Blake looked a little upset. He said, "Noelle, I swear—right here in front of Mom and Dad—I promise I'll be a good brother from now on."
Noelle lowered her gaze and murmured, "But I don't need my brothers anymore." After saying this, she walked away.
Cedric stepped in front of Blake, his stare sharp and cold. "You should know by now that with everything you've done to her over the years, an apology isn't going to erase any of it."
"I'm not trying to erase anything," Blake said quickly. "I just want to explain things to her. Mr. Greene, please don't get in the way."
Cedric didn't budge. "If you really want to make things right, have you ever asked her what she wants? Or asked what kind of apology she needed? Or are all of you just doing this to ease your own guilt?"
His words hit like a punch to the gut, and Blake couldn't say a word. He knew exactly what Noelle wanted, but he couldn't bring himself to accept that she no longer saw him as family. As long as there was even the tiniest chance, he still wanted to stay close to her.
Looking defeated, Blake asked, "Carl, what do we do? How can we get Noelle to forgive us?"
Carl stared at Cedric's back. "He's a real thorn in our side, isn't he?"
If Cedric hadn't been around, Noelle probably wouldn't have grown so strong so fast—and the Liddell family wouldn't be in such a miserable place right now.
Blake nodded in agreement. "I know, right? That guy is always getting in the way, but we can't afford to make him our enemy."
After all, the Liddell Corporation nearly went bankrupt because of him once.
Carl flashed a cold smile. "No one's untouchable. People are fragile creatures."
Blake turned to look at him, feeling a chill crawl up his spine. That smile unsettled him, reminding him of the secrets he'd seen on that island.
He blurted, "Carl, Noelle is our sister. I know you've got your unusual methods, but you cannot use them on her. No way!"
Carl paused, then his expression softened into a gentler smile. He looked at the old black-and-white photo of their parents. "I won't. She's my sister, and I'll treat her well."
He meant it—he wouldn't let Noelle get hurt.


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