Chapter 2

El leaned in close to his younger sister, Noelle, and whispered, "Stay here. I’ll grab you something to eat." But before she knew it, he vanished like a gust of wind and never came back. Noelle looked around, but there was no sign of him.

With nothing else to do, she decided to tidy up her room. Thanks to her past experience working in housekeeping, she moved quickly and efficiently. The maids, hearing the sounds of things being moved around— loud bangs and clangs —curiously gathered. They watched as Noelle, small and nimble, darted back and forth, moving furniture and boxes with ease.

"My god, Miss Anderson, you’re actually cleaning up yourself?" one maid exclaimed, her voice full of disbelief.

Noelle greeted Mary with a bright smile, her eyes narrowing into crescent moons. "I was bored, so I figured I'd tidy up a little."

"But those boxes look heavy!" another maid said, staring at the large boxes outside. Normally, it took two grown men to move these things, but here was Noelle, a small girl, handling them like it was nothing.

"Oh, it’s fine. They’re pretty light, actually!" Noelle shrugged and easily lifted the top box to prove her point.

The maids stared in shock, mouths hanging open like they had just seen a miracle. Holy crap, this girl is a freaking powerhouse! they thought.

"My god! The room's spotless!" One maid stepped inside and was completely stunned to see the once messy storage area now gleaming clean. The floor was so shiny, you could see your reflection. The others crowded in, eyes wide, and confirmed it was cleaner than they’d ever seen it.

"Miss Anderson, how did you do all this?" the maids asked, their faces full of astonishment. These women were professionals, and it would have taken them hours to clean up such a mess. But Noelle had done it in no time.

Noelle, noticing their wide-eyed expressions, placed her hands on her hips and proudly lifted her chin. "Heh, I used to work as a housekeeper, so I know how to clean fast and efficiently."

The maids immediately broke into applause.

When the Andersons returned home with Leia, they found a group of maids huddled together in a corner downstairs, whispering excitedly. They hadn’t even noticed the family had arrived.

Vincent Anderson, the head of the family, frowned and asked in a low voice, "What’s going on here?"

"Ah! Mr. Anderson, you’re back!" The maids jumped, startled, and quickly scattered, rushing to greet the family.

"Is everyone just standing around? What the hell's going on!" the eldest heir, Adriel Anderson, grumbled, his brow furrowed.

At that moment, the oldest maid stepped forward sheepishly and said, "Mr. Vincent Anderson, Mr. Adrick Anderson, we were learning from Miss Anderson…"

"What?" The family stared at her in confusion.

Just then, Noelle zipped out from behind the maids. Surrounded by the Andersons, she quickly spotted El. Grinning like a cat who'd just stolen the cream, she waved a cloth at him and called out, "Brother! El! Finally caught up with you!" Her tone was casual, affectionate, and clearly close.

Immediately, every eye turned to El. Bennett Anderson, the second eldest, grinned mischievously. "Well, El, didn't take you long to get cozy with her, huh?"

Damon Anderson, the fourth eldest, glared at him. "Eli, have you lost your damn mind! What the hell are you doing?"

Charlie Anderson, the third eldest, spoke coldly.

El, you don't care that Leia is..."

Leia, who had not expected this situation, framed her face with concern. "Brother El, I'm fine. Be careful."

Adriel immediately stepped forward. "Eli, explain yourself!"

Eli's jaw clenched. "Why is everyone meddling here? I haven’t done anything!"

Noelle blinked at him, her lips curling into a pout. "But El, you promised something... And you didn't keep your word."

Eli could feel his temper reaching a boiling point. This girl is doing this on purpose, trying to push my buttons.

"Alright, that’s enough!" Vincent, finally, couldn’t take it anymore. "What the hell is going on here! Knock it off, all of you!" he muttered under his breath.

"Dad, it's her fault. She started it."

Vincent snorted. "Oh, so if she is being a nuisance, then it gives you permission to be a jerk?"

Eli went silent, unable to come up with a reply. Vincent then turned to Leia, his voice softening. "Leia, did you go out of the hospital? Let our mom help you upstairs."

"Okay, Dad," Leia said quietly, her voice barely above a whisper.

"Come on, Leia, let me help you up," Kimberly said, guiding her towards the stairs.

As they reached the doorway, Kimberly, still adjusting to the sudden appearance of her biological daughter, couldn't help but glance at Noelle’s bright smile. It was like a soft spot inside her had been touched. She opened her mouth to respond, but was interrupted by Leia’s coughing.

Leia coughed violently, and Kimberly instantly became worried. "Leia, are you okay?"

"I'm fine, Mom," Leia said weakly, forcing a smile, but her voice was barely audible. Kimberly, her concern for her daughter's health taking over, hurriedly helped her upstairs, watching them leave.

Noelle pouted and walked over to Eli. "Brother El, I'm starving. You promised to get me something to eat."

Eli, now fully annoyed, glared at her. "What do you want to eat?"

"Meat!" she answered without missing a beat.

Eli rolled his eyes and snapped at a servant to bring her a big piece of roast pork, thinking to himself, This girl is going to drive me crazy.

Meanwhile, Vincent quietly called Noelle over to the couch. "Noelle, get over here," he said suddenly, his tone serious.

Noelle walked over with light steps, her laughter like the sound of silver bells, cheerful and bright. "Hey, Dad." Her smile was warm, like the sun on a spring day, lighting up the room and making everyone around her feel unexpectedly happy.

Vincent looked at her, emotions all over the place. The head of the Anderson family had thought of letting the fragile Leia get caught up in that political mess, but now he wasn’t sure he could stomach pushing his own daughter, Noelle, into that mess. The more he thought about it, the more his emotions overwhelmed him, drowning out any logical thought. How could he knowingly let his own daughter marry such a wild, reckless playboy? He knew Leia couldn't handle it.

He spoke seriously to Noelle. "Noelle, darling, as the heiress of the Anderson family, you need to take on the responsibilities and obligations that come with it."

Noelle tilted her head, clearly confused. "What responsibilities? What obligations?"

Vincent sighed and explained slowly, "The Anderson family and the Sawyer family made a marriage agreement a long time ago. When our family's heiress comes of age, she has to marry the youngest heir of the Sawyer family. In short, you’re going to marry Nicolas Sawyer, the third young heir of the Sawyer family."

"Oh!" Noelle finally understood, then asked, frowning, "But doesn't marriage go in order? My sister's older than me, shouldn’t she be the one?"

Vincent looked stern. "She’s not blood-related to the Anderson family. You, on the other hand, are my real daughter. This responsibility falls on you."

After hearing this, Noelle, though reluctant, had to admit her father made sense. She sighed and reluctantly nodded. "Fine, I'll marry him."

As if afraid Noelle might suddenly change her mind, Vincent immediately reached out to the Sawyer family. Soon, word came from the Sawyer family that Nicolas wanted to meet her first. Vincent agreed without hesitation.

The next day, Noelle was dropped off at the door of a luxurious villa, Nicolas's private residence. After the Anderson family’s driver left, she disappeared quietly. Just then, a man in a suit with gold-rimmed glasses, looking every bit like a secretary, approached her with a smile.

Politely, he said to Noelle, "Miss Anderson, Mr. Nicolas Sawyer is waiting for you inside. Please follow me."

"Thanks," Noelle nodded politely.

The man raised an eyebrow slightly, a flash of pity crossing his face. This girl seemed so innocent and naive he couldn't help but wonder if she could handle what was coming her way.