Chapter 223
Just then, the mad god hiding behind Adriel peeked in again. Something about Noelle clearly caught her attention—her eyes lit up with excitement, and before anyone could react, she ran straight toward her.
“Elsie!” Adriel was momentarily stunned. He instinctively reached out to stop her, but she had already grabbed Noelle’s hand, staring intently at her neck with eyes sparkling, murmuring a string of soft, incoherent sounds—“Terriya-reya.”
And judging by the equally baffled expressions on the rest of the Andersons’ faces, she wasn’t the only one confused.
Everyone turned to Adriel, waiting for an explanation. Adriel's gaze stayed on Elsie for a moment before he finally said, “Elsie suffered a head injury. She’s lost her memory, and along with it, her ability to speak normally.”
“Ah, no wonder,” Eli let out a breath. “For a second there, I thought we were dealing with an alien language.”
He then looked at the two girls and asked, puzzled, “Then why is she clinging to Noelle like that?”
Adriel was wondering the same thing. He’d found Elsie during a business trip abroad, covered in blood.
At first, it had looked horrifying, but most of the blood had been someone else's—only a wound on her head was her own.
After waking up, she’d clung to him and him alone, crying in panic whenever anyone else got close.
Even now, though she was more stable, she remained fearful of strangers and refused to leave Adriel’s side—until now.
The moment she saw Noelle, she had run straight to her without hesitation, as if drawn by something she didn’t understand herself.
Before anyone could process what was happening, Elsie smiled and suddenly threw her arms around Noelle in a tight hug, softly murmuring incomprehensible sounds with visible joy. Everyone stared at the scene in stunned silence.
Noelle, trying her best to interpret the odd behavior, said awkwardly, “I… think she’s happy?”
Eli gave a sheepish smile, “Well, judging by that hug, she definitely likes you.”
Bennett remained quiet, his gaze lingering on Noelle thoughtfully.
For someone as skittish as Elsie to be so openly affectionate, there had to be something unusual about Noelle—and perhaps something familiar.
Watching the scene unfold, he found himself wondering what kind of person Noelle really was, and why she always seemed to attract the unexpected.
But Noelle herself was still in shock. She never imagined her first real face-to-face meeting with Adriel would unfold like this.
Her eyes flicked to Elsie, mind racing. This girl was clearly important to Adriel.
And if she wanted to get close to him, maybe the key was through Elsie.
After all, the girl seemed to like her a lot already.
Still, there was something else—a nagging, creeping sense of familiarity. Noelle couldn’t quite place it at first, but then, like a light switching on, it hit her: Stanley.
That quiet, almost unearthly vibe.
This girl gave off the same energy as Stanley.
Noelle’s heart tightened. She quickly pulled back to look at Elsie again.
There was no matching necklace—but on her ears were earrings eerily similar to the ones Stanley wore.
She’s like me, Noelle thought. Another transformer. But why can’t she speak? And what is she doing here? Was she sent for a mission too? Within seconds, dozens of questions flooded her mind. Then, without thinking, she tightened her grip on Elsie’s hand and whispered, “Come with…”
Elsie blinked in confusion, but Noelle's tone was serious. Before anyone could stop them, she turned and bolted toward the front door, dragging Elsie behind her. As they ran, she tossed a quick shout over her shoulder, “Adriel! I’m just having a girl talk with Elsie—don’t follow us!”
Then the two disappeared out the door, leaving everyone behind in a daze.
“Did she just… vanish over that fast?” Eli muttered in disbelief.
Damon, watching from the stairs, couldn’t hold it in. “Can someone please explain what just happened?”
Bennett, on the other hand, looked thoroughly entertained. A lazy smile tugged at the corners of his lips as he watched the doorway where the girls had vanished. “Damon,” he said with deliberate casualness, “don’t you think that girl Adriel brought back… looks a lot like Noelle?”
Damon frowned. “Looks like her! How?”
Bennett simply chuckled, offering no explanation. His smile remained, but beneath his lashes, his eyes turned darker and more contemplative. Damon shivered. He’d grown wary of Bennett lately. Whenever that man smiled like this, something dangerous always followed.
He glanced again between where the girls had disappeared and the expression on Bennett’s face. He couldn’t shake the feeling something was off.
What if Elsie wasn’t just some girl Adriel saved by chance?
For a long time, Damon had suspected Noelle came from some sort of secret organization. Now, watching Elsie’s instinctive bond with her, he had a sinking feeling they were from the same place.
That would explain the instant trust, even with no memory.
But then why had someone like Elsie ended up with Adriel?
And if they were both from the same mysterious background, what was the real reason behind this sudden reunion?
Something didn’t add up. And Damon was sure of one thing—this was only the beginning.