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.

the room. "Where's

his jaw tightening. "No idea. She

before speaking up. "Lucas, Xenia was just really desperate to win. That's why she got so worked up. She didn't mean

so hard. She often trains on her computer

Honestly, what you said earlier was pretty harsh,"

as the words sank in. "Harsh? What do

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

much talent. She had just made a big mistake. Lucas wondered if he couldn't call her

"Exactly! Xenia's worked so hard-sacrificing her schoolwork, no

with frustration. He questioned the reasoning behind this argument and wondered why this was suddenly his fault. Xenia was

your temper. Think about how good Noelle used to be to you, and look at what you did to her. You yelled at her, broke her heart, and drove her away.

the same thing! This was Xenia's

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

over Lucas. No matter

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. "Forget about her for now. Let's focus on

through the silence. "If you want to win this match, you'll have to follow my lead for the

"And why the hell should

dark eyes locked onto his, steady and unyielding. "Because I know how to win." Her tone was sharp,

the match, she had closely observed Team Luminark's gameplay. She understood their strengths and weaknesses better than anyone.

talent. You haven't even been training lately,

pressed into a thin line. "If you don't follow my lead, I'll quit the match

sound filled with derision. "Quit, then. You think you're so

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

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

determination. This time, she wasn't here to win Lucas' approval. She was

the arena, Cedric stood by the window, his gaze fixed on Noelle as she

that she was just here to watch the chaos? Yet look at her now-she's stepping in to compete. No