No longer a pushover (Noelle and Cedric) novel Chapter 395

Noelle was surprised to see the slap mark on Xenia's face. It shocked her to learn that Blake would actually slap Xenia.

She remembered how protective Blake had always been of Xenia and how he always talked her into giving in to the latter's whims.

When she'd fallen into the water in her past life after an argument with Xenia, Blake hadn't bothered to ask what happened before blaming her and slapping her in the infirmary.

Now his sudden change in attitude didn't bring Noelle any relief. Instead, it made her feel he'd become more unhinged.

Tears welled up in Xenia's eyes as she choked out her apology. "It's all my fault, Noelle. I shouldn't have stolen your ideas or gotten Lucas and Donovan to slander you."

Noelle remained unmoved despite her tearful apology.

Blake looked at Noelle and uttered in a gentle tone, "I've seen the video myself. It's clear Xenia was at fault, and it had nothing to do with you."

Noelle found his words laughable. Did they all think this was enough to brush the matter under the rug?

Her voice was cold as she said, "Got it. Is that all you wanted to say?"

"Noelle, I've explained everything and had Xenia apologize to you. Stop sulking. You'll just cause discord in the family."

Blake's words sounded like a negotiation but felt more like a threat.

Noelle looked up slightly. "I'm not sulking. Why should I go back when the Liddells treat me poorly?"

"You're right. I'll talk to Donovan about this. Don't you worry," Blake replied. Then, he waved his hands in a magnanimous manner. "You have plans with your friends, don't you? Go ahead."

With that, Noelle immediately left the van.

Once she was gone, Blake's smile disappeared, and his face turned cold. He turned to Xenia and warned, "I've always treated you well, haven't I? I hate being lied to. Remember that."

"Got it. I'll never lie again," Xenia replied as tears brimmed in her eyes. It was only now that she remembered what kind of person Blake was. His kindness toward her over the years had nearly made her forget his terrible temper.

When she'd misled him at the dinner party, she assumed her tactics had worked. But the truth came out far sooner than she anticipated.

Blake's tone softened. "Go home and put some ice on your face. I've arranged a role for you in my new movie. Here's the script, and read it through."

"Thank you, Blake." Xenia's expression lit up with delight at the sight of the script.

Noelle tapped on it to take a look. The video was titled, "Meet my sister who gave me a beating."

The video gained a lot of goodwill from casual viewers, and many praised him as a devoted and loving brother.

Grace hesitated before saying, "The competitor competing with Blake for the Best Actor Award was recently exposed by an ex-girlfriend for domestic violence. Blake's timing and captions seem deliberate."

Noelle's lips curled into a mocking smile. "Exactly. Blake never does things that don't benefit him."

His plan explained his injuries, discredited a competitor, gained public goodwill, and forced her into cooperation. What a win.

Yet, he claimed his actions were just to reconcile with her.

In her past life, Noelle naively believed her relationship with Blake was the strongest among the siblings. But when her attempt to expose Xenia's plagiarism threatened his interests, he discarded her without hesitation.

Blake's greatest skill was manipulating emotions.

Noelle tapped on WhatsApp and noticed Magnus' text from yesterday.