After playing with Zaria for a while, Ondine prepared to leave for the hospital to spend Christmas with her mother.noveldramaJust before she left, Seth called out to her. "Wait.""Hmm?" Ondine turned.He extended a neatly wrapped gift, which clearly contained a sum of cash.. "Merry Christmas. A little gift."Ondine quickly waved her hands. "Thank you, Seth, but you don't have to. I'm an adult now.""Adults can still receive gifts," he said, his tone even."Just take it, sweetie," Zaria said with a grin, shaking a similar gift in her hand. "I've been an adult for years, and my brother still gives me a Christmas gift every year. You're my age and my best friend, so in his eyes, you're like a sister. It's perfectly normal. Take it, for good luck."Ondine hesitated. Did Seth really see her as a sister?"Take it," Seth said again."Go on," Zaria urged, her smile turning mischievous. "It's a kind gesture from my brother."As Ondine wavered, Zaria snatched the gift and stuffed it into the pocket of Ondine's coat. "There. It's not like it's a fortune."Feeling she could no longer refuse, Ondine looked up at Seth and offered a sincere, "Thank you."At the hospital, Ondine and her mother watched holiday specials on the small television in her room, happily ringing in Christmas Day together. After her mother fell asleep, Ondine stayed by her side.It was a night of mixed fortunes. Chantal's father was locked in a detention center, unable to come home for Christmas. Chantal and her mother, too distraught to celebrate, made do with a bag of frozen tortellini for dinner.In the Henson family living room, Chantal's mother, Yetta Jefferson, was sobbing. "Your father isn't getting out of this. The company is finished. Chantal, we have to leave.""Mom, what are you talking about?" Chantal stared at her in disbelief. "You want to abandon Dad?"Yetta wiped her tears. "I have no choice, Chantal. Your father is going to prison don't know the first thing about running the company, and ve heard people at the office talking. Someones planning a hostile takeover. Soon, the company won't even belong to the Hensons anymore. If we stay here, life will be miserable for us." "Mom, we have to find another way," Chantal pleaded, her own eyes filling with tears. “We can ask for help. Dad has so many friends. They cant just stand by and do nothing after he helped them so many times, right?” Yetta shook her head. "It's no use, Chantal. I've already been to see them. They're all fair-weather friends. No one is willing to help us."Chantal choked back a sob. "There has to be another way. There just has to be.""Chantal, listen to me. Your father hasn't been convicted yet, and the company is still ours for now. I have some savings. Please, just come with me.""I'm not going! I can't abandon my father! He's my dad, Mom! We can't just leave him!"Yetta tried to persuade her for a long time, but Chantal wouldn't budge. Finally, Yetta fell silent, wiping her tears away.The next morning, on Christmas Day, Chantal woke up to find the house empty.In her parents' bedroom, the safe was open and empty. The gold bars and jewelry were gone, along with everything else of value.Yetta had abandoned her and fled in the middle of the night.Chantal's legs gave out, and she collapsed onto the floor."Is Dad really beyond saving? What am I going to do?"On Christmas Day.Seth's parents, Hayden and Jolie, lived abroad most of the year, leaving Seth in complete charge of their domestic companies. Knowing that Seth was in Boreal City for the holidays, the senior executives of the Thorne Group flocked to the city to visit him. Business partners and relatives of the Thorne family also came to offer their holiday greetings. ɴᴇᴡ ɴᴏᴠᴇʟ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs ᴀʀᴇ ᴘᴜʙʟɪsʜᴇᴅ ᴏɴ find✦novel.netThe grand hall downstairs was bustling with activity.As Seth's wife, Ondine knew she should be downstairs helping to greet the guests. But their marriage was a secret, a contract with no substance. She didn't dare present herself as Mrs. Thorne.