No longer a pushover (Noelle and Cedric)

That afternoon, when Magnus saw Donovan's face darken, he knew he had guessed right. Meanwhile, Cedric rubbed his temples as he processed the new information. This was something even he had not expected.

Magnus smirked. "Ced, you could just step in directly. But Mom and Grandma don't seem to approve of you and Noelle. If Grandma already had a word with the Cantrells, your influence might not be enough this time."

Cedric replied, "That's not your concern. Just keep an eye on Mom and Grandma for me."

"Got it, Ced. You know I'm on your side I fully support fighting against these stupid arranged marriages!" Magnus declared dramatically.

He added, "But since I'm stuck at home babysitting them, I can't go out and make extra cash. I'm kinda broke, you know."

"I'll increase your credit limit," Cedric said flatly.

Magnus beamed. "Ced, you're the best! Mission accepted."

When he checked his account, he saw that his credit limit had increased. His grin widened, and he thought it was time to upgrade his car.

...

After leaving the base, Noelle returned to her dorm, exhausted. She barely made it onto her bed before flopping down.

Grace sat beside her with a sigh. "Donovan is so shameless. He'll use any dirty trick to force you to back down. He doesn't even care that you almost died that day."

Noelle rolled onto her side. "I'll handle it. Don't worry."

Grace clenched her fists. "I just feel bad for you. You have so many brothers, yet everything was stolen by Xenia-that driver's daughter."

Noelle's lips curled into a smirk. "I don't even feel bad for them anymore. I'm doing just fine on my own. I don't need to hold onto some stupid idea of family."

The moment she finished speaking, her new roommate, Micah, who had been quiet until now, finally chimed in. "I don't agree. Family is important. No matter what happens, you should always stick together."

Noelle turned her head and glanced at Micah. "Most families are worth it. Some aren't."

Grace crossed her arms. "You don't even know what Noelle has been through."

"Alright, enough," Noelle interrupted. She had zero interest in debating family values with a stranger. People who did not believe her never would, and she did not need anyone's approval to survive.

Her mind drifted back to what Blake had said. After a moment of hesitation, she dialed Frank's number, only to find that his phone was turned off.

The next morning, with no classes scheduled, Noelle headed straight to the hospital to find Frank. After all he was her strongest witness.

However, the hospital room walne!

empty when she arrived, so she immediately asked the nurse at the station.

"Mr. Liddell has been transferred to another hospital," the nurse informed her.noveldrama

Noelle's expression darkened as she recalled Blake's warning from the night before. She wondered if Donovan had already sent Frank to Carl. Just then, a familiar voice came from behind her.

"Noelle, I knew you'd come to the hospital today." Blake stood a few feet away, still dressed in a hospital gown, his face mostly concealed under a cap and mask.

Noelle wasted no time and asked, "Where is he?

Blake admitted, "He was transferred. Frank and Donovan got into a huge argument about the will. The next day, Donovan had him forcibly moved. Even I don't know where he is now."

Noelle clenched her jaw, her gaze sweeping over the empty room. Donovan was faster than she had expected. She turned back to Blake and said, "Looks like Donovan has a lot of money invested in your company."

Blake replied, "That's right. But it

wasn't making much of a profit

before. Thanks to the scripts you

wrote, our latest TV series went viral, and the movie coming out in a few

months will bring in even more revenue."

His expression darkened slightly. "There's a screenwriter networking event tonight. Donovan is taking Xenia. If you don't show up, all your hard work will go straight into her hands."

Noelle scoffed. "Didn't you used to be just like them? Why are you pretending to be a good guy now?"

Blake looked embarrassed. "I was

[

messing with you on purpose before. I wanted to make things harder for you. But now, I finally realize I was just another idio being played by Xenia. That's why we need to take back what's ours."

Noelle tilted her head, studying him. "I have one condition." She did not trust Blake-not one bit.