The Heiress Nobody Saw Coming (Natalie and Marcus)

Not long after Natalie and Marcus left the villa, Sheldon came out of the kitchen, carrying a small basket with some food inside.

He then exited through another door, heading toward the small villa at the back.

Unbeknownst to anyone, Noah quietly followed him. Just as Noah was hiding in the shadows, however, Sheldon suddenly tapped him on the shoulder from behind.

"Noah, why are you following me?" Sheldon asked. "You've been sneaking around me these past few days. What are you up to?"

Noah screamed, breaking out into a cold sweat. When had Sheldon noticed him?

Sheldon casually held up the basket. "What are you so nervous about? I'm keeping a little pet in the back villa. Would you like to come see it?"

"P-Pet?" Noah stuttered.

His tracking skills were the best among all the bodyguards in the Holden family, yet Sheldon had spotted him long ago and had never confronted him.

"Noah, come with me," Sheldon said with a smile, patting Noah on the shoulder.

He then led Noah toward the hidden small villa.

Noah had no choice but to follow. Before long, Sheldon opened the door to the back villa and ushered Noah inside. They both went up the stairs.

"My pet's a little mischievous, so I keep it upstairs, worried it might run off," Sheldon explained as he led Noah to the second floor.

At the end of the hallway, Sheldon opened the door to a room.

The room had no curtains and was mostly empty, with just a few cat climbing frames and some scattered toys on the floor.

"Snowball, come out," Sheldon called.

At his words, a white blur darted past, and suddenly, Sheldon was holding a fluffy white creature in his arms.

"Look, Snowball," Sheldon said, showing Noah the small animal. "This is a rare breed of flying fox. I spent a great deal of money to get it. Ms. Laura is allergic to furry animals, so I've been secretly keeping it here."

Sheldon looked at Snowball with great affection. "After Mr. Holden Senior passed, I was so sad that there were many times I thought about following him. I realized that those weren't healthy thoughts, so I saw a therapist. The therapist recommended that I get a pet, as they can sometimes have a healing effect."

He paused before continuing, "Thus, I began looking for a pet. Cats and dogs were too common, and I wasn't sure they would help. Then, I heard about a breeder who had some unique animals that weren't available on the market. I went to see them and chose Snowball. Although Snowball is a fox, it won't grow any bigger, and it can fly."

Noah stood there in disbelief. Sheldon, who had been mysteriously disappearing for days and spending so much time in the back villa, was actually feeding and playing with a little flying fox.

He had once gone into the villa himself to check, but he hadn't seen Sheldon, nor had he seen the little fox. In fact, Noah hadn't even noticed this room. Had he really missed it?

"Noah, say hi to Snowball!" Sheldon suddenly said, continuing to gently pet the little fox. "Come, Snowball. It's time to eat."

Sheldon took the food from the basket and began feeding Snowball bit by bit. Snowball seemed unafraid of people and happily ate its meal.

"Noah, this is my secret. Don't tell anyone, okay?" Sheldon said with a warm smile.

Noah instinctively nodded. Would anyone possibly believe this if he told them?

"Alright, Sheldon. I won't say anything. If there's nothing else, I'll head back now," Noah said.

"Alright, go ahead," Sheldon replied, continuing to feed Snowball with a loving smile.

Noah quickly left the back villa. Since he had discovered Sheldon's secret, there was no need for him to continue observing and tracking the older man in secret.

After leaving, Noah immediately reported the situation to Marcus. Once Marcus heard the update, he instructed Noah to withdraw for now, but to continue shadowing Sheldon.

After Noah left, the tender and affectionate expression on Sheldon's face slowly faded. He set the basket down and allowed Snowball to eat on its own. Sheldon then walked to the window, staring at Noah's retreating figure.

With Marcus' wedding approaching, the secret in the basement would surely be uncovered after the banquet.

"Mr. Marcus, don't blame me for deceiving and hiding things from you. You're still young and should enjoy your life. I'm old now, so it doesn't matter to me," Sheldon muttered softly to himself.

"No one will disturb your wedding, nor Mr. Wesley's and Ms. Laura's lives again. There won't be any more accidents. I'll make sure of it."

After Noah disappeared from view, Sheldon headed downstairs to the hidden basement.

This time, he didn't hear any curses, only the faint sound of labored breathing.

As he stepped closer, he saw Cassie, barely clinging to life. Her face was flushed with fever, and she was struggling to breathe as if teetering between life and death.

He reached out and touched her forehead. It was burning hot. Cassie had a high fever, but it didn't matter. He had everything he needed in the basement. Cassie wasn't going to die just yet. After all, that would be too easy of an end for her

Sheldon calmly picked up the fever medicine and injected it into Cassie's body. He then went over to a cabinet, retrieved some food, and returned to her side.

"Cassie, eat," he said, but Cassie was unconscious and didn't hear him.

"Don't worry. You won't die," Sheldon said with a light smile, administering several other injections into her. "If you want to sleep, go ahead. I'll come check on you again."noveldrama

He placed the food and drink in front of her, then turned and left.

Five minutes later, Sheldon picked up the small basket from before and left the villa. Under his management, Holden Residence was still in perfect order However, he knew it was soon time for him to leave. Before that time came, he needed to choose a successor.

Noah seemed more stable than Elijah was and had a keen sense of observation.

Thus, Sheldon decided that Noah would be the one to take over.

With that in mind, Sheldon dialed Marcus' number.

When the call connected, Marcus' deep, magnetic voice came through.

"Hello, Sheldon."

"Mr. Marcus," Sheldon said. "Please

let me take Noah under my wing. I'll train him to take over, and when I mto retire, Noah will be the new butler of Holden Residence. After you and Ms. Walker's wedding, I plan to retire and enjoy some rest. What do you think, Mr. Marcus?"