No longer a pushover (Noelle and Cedric)

Noelle did not just see Emma-Laura was right beside her. The moment Cedric heard her say that name, a chill ran down his spine. He turned his head, and sure enough, Emma and Laura were standing at the entrance of L Bistro.

His gaze lingered for a second before he looked down at Noelle and said, "Let's just focus on our meal."

He had already made things crystal clear to both Emma and Laura. He had never agreed to an engagement with Laura before, and now that Noelle was in his life, he certainly was not going to entertain the idea.

Noelle followed Cedric back inside the private dining room. After some thought, she said, "Now that the supplier bribery scandal is out, Ms. Merlock's charity foundation is getting dragged into the mess. That's probably why the Liddells are trying to smooth things over with the Cantrells tonight."

Cedric was well aware of the situation. "Don't worry. If everyone is caught up in the same scandal, they have no right to look down on your parents' foundation." Noelle looked up at him, unexpectedly touched that he mentioned her parents. She made up her mind-when the holidays came around, she had to bring Cedric home to meet them.

To her, the Liddell brothers were not family-Cedric was the only exception.

Meanwhile, Cedric had already planned how to handle the situation, ensuring that the foundation would not suffer because of it. If it were not for the fact that Xenia's backer was still a mystery, he would have dealt with the entire mess in one go.

Just then, Cedric's phone rang. Seeing Alfred's name on the screen, he handed the menu to Noelle. "Pick what you want to eat. I'll take this call."

Cedric stepped out onto the small balcony and leaned against the railing with one hand. "What is it?"

"You used my name to go on a date at L Bistro again? My aunt just called me, saying one of my 'friends' was at L Bistro, deliberately making things difficult for the Liddells and refusing to let them in."

Cedric's voice was cold. "They deserved a little lesson."

"Fine, but that's not the main issue. Donovan invited my aunt to L Bistro tonight- he's obviously trying to fix the foundation's financial scandal. The Liddells have some nerve to expose this mess, though. They've pissed off quite a few people."

Cedric was not happy about that either. "Ms. Cantrell isn't even your aunt's daughter, so why is she so invested in this?"

"My aunt adores Mia. Do you know how the Cantrell family's business is currently run by the second wife's side?

"After the eldest son passed away a

few years

ago, all that's left from the

first marriage is Mia and her younger half-brother. He's just a kid; a widow and her son can't fight for much, so my aunt has no choice but to step in."

Alfred's meaning was obvious—his aunt was only involved for Mia's sake.

Cedric's tone remained indifferent. "I don't

about any of that. If the s interfere with Noelle

foundation, I won't be hof the "

Alfred was silent for a moment before asking, "What exactly happened?"

Cedric briefly explained the situation.

Alfred cursed in frustration. "The Liddells are disgusting. Xenia,

people? Seriously? Are they fact

desperate? Fine, I'll handle my aunt."

After hanging up, Cedric returned to the private dining room, his sharp gaze softening as he walked in.

The food had already arrived, and Noelle glanced up at him, explaining, "I saw you were still on the phone, so I just went ahead and ordered."

"Good. Let's eat."

Cedric sat down and casually picked up some food for Noelle. "Was Alfred calling about those two stuck outside?"

"Yeah. Don't worry-they're not getting in."

Noelle finally relaxed a little. "I just don't know how the Cantrells will react. They'll probably take Donovan's side."

If the Cantrells decided to go against the foundation, things could get complicated.noveldrama

"They won't. Alfred will explain the situation to his aunt."

Noelle frowned slightly. "What does his aunt have to do with this?"

"Alfred's aunt married into the Cantrell family. She's the one calling the shots there now."