No longer a pushover (Noelle and Cedric)

Noelle stared at the glant teddy bear. She had never agreed to participate in the finals, She suddenly recalled that this bear was from a brand she liked in the past. It was a limited edition item, so it was tough to buy,

In her previous life, she had just managed to get one when Xenia decided to do a live stream giveaway. So, Lucas forced her to give up her teddy bear for Xenia,

Eventually, the toy was given to a fan who turned out to be a psycho. That person had even returned the toy after tearing it apart to stuff dead mice inside of it.

As Noelle stared at the stuffed animal, she felt as if she was reliving the tragic end of her past life. She had almost forgotten about it, but there was always something to remind her.

Nearby, one of her fans asked, "Is Noelle really joining the finals? I heard she's not even on the team list!"

Frank replied, “The list hasn't been updated yet. Noelle is part of our family. There's no way she'd be absent. Besides, the competition will take place after the college entrance exam, so it won't interfere with her studies."

"How is Noelle so good at gaming and studying at the same time?"

"I'm so jealous of her for having so many brothers who love her!"

Noelle held back a sneer when she heard that. She wondered if Frank genuinely thought that a stuffed toy would make her forget everything the Liddell family had done to her. Her expression was cold as she said, "Don't you know that I stopped liking teddy bears ages ago?

Frank's smile faltered. "Really? I thought you used to love them."

"That was a long time ago. I'm in high school now. My interests have changed."

Frank felt terrible, and guilt welled up inside him. He was a failure of a brother if he didn't even know that she no longer liked teddy bears.

Sensing the tension, Xenie quickly stepped in. "Frank, you're always busy with work and taking care of us, so it's normal for you to forget. At least you still remember what Xenia used to like."

She added, "I no longer have any family to care about what I like. So, I truly envy Noelle for having a family who loves her."

Her attempt at smoothing things over touched Frank. Noelle kept accusing him of being biased, but it was hard not to fawn over someone as considerate as Xenia. He responded, Xenia, you're part of our family. Of course I remember what you like. I'll make sure to prepare a present for you, too."

Xenia turned to Noelle, looking overjoyed. "You should accept the present. It might be something you don't care for, but others can only dream of having it."

Noelle stared at the other woman. She couldn't believe that Xenia was intending to take everything from her. Accepting the situation, she grabbed the stuffed toy from Frank and shoved it into Xenia's hands.

"It's yours now." With that, she turned around and walked away. After all, she didn't see the point of caring anymore when it was too late. Such meaningless gestures meant nothing to her.

"Where are you going, Noelle?" Frank quickly ran after her. "I know you've been through a lot. I neglected your feelings in the past because of my work, but I promise I'll never do that again." Hearing this, Noelle only pitied the old version of herself, who had given everything she had without expecting anything in return.

Her expression was indifferent as she said, "Forget about it. Stop following me."

Frank put himself in her path. "No, you're coming home with me today. I won't let you go with that doctor."

He then explained, "I spoke to your principal earlier. Lucas will be moving out. It will not be a violation of the restraining order. You're safe now."noveldrama

Noelle's expression darkened. She knew that this would happen.

"Noelle, I'm your legal guardian, not that doctor. Rumors are starting to circulate. You should stay home to focus on your exams."