Chapter 59
It feels like Eli had installed surveillance on her.
Noelle thought. How come every time I am with Nick, Eli can accurately capture it?
“Noelle? Why aren’t you answering? Say something! Did something happen again?”
Hearing that the little girl was silent. Eli tensed up, afraid that something might happen to her. His voice became more and more urgent, and he asked: “Say something! Don’t tell me something happened again?”
“No, nothing happened,” Noelle replied hesitantly.
Then tell me your location now.”
“There’s no need. Eli,” Noelle said.
“What do you mean ‘no need? It’s three hours to Reniam City from there. It’s too dangerous for you, a girl, to be out this late. Just tell me where you are so I can pick you up.
Noelle said, “No need. I’m not going back to Reniam City tonight.”
“Not going back! Then where are you staying! A hotel?”
“No, not a hotel…
“Can you stop speaking in fragments? If you’re not staying at a hotel, then where? Explain yourself!” Eli was running out of patience, his voice growing harsher.
Realizing she couldn’t hide it anymore, Noelle decided to rip the band–aid off. “Fine, I’ll tell you. I’m with Nick, and I’m staying at his place tonight. He’ll drive me home tomorrow. You don’t have to worry about me,
As expected, the mere mention of Nicolas made Eli explode.
“What? You’re with Nicolas again? Why does that guy keep sticking around like a ghost?”
Noelle bristled at his tone. No one could insult her Nick, not even her family.
“Nick’s here on a business trip. He just happened to run into me, she defended.
“Yeah, right. How convenient, Eli sneered. His tone became even more cutting. That man is up to no good. Tell him to bring you here right now.
“No, I won’t
Noelle’s refusal was firm. She hadn’t seen Nick in days and wasn’t about to cut their time short.
Eli, on the verge of blowing a fuse, shouted into the phone, “Noelle–1”
Hearing his booming voice, Noelle instinctively held the phone away from her ear. What a headache.
Her relationship with Eli had already been strained recently, and this would only make it worse.
She was excellent at executing difficult tasks, but when it came to navigating interpersonal relationships, she felt utterly clueless.
Just then, Nicolas calmly reached over and took the phone from her hand.
“Nick” Noelle looked
upat him in surprise.
Holding the phone, Nicolas began speaking to Eli, his voice calm but firm. “Eli, it’s quite late. If I were to drive Elly to you now, no one would get any sleep tonight. She’s my fiancée. Rest assured, I’ll take good care of her.
Though his tone remained polite, Nicolas’s expression darkened, exuding an icy aura that could make anyone shiver.
Eli, however, was unmoved. “You? Take care of her! You’re nothing but a playboy. What gives you the right Anderson family. We’ll take care of her ourselves. She doesn’t need you.”
Nicolas let out a cold chuckle. “Eli, where do you get the nerve to say that?”
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t to make that claim! Noelle is part of the
Chapter 39
“What do you mean?” Eli asked.
I mean, let’s not even discuss how you’ve treated Elly in the past. Let’s talk about tonight. She came all this way to cheer for Damon, and what did he do? Left her stranded at a street corner with no money. Did it ever occur to you what it feels like to be a young woman alone in an unfamiliar place
“What? Noelle had no money?” Eli was stunned. He turned to glare at Damon, his expression filled with reproach.
Hearing this, Damon finally recalled that Noelle had mentioned not having any money when she asked him to buy her pancakes.
Eli, seething with anger, grabbed Damon by the collar and snarled, “Damon, are you even human? You knew Noelle had no money, and you still left. her alone!”
‘m sure Damon didn’t mean it
Leia hurried forward, stepping between Eli and Dannon to stop him. “Eli, what are you doing? Let go of Damon! I’m s Please don’t hurt him!
“Leia, move aside, Eli snapped, his anger boiling over.
As he reached out to push Leia away, he barely touched her, but she dramatically “fell” to the ground with a heavy thud.
“Ah… it hurts,” Leia whimpered, her voice tinged with pain.
Damon, who had been overwhelmed with guilt moments before, completely lost it when he saw Leia fall
He shoved Eli aside and rushed to help Leia up, his voice filled with concem. “Leia, are you okay! Did you hurt yourself?”
“T’im fine. Damon.” Leia bit her lip and glanced at Eli with tear–filled eyes. Choking back a sob, she said, “Eli, if you’re angry, take it out on me, Damon only forgot about Noelle because he was in such a hurry to come pick me up. It’s my fault, not his Don’t hurt him.”
*Lea, I
I… El stammered, staring at Leia still sitting on the ground.
He hadn’t even pushed her hard. How had it turned into this! And what did she mean by “take it out on her“? She hadn’t done anything wrong. Damon was the one in the wrong here.
Something fell off, but Leia’s “Tall” had clearly pushed Damon’s protective instincts to the limit.
Damon stood abruptly, his anger igniting. He turned and punched Eli square in the face, sending him sprawling to the ground.
“Ah! Eli!” Leia gasped, covering her mouth in shock. She looked at Damon in disbelief. “Damon, how could you hit Eli!”
“He deserved it.” Damon growled. “For Noelle? He’d even push you? If he spends more time with you, who’s to say he won’t hurt you worse for her sake!”
Turning to Eli, Damon jabbed a finger at him and roared, “Eli, let me make this clear, even if Noelle drops dead on the street, 1 won’t blink an eye- She clings to me like a leech, and I owe her nothing. She can go wherever she wants–I couldn’t care less. But if you ever hurt Leia again because of Noelle, I swear I’ll make sure she’s out of the picture for good”
“Damon, what the hell are you saying?” Eli wiped the blood from his mouth, his reddened eyes glaring daggers at Damon
Darmon’s face was a mask of cold fury. “I’m telling you the truth. If you or anyone else ever harms Leia because of Noelle, I’ll take matters into my own hands
With that, Damon grabbed Leia’s an
arm “Leia, let’s
‘s go.”
“But what about Eli Leia asked, hesitant.
“Who cares about him?” Damon spat. “He’s obsessed with Noelle. Let him go and be with her if that’s what he wants.”
Leia fell silent, her expression unreadable.
Deep down, she didn’t want Eli to be with Noelle.
The Anderson family belonged to her–every bit of love from their pa
parents and all five brothers. Noelle had no right to take any of it
But Damon was too furious right now, and Lela didn’t dare push him further. Reluctantly, she followed him
After Damon and Leia left, Eli remained in place, his face numbs from Damon’s punch. Spitting out blood, he glanced at his phone and s
I saw the call
2/3
9:34 AM c
Chapter 49
had indeed been disconnected.
“Damn it, he muttered.
He had no idea how much Noelle might have overheard. Damon, drunk and reckless, had said such horrible things–threatening to kill her, no less.
Eli found himself hoping more than ever that Noelle wouldn’t take Damon’s words to heart.
Meanwhile, in a quiet car cabin, there was only silence.
Nicolas had made the call hoping to give Damon and Eli time to reflect and maybe bring Noelle home tonight. Instead, it had escalated into a fight, with Damon even threatening Noelle’s life.
Nicolas prided himself on being a law–abiding man. But hearing Damon’s words had sparked a murderous rage he could barely suppress.
Still, his concern for Noelle far outweighed his anger at Damon
“Elly… Nicolas said softly, turning to look at Noelle, who was gazing out the window.
“Hmm?” Noelle turned her head, her bright, innocent eyes meeting his. She smiled sweetly, “What’s wrong, Nick?”
“Are you okay, sweetheart?” Nicolas asked, pulling her into his arms.
At that moment, his hear ached for her.
He had thought bringing Noelle home would surround her with love and protection. Yet she had to endure such heart–wrenching words from her own brother.
Noelle tilted her head, her expression as carefree as ever. “I’m fine,” she said cheerfully, leaning into his embrace. Looking up at him, she added. with a teasing smile, “Nick, why do you look so worried? It’s like you think I’m some kind of poor little thing.”
You are my poor little thing. Nicolas thought, stroking her earlobe gently. His voice softened further. “Elly, if anything is bothering you, just tell me. Don’t keep it bottled up, okay?”
Noelle blinked, her eyes flickering with a trace of emotion. Then she said softly. “Well, since you’re asking, can I tell you?”
“Of course,” Nicolas replied. He was ready to be her listener, to hear all her sorrow and pain.
Instead, Noelle pointed out the window toward a barbecue restaurant they had just passed. Her eyes sparkled with excitement. “Nick, I saw a barbecue place back there, and there was a really long line outside. It must be delicious! Can we go eat there?”
For a moment, Nicolas was stunned. “That’s what you wanted to say?”
“Yeah. What else would it be?” Noelle asked innocently, blinking up at him.
Nicolas sighed, a mix of exasperation and fondness washing over him.
