No longer a pushover (Noelle and Cedric)

"I understand now. I will make the Liddell family regret everything." Xenia's eyes burned with fury. She would never forgive the Liddell family and Noelle.

...

Noelle returned to the hospital with Cedric. She couldn't shake the heavy feeling

in her chest. She never expected Blake to be so cruel to her, all because he believed she had abandoned him back then.

How ridiculous. He would rather believe Xenia than trust her.

Cedric placed his hands on her shoulders. "Don't overthink it. The one suffering right now is him, not you."

Noelle scoffed. "But I don't need his explanations or apologies."

"You're right. In the end, they're all just selfish. They made a mistake, yet they blame you." Cedric had figured the Liddell brothers out. They had grown accustomed to Noelle's sacrifices and never appreciated her.

Now that they had lost her, they finally realized their regret. But their apologies were insincere.

The more he thought about it, the more his heart ached. "If only I had found you sooner, you wouldn't have suffered so much."

He regretted it.

Noelle smiled. "No, you came at just the right time."

When she was reborn and saw the Liddell brothers for what they truly were, she had made up her mind to leave the family. If it had been before, she would have continued to give up her all to please them, and she probably wouldn't have listened to Cedric.

Cedric gazed at her. "I just want to make it up to you."

Noelle shook her head. "You haven't done anything wrong. What is there to make up for?"

Cedric had been so good to her. Noelle looked up at his handsome face. "Cedric, I really do like you."

She rose on her tiptoes to get closer. But he held her face gently, his voice carrying a hint of helplessness. "Let me take the lead from now on."

He lowered his head and placed a kiss on her forehead.

Noelle wrapped her arms around him, resting her cheek against his chest. Then, she murmured, "Couldn't it be mutual?noveldrama

"I want to give you everything I have." Cedric hummed.

Noelle nestled closer against his chest. "You don't have to. I'm not greedy."

In her past life, she had desperately craved the Liddell brothers'

attention, believing it would bring her happiness. But in the end, she had nothing. In this life, she would ve for herself and be happier than before.

They held each other for a while before Cedric's phone rang.

Blushing, Noelle finally reminded him, "Your phone keeps ringing. It's probably something important."

Cedric let go of her reluctantly. "I have a meeting. I'll come back to you later."

"Okay." Noelle watched as Cedric left, then rubbed her flushed cheeks. Was this what love felt like? She already missed him.

Noelle sat back on the hospital bed and checked her phone, only to find a video message from Blake. It was a recording of Xenia being beaten and forced to apologize.

After watching it, Noelle smirked. It was a dog-eat-dog world. Just then, someone

from the PR firm approached her.

Tilly approached her. "Ms. Liddell, we had someone tail the Liddells and

discovered that Xenia went to moet

someone at a cafe after she was thrown out of the car."

Noelle quirked a brow. "Who did she meet?"

Tilly sent a photo to Noelle's phone. "The man was very cautious. We only

managed to capture his side profile. Take a look."

Noelle paled upon looking at the picture. That man looked just like Xenia's father!