Chapter 156

"Eh, never saw that coming," he thought. "Noelle calling me out like this?" His face instantly turned bright red.

Fuming with a mix of anger and embarrassment, he grabbed a handful of her hair and snapped, "Damn! I'm trying to protect you, embarrass me like this? And what's with bringing up what I said two months ago? What does that even have to do with me now! Don't bring it up again, got it?"

"No more, I promise!" Noelle quickly yanked her head away from Eli's grip, saving her poor hair, and then flashed him a cheeky grin. "Eli, you're the best! From now on, I'll count on you to protect me at school."

"No big deal," Eli puffed out his chest and looked up arrogantly, trying to play it cool. Even though, honestly, with her skills, Noelle could probably take care of herself at school without needing him to play bodyguard.

Still, Eli thought, as the older brother, he couldn't drop the act. He had to maintain that older brother's image, so he reluctantly played along with Noelle's praise.

After their exchange, the two said goodnight and went to their rooms.

Once inside her room, Noelle hopped onto her big bed, all hers for the first time. She placed her hands over her chest and smiled softly, feeling an unexpected calm settle over her. No anxiety. No frustration.

For the first time, Noelle realized—having a family, a home—it wasn't so bad after all.

On a giant monitor, the curve representing familial bonds started to show some fluctuation. The technician immediately reported this to the lab's control room.

In the sterile office, a group of scientists in white lab coats huddled around a table.

One of them spoke up, "The fluctuations are still minor, but it's clear that Noelle's emotional connection to family is starting to form. It seems external factors are playing a bigger role than we thought.

They all knew that Lela, a woman who'd been in Noelle's life recently, was the one behind these emotional shifts.

"Should we report this to Mr. Jones?" another scientist asked.

At this, the assistant manager froze for a moment, his expression suddenly wary. Slowly, he shook his head. "You'd better hold off on that. Don't go to Mr. Jones yet."

"What's going on?" the others looked confused. The assistant manager's face went pale as if he had just remembered something unsettling.

In truth, every move the "test subject" made was being closely monitored by the lab, especially special cases like Noelle.

In other words, they already knew everything that had happened between Noelle and Nicolas that day.

At first, they thought it was a good thing. The deeper her emotional bonds grew, the more accurate the data they'd collect.

But Brandon didn't seem to feel the same.

When he found out Noelle had once again been in contact with Nicolas—and even engaged in physical contact—the air around him seemed to crackle with an unsettling energy. It made the assistant manager shiver with unease.

Soon after, Brandon had gone to the force testing room. This room was used to test the explosive power of the "experiment subjects," and it also doubled as a high-end boxing gym.

Just then, a lab technician knocked lightly on the door and entered. "Director, Mr. Jones wants to see you in his office."

The assistant manager's face went stiff, and his voice tightened with nerves. "Has Mr. Jones left the testing room?!"

"How's he feeling?"

"Seems fine?" The assistant manager breathed a sigh of relief.

That's when the technician added, his voice dropping to a mysterious whisper, "You might want to take a look at the testing room."

The lab staff exchanged uneasy glances before hurrying to the testing room.

When they got there, they saw that the force-testing equipment had started to smoke and was damaged. The readout on the device was frozen at—

"What does this number mean?" The assistant manager stared at the reading in shock.

"It was the final punch Mr. Jones threw," the technician whispered.

The lab staff gasped, their faces draining of color.

The number "328" might not sound like much on its own, but the highest recorded reading from any other "experiment subject" had been 2387—enough force to knock out an elephant with a single punch.

But Brandon's result? It was more than double that. The sheer power he possessed was enough to make anyone freeze with fear.

If he wanted, Brandon could wipe out the entire lab in an instant. No one would stand a chance.

"I say, you should go to Mr. Jones's office right away," the young technician urged.

The assistant manager was drenched in cold sweat, casting a glance at the technician, unsure whether the person was doing this on purpose—showing him such a terrifying sight.

Brandon was a monster!

No matter how unwilling the assistant manager was, he eventually mustered up the courage to appear in Brandon's office.

Standing nervously in front of Brandon, he forced a smile on his chubby, pale face, trying to sound casual as he asked, "Uh, Mr. Jones, did you call for me? Is there something you need?"

Brandon seemed to have just showered. His hair was still damp, and his white shirt was slightly open at the collar, revealing his sharp, delicate collarbones. The air around him was laid-back and lazy, giving off a relaxed vibe.

After releasing his frustration in the testing room earlier, Brandon felt much calmer.

Seeing the assistant manager shaking like a leaf in front of him, Brandon couldn't help but chuckle. With a slight smirk, he said, "I'm not the devil. Why are you so scared of me?"

The assistant manager immediately fell silent.

After seeing the damaged equipment in the force-testing room and the final reading displayed, he couldn't help but think that this handsome man in front of him was even more terrifying than a devil.

But he couldn't say that out loud. Saying it might just cost him his life!

So, the assistant manager continued to force a smile, sheepishly saying, "No, no, it's nothing. I've just caught a cold, so my body's trembling a bit. Please don't take it the wrong way, Mr. Jones."

"Is that so?" Brandon smiled, his voice filled with concern. "If you're sick, take some medicine. As your superior, I don't want to see my subordinates working while unwell."

"Yes, yes. I'll take the medicine right away," the assistant manager responded hurriedly. Then, he asked, "So, Mr. Jones, did you call me for something?"

Brandon raised an eyebrow and replied, "I heard Noelle's emotional connection to family is starting to form. Is that true?"

The assistant manager hadn't expected Brandon to already know about this.

He quickly continued, "We discovered that this emotional bond is related to a woman named Lela. She's the one who acted as the catalyst, triggering the formation of Noelle's bond."

Brandon listened, then spoke lazily, "That woman, Lela, is useful. However, she probably won't matter much in the future."

The assistant manager was taken aback.

Brandon's lips curved into a smile, though there was no warmth in his eyes.

Since Brandon had taken over everything related to Noelle, he had naturally investigated the people around her.

Nicolas was a key target who tended to act on his own and seemed to be plotting to get rid of Lela.

And Lela, in turn, was a fool. She was no match for Nicolas, and it wouldn't be long before she lost all influence within the Anderson family.

To ensure that Noelle continued to form emotional bonds with the Anderson family, a stronger catalyst would be needed.

At that moment, Brandon pulled a file out from a folder and placed it on the desk, smiling at the assistant manager. "From now on, make sure to focus on this person as well. If necessary, take proactive measures."

This person? The assistant manager was confused.

He stepped closer, took the file, and saw a photo attached to it. The person in the photo was none other than Bennett, the second son of the Anderson family.