No longer a pushover (Noelle and Cedric) novel Chapter 444

Magnus retorted, "Why can't you marry her? It's the 21st century—men and women are equal! Just tell Dad to be open-minded and stop being so petty—Ouch! Why'd you hit me?"

Emma's eye twitched in frustration. She could not help but think Magnus was born to drive her insane.

Magnus quickly put some distance between them. "I'm not wrong, though! Since when did engagements not require the actual couple's consent?"

"Shut your mouth!" Emma rubbed her temples angrily, shooting Cedric a look before storming off. She needed to think this through.

Cedric turned to Magnus. "What are you even doing at the hospital?"

"I-I obviously came here for a check-up! But then I heard Noelle got hurt, so I came to see her," he replied.

"She's fine. She doesn't need you checking on her. I have something else for you to do," Cedric said as he watched Emma's retreating figure.

If she had found her way to the hospital, then the Merlocks definitely would not be far behind. At the very least, he needed to get ahead of the rumors before Noelle was discharged. He would not let her suffer even the slightest injustice.

Shifting his focus back to Magnus, he decided the most useful person right now was standing right before him.

Magnus suddenly felt a chill run down his spine. "Ced, just say what you need to say! Don't look at me like that—it's making me nervous."

That look never meant anything good.

...

After giving Magnus his instructions, Cedric returned to Noelle's hospital room, only to find her looking a little down. He walked over and asked, "What's wrong? Who called you just now?"

Noelle hesitated, unsure if she should bring it up with him. Before she could decide, the doctor entered for a routine check-up.

After reviewing her chart, he said, "Ms. Liddell, if you're not experiencing any discomfort, you can be discharged today."

"Alright. Thank you, doctor," she replied. Honestly, she had felt fine for days, but Cedric had insisted on keeping her in the hospital.

Once the doctor left, Cedric noticed how happy she looked and immediately knew she had been going stir-crazy in there.

After finishing the discharge paperwork, Noelle planned to head back to her dorm. She had already missed too many classes and was worried about her team's training base—she needed to check in on things.

Cedric had no choice but to drive her back to campus. When they arrived at the school gates, he held her hand.

"It stings a little when touched, but it's nothing serious," Noelle replied. After closing the door behind her, she noticed that the once-empty bed in their dorm had been claimed.

Grace spoke up. "Someone just moved in today, but she hasn't stayed the night yet. From the looks of it, she's loaded—everything she brought is designer."

Ever since Jessica took a leave of absence and moved out, it had just been the two of them. Nevertheless, Noelle did not think much of it. After washing up, she went straight to bed.

...

The next morning, Noelle still wore shorts and a T-shirt, which were perfectly normal for summer. However, the bruises on her arms and legs stood out even more.

As she walked toward the lecture hall, she spotted Xenia. Unlike her, Xenia was dressed in long sleeves and pants, clearly covering up her own injuries. The moment she saw Noelle, Xenia rushed over, grabbed her hand, and started crying.

"Noelle, this is all my fault! If it weren't for me, you and Blake wouldn't have had that misunderstanding! If you're going to blame someone, blame me!"

Noelle's expression remained cold. "Blame you for what? Speak up so everyone can hear."

Xenia's eyes flickered, but after a brief hesitation, she clenched her jaw—then suddenly dropped to her knees.