No longer a pushover (Noelle and Cedric)

Noelle believed the Liddells would probably come knocking soon. Now that she was out of the hospital, the case would move forward again. Since she insisted Blake had intentionally hit her, he was bound to face some serious trouble.

After finishing her morning classes, Noelle headed to the base to check everyone's progress. But the moment she arrived, she found herself surrounded by Blake's fans.

"Noelle, why are you falsely accusing Blake of abuse?"

"You already ruined Lucas-now you want to ruin Blake, too?"

"Do you even know how hard Blake worked to get where he is? Destroying him is no different than killing him!"

Noelle had not expected this many crazy fans to show up out of nowhere.

"Everyone, calm down! Don't gang up on Noelle!" Eion suddenly stepped forward, addressing the crowd.

He continued, "Blake said this was all just a misunderstanding. He doesn't blame Noelle—after all, they're family. He hopes everyone will stop interfering in her life."

Upon hearing Eion's words, Noelle's eyes flickered with disdain. So this was all staged? How pathetic.

She looked at Eion and let out a cold laugh. "Do you really think this will cover up the truth?"

Eion stepped closer, lowering his voice. "Ms. Liddell, I don't know what truth you're talking about, but Blake is still in the hospital. He was worried his fans would give you trouble, so he specifically asked me to come and protect you."

The fans erupted in anger, with someone shouting, "Noelle, do you even have a conscience? Blake still cares about you, but you're out here slandering him!"

Another asked, "How can someone be this heartless toward their own brother?"

Eion glanced at the outraged fans, a hint of satisfaction flashing in his eyes. Then, in a hushed voice, he warned, "Ms. Liddell, I suggest you be smart about this. In the end, you'll only hurt yourself."

Noelle was unfazed. "If you guys are innocent, why are you working so hard to manipulate public opinion? Are you afraid of what the police investigation might uncover?"

Eion's face stiffened. "Ms. Liddell, at the end of the day, you're family. Can't you just talk things through?"

"I don't think there's anything to talk about," Noelle said. She tried to push past Eion, but the fans blocked her way.

Just then, campus security arrived, forcefully removing the disruptive fans. The school finally quieted down.

Noelle pointed at Eion. "He's with them. Kick him out, too."

Eion's face darkened. "I'm part of the production team, not a fan. Anyway, pushing away Blake's fans will only mako you look worse. No one will believe your side of the story."

Noelle simply stated, "I don't care what his fans believe. The only thing that matters is what the police believe."

Blake would have to face the consequences for what he did. With that, Noelle walked straight into the base.

Eion had no choice but to call Blake. "This isn't working. Noelle clearly wants to see you go down-she's not budging at all."

"That's impossible. Xenia even got on her knees and apologized. She should've let this go by now."

Blake hung up and furiously swept everything off the table in his hospital room.

Earlier today, after getting his bandages removed, he finally saw the full extent of the scars on his face. They were deep and stretched across his skin, with thickened red tissue forming over them. His face looked horrifying.

He could not stop himself from calling Noelle. The moment she answered, he heard her calm voice.

"If you're calling to negotiate, save your breath."

"Noelle, I was tricked by Xenia, too! And look at me—I'm completely disfigured! Haven't I suffered enough? Do you really have to push me to the edge?"

His frustration boiled over. "You

already sent Lucas to prison, and

now you want me locked up, too?noveldrama

How the hell are you gonna face Mom and Dad when you visit their graves?"

He could not understand why Noelle was being so ruthless, unwilling to show

even a little mercy.