Chapter 52

Damon strode out of the lounge, his mood soaring from the depths of frustration to an unexpected high. He was well aware that his walking on air was entirely due to Leia's lack of communication these past few days, though he'd never admit it.

In the past, whether his race was a major event or just a local competition, Leia always made an effort to cheer him on. If her classes conflicted with his schedule, she would even request leave from school just to attend. Damon had often told Leia it wasn't necessary to come every time, but she always showed up with her warm smile to support him. This unwavering dedication from Leia had always touched Damon, which is why he went to such lengths to protect her.

But this time, things were different. Before he left, he had criticized Harley, someone Leia liked. His words had been harsh, and when he departed, Leia didn't even bother to see him off. It was only after others, including Noelle, cheered him on that Leia reluctantly added her own half-hearted encouragement. The incident left a bitter taste in Damon's mouth.

During his training sessions, he purposely avoided calling or texting Leia, hoping to see when she might reach out first. But now, on the day of his race, Leia hadn't even sent him a single message, let alone appeared in person.

Damon kept telling himself Leia was busy with university life and military training; she couldn't be as attentive as before. But surely her phone wasn't completely off-limits 24 hours a day. Her silence seemed to prove one thing: she no longer cared about him.

Damon thought, "Was it really just because of Harley? Was Leia willing to turn her back on me because of that one argument?" These thoughts gnawed at Damon, leaving him increasingly irritable. His frustrations even started affecting his performance during the race.

But now, the news that his mother and sister had come to see him made everything better. It reassured him that, in Leia's heart, family still mattered more than Harley. Damon quickly made his way toward the reception area.

"Damon!" someone called out as he exited the room.

He stopped and asked, "Are my mother and sister inside?"

"Yes, they're waiting for you."

"Great!" Damon practically jogged the last few steps to the door, his excitement bubbling over as he opened it. "Mom, Le…" His words caught in his throat, and his smile vanished entirely. It wasn't Leia waiting for him. It was Noelle.

"Hi, Damon! I came to cheer for you!" Noelle stood up with a bright smile and greeted him enthusiastically.

Damon's mood immediately plummeted. His expression darkened, and his tone turned sharp. "Why are you here! Who invited you?"

"Damon! Is that how you talk to your sister?" Kimberly stood up and scolded him. "Leia is your sister, and so is Noelle. How can you be so rude?"

"Are you defending her?" Damon asked incredulously, glaring at Noelle. His voice grew colder. "Who asked for her to come? Tell her to leave!"

Kimberly's face hardened. "Noelle came here to support you. The least you could do is show some gratitude. Instead, you're being unbelievably rude. Apologize to her right now!"

But Damon, still fuming, refused to back down. Disappointment and anger swirled in his chest, clouding his judgment. His words grew harsher. "Why should I care about her support! I told you before I don't want her here. She shamelessly came anyway. Why should I welcome her? Does she even deserve that?"

Kimberly's face turned livid, her voice trembling with anger.

Damon was startled to see Kimberly so furious. He turned to Noelle, who remained quiet. Though his tone softened slightly, his words were no less cutting. "Why aren't you saying anything! Are you pretending to be a saint so Mom will feel sorry for you? Huh!"

Noelle tilted her head, confused. "Why would I pretend to be a saint? I am a good person."

Damon was speechless. He had no idea how to respond to someone as unbothered as Noelle. "Where's Leia!" Damon demanded. "Why isn't she here? What did you do to her!" In Damon's mind, Noelle was a scheming, manipulative woman. Leia's absence could only mean Noelle had sabotaged her somehow.

Noelle, unaware of Damon's suspicions, answered honestly. "I didn't do anything to Leia. She's busy with military training, so she couldn't come."

"Then why aren't you in training? Did you get special permission, or did you sneak away? Don't think this will earn you any points with me," Damon sneered.

Noelle puffed out her chest and replied smugly, "I didn't need permission or to sneak around. I beat the instructors, so I'm excused from training."

"What? You beat the instructors?" Damon looked at her as if she were speaking another language.

Kimberly immediately jumped in to defend her daughter. "That's right, Damon. Noelle is incredibly skilled! The deal was, win against an instructor and get a day off. Noelle beat 26 instructors, so she has two weeks off from training."

"Mom, that's not quite right," Noelle corrected with a proud smile. "It wasn't just 14, it was 26. They all wanted to challenge me, so I had to defeat them one by one."

"Oh… I see. Guess they were lining up for a beating," Damon remarked sarcastically.

"They probably thought they could win, but they didn't realize how amazing I am," Noelle said, grinning.

"Exactly! Noelle is the best!" Kimberly beamed.

Watching the mother and daughter's cheerful interaction, Damon frowned deeply. "Mom, since when did you become so close to her?" Damon asked suspiciously. Before he left, Kimberly's attitude toward Noelle had been polite at best. Now, they were acting like best friends. Damon thought to himself, "I've only been gone for ten days. What on earth happened! Did Noelle brainwash Mom?"

Kimberly, slightly embarrassed, shot Damon a glare. "What nonsense are you talking about? I've always had a good relationship with Noelle!" Damon scoffed.

Sensing the tension, Kimberly quickly changed the subject. "Oh, Damon, did you know Noelle is a master chef? She's been teaching me all sorts of dishes. When you come home, I'll cook something for you…"

"You're cooking again?" Damon's face turned pale. He vividly remembered past experiences that almost landed the entire family in the hospital.

"Don't be so dramatic," Kimberly huffed. "I've been making pasta for days now, and your dad hasn't died yet!"

"You've been making pasta for days?" Damon repeated in disbelief.

"Yes!" Kimberly's face lit up. "Thanks to Noelle's guidance, my cooking has improved so much. Noelle is my teacher!"

Noelle's eyes curved into a bright smile. "That's because Mom is naturally talented."

"Oh, you sweet talker!" Kimberly laughed.

Damon finally understood how Noelle had managed to win Kimberly over so quickly. He glanced at Noelle, his lips curling into a sneer. "Using tricks like this to manipulate the family, Noelle, you're really something."