No longer a pushover (Noelle and Cedric) novel Chapter 844

Cedric set his phone down. Even though Noelle hadn't replied, he was sure she'd show up at Maple Enterprise that afternoon. He hadn't been able to sleep the night before, tossing and turning as his thoughts kept circling back to her.

Just then, Alfred walked in and signaled for the assistant to leave the office. Cedric glanced up and asked, "What is it?"

"I heard Mrs. Greene is sick. Something about a terminal illness?"

Cedric shot him a sharp look. "Are you that gullible, too?"

"I knew it. Would you even be in the office today if she were really sick? Rumors like that can ruin lives."

Alfred dropped into the seat across from him and continued, "It probably has something to do with the Merlocks again. But if you go after them now, you might end up angering Mrs. Greene."

"So what, you want me to just swallow this rage?"

Alfred replied, "Not exactly. But there's no need for you to personally bring down the Merlocks. Once Mrs. Merlock gets arrested and everything they did back then gets exposed, they'll collapse on their own. That way, Mrs. Greene won't be blindsided either."

If Cedric made a move now, Emma wouldn't just lose her face; she'd be deeply hurt, too.

Cedric's expression stayed cold. "I tolerated the Merlocks this long only because of their good relationship with my mom. Yet, they are rotten, and I don't want people like them near her anymore."

"I get it. But back when your dad passed and your mom spiraled into depression, it was Mrs. Merlock who stayed with her all those years. Sure, her motives weren't pure, but Mrs. Greene really opened her heart to her."

Cedric's eyes narrowed. "Did your mom send you to talk me down?"

Alfred scratched the bridge of his nose. "She's not wrong, though. You doing this now will seriously hurt Mrs. Greene.

"But if your goal is to make her see how the Merlocks have been using you, then play the long game. She'll figure it out eventually."

Cedric clenched the file in his hands, clearly struggling with the idea.

Alfred reached over, snatched the file, and tore it in half. "Destroying the Merlocks right now isn't your priority. What matters is exposing the truth, making them pay for what they did, and giving Nelly a reason to forgive everything and be with you again."

By then, the Merlocks wouldn't even need a push from Cedric—they'd go down on their own.

That afternoon, Noelle walked into Maple Enterprise with her crossbody bag slung over her shoulder. It had been a long time since her last visit.

She and her team had already completed the core system a while back, and any minor bugs could be handled remotely, so there hadn't been much need for her to come in physically.

Still, the moment she stepped into the company, she felt a wave of nostalgia wash over her. After all, without Maple Enterprise, she wouldn't be where she was. Once the company went public, her financial freedom would be officially secured.

As Noelle walked into the workspace, she greeted her coworkers warmly. It had really been a while—these days, most communication happened in the group chat.

During the meeting, she saw Cedric walk into the conference room with Alfred right behind him. She immediately felt his gaze but instinctively looked away.

Cedric noticed her subtle reaction and quickly shifted his eyes elsewhere.

After Alfred sat down, someone in the room spoke up. "Mr. Parham, word is that Liddell Corporation is close to collapsing. Should we make a move and teach them a lesson?"

Noelle's ears perked up at the mention of Liddell Corporation, and she immediately looked up. She wondered if the Liddell Corporation was truly on the verge of bankruptcy.