No longer a pushover

Chapter 17

Noelle stood in the hallway, her gaze locking on Lucas.

Lucas, clearly embarrassed and on edge, was the first to break the silence. "You came to enjoy the show, didn't you? Having fun? Does it feel good to watch people mock our family's team? Bet you're loving this!" Noelle's expression remained cold and unyielding. "You're just not good enough."

Before Lucas could snap back, Team Trailblaze entered the backstage area.

Noelle's sharp gaze shifted toward their captain, Marty Gildon. He had been the one to spew insults before. "Let me ask you. Are you an orphan? Do you have any parents?" Marty's face darkened. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"It's literal. Your mouth is so disgusting. I figured that your parents might have passed away early and never had the chance to teach you any manners," Noelle said smoothly. Marty's fury ignited instantly. "You brat! Say that again, I dare you!"

Noelle's icy demeanor didn't crack for a second. "Here's the deal. If you lose this match, you'll publicly apologize to my parents in front of the press for the garbage you've just said." "Lose? Us? You're out of your mind!" Marty sneered.

"What's wrong? Too scared to agree?"

Marty took the bait without hesitation. "Fine! But if you lose, your captain has to publicly apologize for what you just said, too!"

With that, Team Trailblaze stormed off, their aggression practically radiating off of them.

Noelle remained calm. Deep down, though, she already knew how this would end.

Team Luminark was enveloped in a tense atmosphere.

Lucas scowled, his frustration boiling over. "If we lose, you're the one apologizing. Don't act like you're a part of this team, Noelle. You have no right to make decisions for us!"

"I'm only doing this to make him apologize for insulting my parents. Nothing more." Noelle's tone remained steady as she spoke.

Before Lucas could argue further, Frank came rushing into the room. "Noelle! Seeing you here makes me so happy. Finally, our family is back together."

Noelle pressed her lips into a thin line, offering no response.

around the room.

jaw tightening. "No idea. She ran off after I

Xenia was just really desperate to win. That's why she got

often trains on her computer late at night. She's doing her best,"

you said earlier was pretty harsh,"

as the words sank in. "Harsh? What do they mean, I was too harsh?" he

the team. Naturally, without the talent, she would have had to work harder to maintain

was that Xenia didn't have much talent. She had just made a big mistake. Lucas wondered if he couldn't call her out on it

team members, adding fuel to the fire. "Exactly! Xenia's worked so hard-sacrificing her schoolwork, no less-yet you still scold her, Lucas?

He questioned the reasoning behind this argument and wondered why this was suddenly his fault. Xenia was the one who didn't know what she was

nearby, fixed Lucas with a disapproving look. "Lucas, you really need to work on your temper. Think about how good Noelle used to be to you, and look

the same thing! This

It's obvious. You're the one who led the team into that trap. As the captain, you're responsible for the team's performance. Xenia only made

Lucas. No matter what he said, Frank

"Finally, Lucas is getting a taste of his own medicine. How does it feel to be blamed? Misunderstood? To have no way to defend yourself?" she thought. Meanwhile, Frank pulled out his phone and tried calling Xenia, but the line went unanswered.

broke through the silence. "If you want to win this match, you'll have

why the hell should we listen to

eyes locked onto his, steady and unyielding. "Because I know how to win."

closely observed Team Luminark's gameplay. She understood their strengths and weaknesses better than anyone. After all, they

because you've got some talent. You haven't even been training lately,

lips pressed into a thin line. "If you don't follow my

derision. "Quit, then. You think

escalate further, Frank stepped in. "If no one else has a better plan, we should at least try

to argue but found that he couldn't. Deep down, he knew that Frank was right. They didn't have any better options. Shortly after, the match

Xenia's seat. In her previous life, this seat had been hers. As she slipped on the headset, her eyes sharpened with determination. This time, she wasn't here to win Lucas' approval. She was fighting for herself. The unexpected player substitution by

the second floor of the arena, Cedric stood by the window, his gaze fixed on Noelle as she sat, focused

standing beside him, spoke first. "Didn't you say that she was just here to watch the chaos? Yet look