Chapter 21
Chapter 21 Nicoday was caught off guard when Noelle didnt try to persuade him Meckning in his leather chair with effortless charm , he twirled a pen between his long , elegant fingers while holding the phone in his other hand .
Taking a moment , he finally asked .
Elly babe , arent you going to convince me Convince you of what ? Noelle sounded genuinely confused .
Toad I cant come .
Shouldnt you try to change my mind ? he pressed , his tone light but trasing How would i do that ? Noelle replied carently .
Youre busy , I wouldnt want to bother you ? Nicolas arched an eyebrow , intrigued .
When did you become so considerate ? Tve always been considerate , she said , as if it were the most obvious thing in the world Nicolas didnt respond right away , thinking .
This life liar .
Shes one of the most stubborn , self centered people I know .
When did she start pretending to be so thoughtful He finally relented .
Alright , try a little harder to persuade me .
Who knows ? I might change my mind .
But Noelle wasnt playing along .
No need .
Mom and Leis are coming with me tomorrow .
Its fine if you dont come .
at caught Nacolas off guard .
I thought your family wasnt treating you well , right ? Why are you letting them tag along ? That i He recalled what hed learned about the Anderson family after Noelle entered their lives .
They hadnt exactly welcomed her .
On her arrival , most of the family had gone to the hospital to pick up Leia .
Eli , the only one forced to stay behind , had unceremoniously stuck Noelle in a storage room before heading to the hospital himself .
Their rejection of her was painfully obvious , what do y you mean ! Theyre treating me just fine .
Noelle said lightly , brushing it off .
Is there anyone you think doesnt treat you well ? Nicolas asked .
ery time he sees me Of course ! Noelle thought for a second and grumbled , Damon , I guess .
Hes always mad at me every Nicolas sneered .
He wasnt surprised .
Damons arrogance and unwavering favoritism for Leia were well known .
Noelles arrival had obviously disrupted the family dynamit , making her a target of his hostility .
Just steer clear of him .
No need to deal with someone like that , Nicolas advised No way Noelle said firmly .
Im going to work hard to make Damon like me .
Nicolas frowned .
Why ? You dont need everyone to like you I love my y reasons , she said vaguely , avoiding further explanation In truth , Noelles return to the Anderson family was part of a mission earning her familys affection was critical to her goal Every member of the Anderson family was part of that plan .
But she couldnt tell Nicolas .
Anything related to her mission w was strictly c confidential .
Unaware of her real motives , Nicolas assured she just craved her familys approval .
He chuckled softly .
Fine .
Do what you want .
Just dont push yourself , okay ? okay Noelle agreed .
Just then , a knock came at the door , followed by Elinvoice .
Noelle , who are you talking to ? Noelle answered honestly .
Tru cutting with Nick What ? Elis tone immediately spiked with aların On the other end of the line , Nicolas froze for a second , silently thinking , Babe , you really didnt need to be that honest 9:25 AM d Chapter 21 He sighed lightly , then said with a resigned chuckle .
Looks like well have to end our chat here .
Get some rest .
See you at the mall tomorrone Huh ? Noelle blinked in surprise .
See me at the mall ? Wait , is he coming after all ! Didnt he say he was busy ? she wondered .
Before she could ask .
Nicolas had already hung up .
Meanwhile , Eli pushed the door open and stormed in , glaring at Noelle as she sat on the bed .
Were you just talking to Nicolas ? Noelle put down her phone and shot him a look .
Eli , why do you keep barging in without knocking ? Thats so rude .
You need to work on that Cut it out , Eli snapped , frowning .
From now on , stop talking to Nicolas .
Why not ? Noelle asked , her tone turning defensive , No reason .
Just dont Eli said firmly .
He assumed Noelle was infatuated with Nicolas just because of his looks , oblivious to the idea that marriage couldnt rest on appearances alone might feel giddy now , but shed regret it if she actually married him .
Eli youre so bossy , Noelle huffed , clearly annoyed .
She liked Nicolas because he always took her seriously and looked out for her .
When she got caught sneaking back once , it was Nicolass advice that helped her smooth things over .
Of course , it didnt hurt that he was incredibly handsome be matched her ideal type perfectly Did you even hear what I said Eli asked , frustrated by her lack of response .
Noelle didnt bother answering .
Instead , she flopped onto her bed , hugging her pillow and rolling around like a child .
El youre such a bossy ghost Im not listening ! Her voice rang out , sweet yet defiant Llistared at her , utterly speechless .
The next day , Kimberly took Noelle and Leia to Ishurman Financial Center to shop for clothes and jewelry .
Though the outing was meant for Noelle, Kimberly made sure to it include Leia so neither daughter would feel slighted .
To avoid running into acquaintances , Kimberly bypassed her usual stores and headed two floors higher .
s ranged from At Ishuman Financial Center , the higher the floor , the more exclusive and expensive the items .
The price difference between levels : tens of thousands to millions of dollars .
When Kimberly led them up the extra floors , Leia immediately realized her mother intended to splurge At a luxury clothing boutique , Kimberly smiled warmly at her daughters Leia , Noelle , go pick out whatever you like .
kay ! Noelle nodded enthusiastically and dashed into the store .
Yes , Mom Lela replied politely , though her mood was sout She korw this trip was all because of Noelle .
However , the thought of owning the latest designs from from such a high end brand brightened her spirits .
The Andersons werent toes to skin , but even they dislart typically spend extravagantly on everyday clothes .
Turir regular outfits cost a few thousand dollars at most .
Tut here , prices Manted at over 100 thousand dollars the kind of attire reserved for major Leia carefully weighed each choler , wanting to strike a balance .
She couldnt pick something too cheap and seem unworthy , but going for the most rajemsive pieces would look inconsiderate .
Every decision felt like a mental battle .
While pomadering her own selections , Leia glanced toward Noelle , curious about her approach .
She assumed Noelle , with her tacky tastes , would brad straiglat for the most expensive items without a second thought .
But what happened arst felt Lela and Kimberly in slut k 9:25 AM ₫ Chapter 21 Noelle casually ran her hand along a rack of clothes and declared to the sales assistant , Both Leia and Kimberly stood frozen , stunned by her boldness .
ant , Ill take this whole row .
Pack it all up for me ,