No longer a pushover (Noelle and Cedric) novel 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.

Frank glanced around the room. "Where's Xenia?"

Lucas' expression hardened, his jaw tightening. "No idea. She ran off after I called her out."

The rest of the team shifted uncomfortably before speaking up. "Lucas, Xenia was just really desperate to win. That's why she got so worked up. She didn't mean for things to go wrong."

"Exactly. She's been working so hard. She often trains on her computer late at night. She's doing her best," another chimed in.

"Yeah, Lucas. Honestly, what you said earlier was pretty harsh," added a third.

Lucas' frustration simmered as the words sank in. "Harsh? What do they mean, I was too harsh?" he thought bitterly.

It had been Xenia's idea to join the team. Naturally, without the talent, she would have had to work harder to maintain her position.

The reality 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 as the team captain.

Noelle chimed in with the other team members, adding fuel to the fire. "Exactly! Xenia's worked so hard—sacrificing her schoolwork, no less—yet you still scold her, Lucas? Sure, you're only about to lose the match, but Xenia? She's lost her dignity!"

Lucas felt his chest tighten with frustration. 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 doing!

Frank, who was standing 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 at what you did to her. You yelled at her, broke her heart, and drove her away. Is that what you want to happen with Xenia, too?"

"Frank, that's not even the same thing! This was Xenia's fault—" Lucas shot back.

"Enough. I watched the live stream, Lucas. 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 mistakes because she was too anxious."

A wave of helplessness washed over Lucas. No matter what he said, Frank refused to listen.