue again for a moot point. At least Noelle was smart enough to realize that there was no escape now.

Whether she wanted, or not, she would marry Sergio Villanueva.

And the last thing she needed was to hear more excuses.

Yuyu set about helping her unpack her dress and accessories. A few servants also came inside to offer a hand.

Noelle took a bath before changing into the dress.

It was a pretty dress, she supposed. But she hated what it symbolized.

The time passed quickly and it was time for the actual ceremony.

Cisco appeared in the doorway, dressed in a tuxedo as he offered her his arm, leading her to the altar.

Since it seemed that the locals were not Christians, the ceremony was to take place in one of the inner gardens of the house.

As they reached the location, Noelle noted there were quite a few guests present—all from Sergio's side. From her side, only her family had come, for once the ceremony was done, they were to depart promptly. She didn't know why, but she hadn't probed. She was too sick of interacting with them and hearing their stupid excuses to care what they did, or if they left earlier or later. As far as she was concerned, they were already gone from her life—had been from the moment they'd sold her.

As soon as they stepped into the opening, music started playing. Noelle turned, startled, to see a band playing on the sidelines.

In the middle of the garden was a makeshift altar, a priest waiting on the other side with a book in his hand. But what captured her attention was the person standingin frontof the altar.

It was him.

Sergio Villanueva.

Noelle opened her eyes wide to study him thoroughly—this man who would be her husband. This man who would wed a woman thirty years younger than him.

Cisco was tense as they slowly walked towards the altar, but that gave Noelle enough time to peruse her future husband.

He wasn't much taller than her. Maybe a few inches, but definitely not as much as she had imagined considering the reverence with which people around the hacienda treated him.

When she'd seen how the localsworshipedhim, she'd conjured up some type of bigger than life figure.

But he wasn't.

He was just a man.

Anoldman.

There was absolutely no denying that his age was visible on his face, wrinkles marring his forehead and cheeks. His hair was almost completely white.

"This is who you're making me marry?" she hissed under her breath at her brother.

"Noelle, behave," the warning in his voice was clear.

She barely held her tongue, and only because she knew what was at stake.

"I do this and nothing happens to him. You swear to me," she whispered, her eyes still oriented forward.

"I swear. Nothing will happen to him by my hand," Cisco replied.

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