Chapter 35

She exhaled sharply and shook her head, trying to push away the lingering warmth in her chest. The moment she convinced herself she was fine, a sudden knock on her door made her jolt.

Her pulse spiked for an entirely different reason now.

Noelle frowned.

He came back?

She hesitated for a moment before pushing herself up, wincing slightly as her sore foot protested the movement. She hobbled toward the door, unlocking it and pulled it open—only to be met with the familiar sight of Mrs. Ellis standing there, holding a neatly folded letter between her fingers.

The older woman arched a brow, her gaze sweeping over Noelle with thinly veiled amusement. “Goodness, dear, you look a little flustered.”

Noelle quickly shook her head. “I’m fine.”

Mrs. Ellis chuckled knowingly. “Sure you are.”

Noelle resisted the urge to groan. She didn’t have the energy to explain why Valerian had just walked out of her apartment, nor did she want to give Mrs. Elli