No longer a pushover (Noelle and Cedric)

"I already apologized to her! What more does she want? Frank, I feel so suffocated!" Lucas felt frustrated deep within.

"Lucas, if you want to win Noelle back, you need to change your attitude and start treating her better!"

Frank had also just realized how much he had overlooked Noelle in the past.

"What do you mean we didn't treat her well? Frank, you were in the hospital for days, and she didn't visit you even once. With how cold and heartless she is, how are we supposed to treat her better?" Lucas sat on the floor, his words slurred as he was drunk.

Frank sighed as he stared at the livestream on the screen. He knew that Noelle didn't visit him because she was hurt and sad. It was his punishment. When she had treated him well before, he had not been able to see her kindness. In her livestream, Frank gave ten gifts called "Carnivals," causing his name to dominate the screen for a while.

Noelle noticed the name associated with the lavish donation and pressed her lips together. She knew it was from Frank. She pretended not to see his name.

A viewer asked in the chat, "Ms. Nelly, are you going to the influencer event tomorrow night?"

Noelle replied, "Yes. I'll be attending."

"Wow! Is it hard to get into that event? I want to join so I can meet you in person!"

"I'll pay a huge sum for an invitation! Anyone selling?"

Noelle took a brief break before explaining the highlights of her matches from the evening. She meticulously analyzed the gunners' strengths and weaknesses and offered tips on which characters were best suited for different playstyles. She had learned those lessons through trial and error in her past life. She shared them openly, hoping to help others improve.

After ending her stream, Noelle massaged the back of her neck. She felt some soreness in her waist.

As she walked left the study and headed to the kitchen for some water, she saw Cedric standing at the entrance, clearly just arriving home.

Right then, their surroundings plunged into darkness.

Noelle asked, "What's going on? A blackout?"

She was thankful the power only went out after her stream had ended.

Cedric's voice came from somewhere in the darkness. "I'll call the property management."

"Alright. It may not be a power trip. The whole area looks dark from here. Probably a regional outage," Noelle guessed as she felt her way toward the couch.

Then, she accidentally knocked over a vase, causing it to fall on the ground. It startled her.

"Don't move!" Cedric's voice came sharp and stern.

Noelle stayed rooted to her spot. She didn't dare shift an inch as she couldn't see if there were any broken shards scattered.

She looked up and saw a faint beam of a phone's flashlight approaching.

Cedric walked toward her. His silhouette was concealed in the darkness, and only a dim glow of light showed the distance between them.

Noelle explained, "I came out to get water and didn't bring my phone. It's a good thing you returned at the right time."

She looked down and tried to observe the floor, but Cedric reached closer. "Give me your hand."

Noelle could feel his closeness and wondered if he planned to lift her out of that area.

She reached out to place her hands on his shoulders, and he carried her up in his arms. She could feel Cedric's warmth through her palms. His strong muscles were a stark contrast to her soft frame. It was the first time Noelle had ever been carried like this by someone she barely knew. It made her heart race uncontrollably.