Chapter 112

“What’s this? A wam?” Leia muttered, ready to close the pop-up window. But then she read the message again: Do you have anyone you want to kill?

She had dreamed about this moment countless times. The thought of Noelle disappearing from the world sent a strange thrill through her. Before she even realized what she was doing, her finger hovered over the word, then clicked confirm.

Another window popped up. A form. It asked for a name, details, and a photo. Leia’s breath hitched. Her hands trembled, whether from nerves or excitement, she wasn't sure. But she filled in the form anyway, every keystroke feeling heavier than the last. When it asked for a photo, she didn’t hesitate. She pulled up the one from Radiance Media’s official account and uploaded it.

One last click. Confirm.

For a second, nothing happened. Then, a new message appeared: [Your request has been accepted. Please wait for good news.] with a handshake emoji.

Before she could process it, the message vanished. The screen looked normal, like nothing had ever been there.

Leia sat frozen. Her breath was shallow, her pulse erratic. ‘Did that just happen? Are they gonna kill her? Is this a game? A prank?’

Her thoughts spiraled, but she forced herself to snap out of it. Whether that was real or not, she still had things to do. After taking a few deep breaths, she dialed Reyna’s number.

It had been days since she last heard anything, and there was still no news about Noelle being held accountable. The phone rang. No answer.

Leia frowned and called again. This time, the call was declined immediately. Her heart skipped a beat as negative thoughts swirled in her mind. ‘What? Why did she hang up on me!’

On the other side of the city, Reyna tossed her phone onto the table, looking annoyed.

Her assistant hesitated before asking, “Reyna.. you’re really ignoring Leia’s call??”

“Why should I bother answering?” Reyna scoffed. “Leia is as manipulative as ever. She probably saw her sister trending as The Legend’s music composer and couldn’t handle it. Now she wants to call me and stir the pot.”

Her assistant stayed silent, watching as Reyna’s expression turned colder.

With a sharp glint in her eyes, she muttered, “Since Phoenix Entertainment and Charlie dared to screw me over, I’ll start by making his sister pay. Blacklisting Leia for a few years sounds perfect.”

Soon, news of Noelle being The Legend‘s music composer quickly spread through the Anderson family. Kimberly was ecstatic. She immediately called her kids, summoning them home that night for a celebration. Except for Adriel, who was away on a business trip, the rest; Bennett, Charlie, Damon, and Eli, all made it back.

That evening, the family gathered around the dinner table. Grinning from ear to ear, Kimberly turned to Noelle. “Noelle. I can’t believe you’re working with “The Legend!” Why didn’t you tell me! I had to hear about it from my friends. I was completely caught off guard!”

Noelle looked up from her soup, her smile radiant. “I wanted it to be a surprise.”

Kimberly laughed. “Well, you sure succeeded! You wouldn’t believe my friends' reaction. A lot of them are The Legend‘s fans.

They told me about the new composer being an 18-year-old girl and even showed me a picture. My eyes nearly popped out when I saw it was you!”

Noelle chuckled, “Wow, really!”

Kimberly nodded enthusiastically. “Oh, absolutely!”

Vincent, who had been quietly listening, raised an eyebrow, “Was that a little dramatic?”

Kimberly shot him an annoyed look. “Dramatic? You weren’t exactly calm either! Didn’t you say you messed up your golf swing after finding out your daughter was working with The Legend?”

Vincent just sighed, too stunned to argue after being called out.

Then, Eli grinned. “Noelle is all anyone at school is talking about. They’re even planning interviews and nominating her for Campus Star this year.”

Kimberly’s face lit up “Really? I heard Eston University’s Campus Star gets noticed by big companies. Some even offer jobs straight out of graduation, no interview needed. Is that true!"

Eli nodded. “Yeah, pretty much.”

“That’s amazing!” Kimberly beamed and pulled Noelle into a hug just as she was reaching for the soup. “My daughter is a star! I’m so proud of you!”

Noelle, caught mid-motion, could only laugh and hug her back. “Mom, I’ll keep working hard and make you even prouder!”

Kimberly was all smiles. “Good, good, good!”

Noelle then glanced at the soup and said playfully. “So… can I have this soup as a reward now?”

Kimberly laughed and immediately slid the pot toward her. “Eat as much as you want! If you like it, I’ll have the kitchen make more."

Noelle’s eyes sparkled as she finally got her hands on it. Her smile grew even brighter.

Eli smirked. “You’ve been staring at that soup since you sat down. Took you long enough to get it.”

Noelle shot him a look. “That is so not true! Stop making stuff up!”

“Oh yeah!” Eli raised an eyebrow. “Then I guess you wouldn’t mind if I took it away!"

“Nope!” Noelle quickly shielded the bowl. “Fine, Eli, I admit it. I just really wanted it.”

Kimberly laughed and playfully pinched Noelle’s cheek. “Why do you love food so much! You little chubby kid!”

“A little chubby kid! More like a food monster,” Eli joked.

Kimberly shot him a sharp look. “Hey, don’t say that to your sister!”

Noelle just laughed, sipping her soup. “Mom, it’s fine. I know Eli doesn’t mean it. Deep down, he likes me the most.”

Eli scoffed, crossing his arms. “Who, me? In your dream?”

Noelle smirked. “Yep. I know you better than anyone.”

“Sure, whatever you say.” Eli muttered, rolling his eyes, but there was a small smile on his face.

Just then, Leia, who had barely said a word all evening, quietly set down her spoon. Her voice was soft, almost shaky. “I’m full. I’m going upstairs to rest. Enjoy your meal.”

Without waiting for a response, she turned and quickly left the table.

An awkward silence settled over the table. Kimberly frowned, watching Leia disappear. “She barely spoke today.. and she hardly ate anything.”

Before anyone could respond, Damon let out a sharp scoff. “Wow, I wonder why. Maybe because the whole dinner has been one big Noelle Appreciation Party! She’s probably so upset and full just from watching.”

Kimberly blinked, caught off guard by his tone.

Vincent’s expression darkened, “Damon, that’s no way to talk to your mother.”

Damon knew his words wouldn’t sit well with the family. But when he saw Leia was crying as she walked away, he couldn’t hold back.

He spoke sharply and looked at Kimberly, “Mom, we all get it. Noelle is amazing, and we’re happy for her. But could you try just once not to make it so obvious she’s your favorite!”

“Leia was sitting right there, and you barely looked at her. Do you even realize how much that hurts?”