Chapter 8

Just as Noelle was about to lose her temper, Xenia finally appeared. While running toward them, she called out, "I'm so sorry! I was discussing tournament strategies with the others and lost track of time." "That's fine," Blake replied calmly. "At least you're contributing to the family, unlike certain ungrateful people." Aiden smiled warmly at Xenia. "Don't worry. I'll drive faster to make up for it." Despite his efforts, they still arrived late to school, where their homeroom teacher, Lionel Kramer, caught them at the classroom door. Xenia, breathing heavily, immediately spoke up. "I'm so sorry. It's my fault that we're late. I even held Noelle up." Noelle remained silent, her face expressionless. Lionel glanced at both women before saying kindly to Xenia, "I understand. There is no need to explain further. Go ahead inside." "Thank you," Xenia replied. As Noelle tried to follow Xenia into the classroom, Lionel's voice turned harsh. He scolded, "Noelle, stop holding Xenia back. Don't let this happen again!" Noelle turned back. "Xenia just admitted that it was her fault we were late." "Enough! I know what you're really like. Keep arguing, and you'll spend class standing in the hallway." Not wanting to miss any more lessons when she was already behind, Noelle entered the classroom silently, her mood darkening. She wished she could take her exams sooner and finally escape all of this. A crowd gathered around Xenia during their lunch break as she shared stories about the professional gaming team. Everyone listened enviously. One of her lackeys glared at Noelle and mocked, "Someone is just jealous of Xenia and deliberately made her late." Xenia smiled faintly but did not bother correcting the person. Meanwhile, Noelle remained unfazed, resting her head on her desk and ignoring them all. After school, Xenia deliberately provoked Noelle again, saying, "I'm heading to training again today." Noelle simply packed her books and left the classroom without saying a single word. Xenia's face broke into a triumphant smile as she watched Noelle leave. She turned to her minions and said, "Do my homework like usual, okay? And make sure the teachers don't notice." They all assured her. "Don't worry about it. Train well and chase your dreams. We've got you covered." "Thanks! I'll surely remember this!" Xenia left happily, determined to prove that she was the more worthy Liddell sister. ... Noelle headed straight to the infirmary, where Cedric sat with an amused expression. "Do you need something?" Noelle cleared her throat and replied, "I'm here to study. Please let me stay!" Without waiting for an answer, she barged in like she belonged there, hoping he would not kick her out. Cedric raised a brow, surprised by her confidence. He had expected her to be too timid to return. However, Cedric still did not hold back when Noelle asked him questions about her homework. "Can your brain retain any information at all? How many functioning brain cells do you have? "Stop asking about simple problems and figure those out yourself." Noelle accepted his harsh words without argument, diligently taking notes. The room was quiet—until her stomach growled loudly. Her face turned red as she tried to hide her embarrassment. She had eaten a sandwich earlier, but it clearly was not enough. Cedric glanced at the clock and ordered takeout. "Let's eat first." As they sat together, Noelle noticed the scar on his wrist again. She could not help but ask, "When did you get in an accident? Was it bad?" Cedric silently arranged the takeout boxes on the desk. He looked at Noelle, his gaze unreadable as he replied, "Many years ago." Noelle muttered, "Me too. My parents died in the crash, leaving just me and my brothers." Her lips curled into a faint, self-deprecating smile as memories surfaced. Back then, they had struggled, but their bond as siblings had been unshakable. However, everything changed when Xenia came into the picture. "What are your plans now?" Cedric asked, gripping his spoon tightly. "I'm aiming for Yole University. I want to leave this city and start fresh," Noelle admitted. Cedric remarked, "Quite a big dream for someone with your grades. Getting into Yole University doesn't seem realistic." "There's still time," Noelle responded confidently. "I'll work hard." Cedric studied her for a moment before averting his gaze. Then, he said, "Well, stop asking such basic questions from now on." Noelle smiled, taking this as permission to keep coming back. Over the next few days, Noelle made the infirmary her after-school sanctuary, staying until she finished her homework. Meanwhile, Xenia began dozing off in class, distracted by her gaming training. Naturally, the teachers did not seem to mind. They all favored Xenia and merely accepted her excuse of not feeling well. Noelle noticed Xenia's social media was flooded with photos from training and videos of her gaming with the brothers, their usernames matching in a coordinated style. The events played out just like in her previous life, except this time without Noelle. Cedric caught her looking at the videos and teased, "Slacking off instead of studying?" Noelle shook her head. "No, I wasn't. I was just watching. Studies come first now." He unexpectedly said, "If you make the top 100 in next week's exams, you can play your games. " Noelle looked up, grinning. "Will you play with me then?" She knew that he played the same game. Cedric turned slightly. His profile was as striking as ever. "I haven't played in ages. Let's see if you make the cut first." "It's a deal!" Noelle watched him walk away, determined to rank among the top 100 in the exams. After all, Cedric seemed like a great player. Since she had been an excellent player in her previous life, she looked forward to potentially impressing Cedric in-game, reclaiming some of her lost pride. ... After finishing her work, Noelle headed home. However, her good mood faded when she found Frank waiting in the living room. Her heart sank. Lately, the brothers had been spending long hours training, rarely returning until late at night. Thus, she could not help but wonder why he was home early. "Where have you been?" Frank demanded sternly. Noelle's anxiety spiked. She could not let them know she had been studying at the infirmary. That was her sanctuary, and she refused to let them take it from her. So, she lowered her gaze and lied, "I was in the study room. The atmosphere there helps me to focus." "Give me your bag." Noelle handed it over, her heart pounding as he flipped through her notebooks. His brows furrowed as he examined her detailed notes and corrections. After a moment, he set the bag down, looking unconvinced. Gordon had reported Noelle's late returns for the past few days, thinking she was up to something. Yet, she was actually out studying. Frank set the bag down and said, "Let's talk, Noelle." "About what?" she asked. Her calm response puzzled Frank. He suddenly felt that she had changed so drastically, but he could not pinpoint precisely what had changed. Nonetheless, Frank knew that she was not the same girl that he used to know. The old Noelle would have been crying and complaining to their brothers by now, but now, she said nothing. And that unsettled him. It was as if he could no longer control Noelle as he did back then. Frank explained, "Xenia's improving quickly at training. With your talent, you could progress just as well. "You could balance it with studying. Wouldn't it be nice to have the whole family together? Donovan would be happy to see us so united." Noelle looked down, her eyes filled with mockery. "I won't join the team." "Noelle, Xenia's family now, just like you. We need to stick together, not push her away. Her father saved your life. Do you really think it's right to treat her like this?" Frank could not understand why Noelle would not take the opportunities he offered. Their kindness to Xenia was merely their way of repaying Noelle's debt to her. The heavy silence in the room felt suffocating. Noelle's hands clenched tightly as her patience finally snapped. She looked up to meet his gaze. Her voice was laced with icy sarcasm as she said, "So what do you want, Frank? Should I hand over my life to Xenia, too? Would that finally make you happy?"