Chapter 50

Alfred said, “She has six brothers protecting her. How could she possibly not be living well?”

Cedric said unhappily, “She also has an adoptive sister, the daughter of her family’s old driver. The Liddells treat her sister very well, whereas Noelle is often ignored and treated unfairly.”

At first, he had also assumed Noelle was living a comfortable life. But now, he realized she was pitiful. He couldn’t help but feel his heart soften and be filled with an urge to be kind to her whenever he saw her.

Alfred sighed. “I’ve always thought her brother’s attitude in the infirmary that day was strange. I assumed she was being naughty, but it turns out there’s more to the story. Judging by how obedient she was just now, she doesn’t seem like the troublemaker people make her out to be.”

Who in their right mind would be so biased? How could they be so protective of their adoptive sibling while ignoring their biological sister?

Cedric said, “That’s why I wanted to make things up to her. If her parents hadn’t been in that accident, she wouldn’t be living such a harsh life.” He turned his head and looked down, concealing the sadness that flashed across his eyes.

Alfred said, “What happened back then was an accident. You can’t blame yourself. If you want to treat her well, go ahead. You two are in somewhat the same boat.”

However, Alfred worried he was crossing a line with how well he was treating Noelle. Perhaps even Cedric hadn’t realized it.

There was a thunderstorm the next day, and Noelle stared at the rain with a troubled expression. It was the first day of her period. Her stomach would definitely act up if her shoes got wet.

As she packed her bag, she heard the door open.

Alfred waved. “Good morning, Noelle. It’ll be hard to call a cab in this rain. Why don’t we send you to school?”

Cedric stood beside him, glanced at her, and said, “Let’s go.”

Noelle accepted their offer, and her mood improved significantly.

They headed to the parking lot. When Noelle saw the black luxury car, she turned to Alfred and asked, “Does that car belong to you?” Cedric had picked her up in it yesterday. Last night, she’d looked it up and learned it cost millions of dollars.

Alfred chuckled awkwardly. “That’s right. This is my car. See those lines? Isn’t she a beauty?” He wouldn’t pass up the opportunity to claim rights over such a car.

Cedric sat in the passenger seat and looked at his friend coldly. “You can drive.”

“Alright!” Alfred exclaimed happily. He’d had his eye on that car for a long time. It was a shame Cedric had bought it first.

Noelle sat in the back, envious of their interaction. Because of Xenia, she’d never had the opportunity to make friends. She envied Cedric and Alfred’s friendship.

The rain poured heavily, and there was slight traffic. Many cars were parked at the school gates.

Cedric got out first, holding a black umbrella. He walked toward the back seat.

Noelle froze before opening the car door.

His long, slender hand held the umbrella, exposing a portion of his arm. The large umbrella shielded her from the rain.

“Is there only one umbrella?” Noelle asked.

“Of course not! Noelle, take this umbrella and head to class,” Alfred called, braving the rain to grab another umbrella from the back seat. Clearly, he was trying to keep Cedric and Noelle apart.

Cedric’s expression remained unchanged as he handed Noelle the umbrella. She could feel the lingering warmth of his hand on the handle.

She lowered her gaze and murmured, “I’ll head in now.”

She was in a good mood as she headed into school when someone shouted, “Noelle, wait! Can I share the umbrella with you?”