Chapter 18

Noelle's move in the game was devastating. She took out two opponents instantly, leaving a third critically injured. As she landed, her gaze flicked briefly to Lucas, who was sprawled on the ground with barely any health remaining. Lucas stared at the screen, his eyes wide with shock and disbelief. He had always known Noelle was talented, but this? This was on another level. He thought that something was off. Noelle hadn't been this skilled before. He wondered when she had gotten this skilled. When Lucas had been caught earlier, he had already resigned himself to losing the match. But Noelle had stepped in with an unshakeable calm, her sharp positioning and tactical awareness pulling the team back from the brink. Not only had she stabilized the game, but she had also executed King's legendary 12-hit combo. Lucas felt as though he didn't know Noelle at all. She seemed like a completely different person. A strange unease began to creep into his chest. It was irrational, but he couldn't shake the sinking feeling that he was losing her. After a moment of hesitation, he opened his mouth to speak. "You—" But Noelle walked right past, her voice clear as she spoke into the headset. "Everyone else, report your positions and status. I'll be there in a second." Lucas froze, left standing alone. All he could do was watch her character on the screen, moving with precision and confidence, her back turned to him. Unable to help himself, he shifted his gaze toward Noelle in real life. She sat at her computer, her expression razor-sharp, her focus unbreakable. He found the scene captivating. Frank's voice cut through the moment like a snap. "Lucas, what are you spacing out for?" Snapping out of his thoughts, Lucas scrambled to rejoin the team. When he reached the lower floor of the game, Noelle was leading the rest of the team in a relentless, perfectly coordinated offensive. Her gunner class moved with fluid, calculated precision. Every maneuver screamed mastery. It was nothing like Xenia's clumsy, hesitant gameplay. Lucas had always dreamed of having this kind of gunner on their team. Ultimately, Noelle made it happen. Lucas' emotions were a tangled mess. He couldn't explain how he felt. The competition he cared about the most had only been won because of Noelle—the sister he had dismissed and underestimated for so long. The sense of dissonance was overwhelming. He had never felt this way before. The match ended shortly after with a stunning victory. As the gunner, Noelle stood alone amidst the battlefield ruins. The in-game setting sun cast a golden glow over her character as she claimed victory for the team. For a moment, the commentators seemed at a loss for words. "And it's over! Team Luminark wins! That substitute player was unbelievable. Could she be a student of the legendary King?" The crowd erupted into cheers. Fans were even shouting King's name in celebration. When Noelle heard that name—King—she was momentarily lost in thought. In her past life, it had been him who taught her the 12-hit combo. She had always wondered about her relationship with King, but he never admitted it. She'd never met him in person, either. King, the legendary player, had always been an enigma. He never revealed his true identity, and no one knew what he looked like. Shaking off the thought, Noelle took off her headset. As she stood up, the thunderous cheers of victory echoed in her ears. She allowed herself a small smile. Now, she could finally make Marty publicly apologize for the disrespectful things he'd said about her parents. Frank was the first to rush to her side, his face brimming with excitement. "Noelle, that performance was incredible! It was your hard work that won us this match for the Liddells. I knew it. You acted like you didn't want to join the team, but you've been secretly practicing, haven't you?" He looked elated. To him, this was proof that Noelle hadn't changed. Proof that they were still one family. But as Noelle listened, her smile began to fade, bit by bit. It felt… disappointing. She turned away and landed her gaze on Marty. "You lost," she said simply. Marty's expression was complicated as he stared at her. "Who the hell are you?" Frank, practically glowing with pride, jumped in before she could answer. "She's my sister." "I thought the Liddell 'sister' was that other girl—the one who played terribly. Since when did the Liddells get another sister?" Marty was skeptical. Frank's smile faltered for a moment, but he quickly recovered. "That was our adopted sister. This is our biological sister." "You guys at Team Luminark sure play dirty, huh? Send out a terrible player as a decoy, then pull out your real sister as the secret weapon at the last second to catch us off guard," Marty scoffed. Lucas' face stiffened at the jab, his discomfort apparent. He still hadn't fully processed how skilled Noelle had turned out to be. Marty stepped closer to Noelle. "But I'll admit it—you're good. Really good." After all, not just anyone could pull off the 12-hit combo. Since King's retirement, no one had mastered that move. Noelle was the first. Noelle's expression remained steady and calm. "You need to honor your promise." "Fine. I said some things that were out of line during the match, especially about your parents. That was wrong, and I was being a jerk. I shouldn't have said it. I'm sorry." Noelle listened and nodded. "Make sure it doesn't happen again." But then Lucas spoke up. "That's it? You're just letting it go?" Noelle turned to him, her expression puzzled. Marty sneered. "And what's it got to do with you? The only reason you even won was because of your sister! If you lack the skills, keep your mouth shut." The tension between the two flared. Frank quickly grabbed Lucas and held him back, preventing any trouble. With that, the match officially ended, and the crowd began to disperse. Noelle turned and headed backstage. But as soon as she walked in, she saw Xenia standing there, her face streaked with tears, her eyes red and swollen. The air between them grew heavy with awkward tension. Xenia looked up timidly, her big eyes shimmering with tears, giving her a pitiful, helpless appearance. Anyone else seeing her like this might have felt their heart soften just a little. But Noelle's eyes remained cold. She knew exactly what Xenia was doing. She was playing the victim, as she had done countless times before. Xenia's voice trembled as she spoke, soft and shaky. "Lucas, it's all my fault. I shouldn't have left the match like that." Her humiliation was genuine, but that wasn't the whole story. With Lucas relying on her as part of the team, she had expected him to follow and comfort her. She hadn't anticipated Noelle replacing her entirely and spectacularly winning the match. The shift in dynamics was glaring. She realized her position was in jeopardy. Her carefully crafted image was cracking, and now she had to repair it fast. But Lucas' face was stern. "You actually came back? What were we supposed to do about the match if it weren't for Noelle?" Xenia's tears began to spill over. "It's all my fault. I shouldn't have been so sensitive just because you yelled at me. I was too fragile, but I got scared of failing and did something stupid. I promise it won't happen again." As soon as Xenia started crying, the other team members jumped to her defense. "Lucas, come on. She's already apologized. Don't be so hard on her." "Yeah, Lucas. And honestly, if Xenia hadn't walked out, the substitute wouldn't have gotten a chance to play. We wouldn't have even won the match without her," another chimed in. The frustration churned in Lucas' chest again, that same helpless, suffocating feeling. He felt cornered. Frank turned to Noelle. "What do you think?" Noelle hadn't expected to be dragged into the conversation so directly. Still, she replied smoothly, "I think Xenia's already apologized. What more do you want? Lucas, you're being way too petty. Xenia worked so hard for today's match. She even sacrificed her grades for this. How could you not appreciate her intentions?" Xenia's teeth clenched subtly as she stood there. She knew precisely what Noelle was doing. Noelle had said that on purpose, subtly fanning the tension between her and Lucas. "When did this woman become so hard to deal with?" she thought. Meanwhile, Lucas felt like he had just been punched in the gut. Was Noelle seriously twisting the narrative to make it seem like he was in the wrong? It was absurd. Xenia had messed up the match, yet he was somehow the bad guy. Anger boiled over, and Lucas snapped, "Noelle, you're doing this on purpose, aren't you?" Noelle's lips curved into the faintest smile. "Of course, I'm doing it on purpose," she thought. She had been on the receiving end of this dynamic countless times before, and Lucas couldn't even handle it happening to him just once. Noelle turned on her heel and started walking away without saying another word. But Frank's voice called after her. "Noelle, wait! I'm officially inviting you to join the team. From now on, we'll face everything together—as a family. Let's put the past behind us. It's all water under the bridge now." Noelle's lips curved into a smile, but her expression was as cold as ice.