No longer a pushover (Noelle and Cedric)

Noelle stepped out of the car and glanced around. The spa looked high-end- definitely the kind of place frequented by wealthy socialites.

Before she could take a second look, a staff member approached her with a polite smile. "Ms. Liddell, please follow me."

She followed them inside, changed into a spa robe, and was led to a private suite. It was only then that she noticed Emma reclining in a chair with a face mask on.

"Noelle, you're here!" Emma sat up and patted the seat next to her. "You should try it, too. The estheticians here have excellent techniques."

Before Noelle could say anything, someone gently pushed her onto a reclining chair. Then, something was smeared onto her face, and a pair of skilled hands began to massage her skin.

She felt uneasy, but more than that, she was confused. By now, Emma should have heard about her relationship with Cedric. Usually, the response would be to throw a check at her and demand she leave him.

Noelle could not figure out Emma's approach. Nonetheless, by the time the massage ended, she felt much more relaxed.

Sitting up, she glanced at Emma and said, "I doubt you asked me here just for a spa treatment."

"You're right. There's something else," Emma replied and clapped her hands. Within seconds, several attendants walked in, carrying stacks of gift bags. They piled them around Noelle until she was practically surrounded.

Noelle eyed the bags and let out a quiet sigh. "Mrs. Greene, if you have something to say, just say it. There's no need for all the theatrics."

Emma dismissed the attendants with a wave of her hand. Once they were alone, she let out a soft sigh and looked at Noelle with a complicated expression. She began, "I know this is going to make things awkward between us."

Before finding out who Noelle was, Emma had actually liked her quite a bit.

Noelle spoke first. "Cedric and I have already broken up."noveldrama

"Huh?" Emma's eyes widened in shock.

She had tried so hard to convince Cedric to end things, yet he had never agreed. Now, hearing Noelle say it so calmly made her uneasy, and she wondered if Noelle had already known everything.

Noelle's voice remained steady. "He hid his real identity from me throughout our

relationship. I see that as deception, so I chose to walk away."

Emma's expression wavered with guilt. If that was all Noelle knew, then Cedric

must not have told her about the accident from years ago.

Emma reached out and gently held Noelle's hand. "I admit that our family wronged you. That's why want to make it up to you. Noelle, would you be willing to become my goddaughter?"

Goddaughter? A flicker of irony flashed through Noelle's eyes. So, this was how Emma planned to make things right.

Emma squeezed her hand, her tone soft yet sincere. "Sweetheart, I'm not trying to insult you. If you become my goddaughter, no one will dare mistreat you again."

Emma truly wanted to make amends. After learning how miserable Noelle's life with the Liddells had been, Emma had barely slept in days.

Noelle did not quite know how to react to such kindness. "Mrs. Greene, you don't have to do this. Cedric and I are truly over, and I won't be chasing after him in the future."

"This isn't about him—I just want a daughter. I even prepared a lot of gifts for you. Take them."

Emma pushed a gift box into Noelle's hands. Inside, Noelle found a car key-one for a luxury vehicle—and a thick stack of real estate deeds.

For a moment, Noelle was stunned. Instead of throwing a check at her, Emma was giving her a mansion and a luxury car.

Before she could process it, Emma handed her a legal document. "I mean it, Noelle. If you become my daughter, you'll inherit my assets. All you need to do is sign, and O everything listed here will be yours."

Noelle glanced at the papers. The assets, including stocks and shares, had to be worth hundreds of millions of dollars.

Emma was practically pulling her hand toward the document, ready to press her fingerprint on it. Noelle did not move. "Mrs. Greene-"

"Call me Emma! And today, you are accepting all these gifts! From this moment on, you are part of the Greene family!"