No longer a pushover (Noelle and Cedric) novel Chapter 857

"Your dad left you in my care before he passed, but I haven't really done much. Think of this as my way of fulfilling that promise.

"Once I'm gone, they'll definitely come after you again, so be careful," Ivy warned.

Mia nodded. "I understand."

She'd been fooled once, and there was no way she'd let it happen again.

After the call ended, Noelle handed her a napkin. "Wipe your tears. Everything's fine now. I'll be with you for whatever you want to do."

Mia nodded and looked around. "Are you living with Cedric?"

Noelle froze. "No, of course not."

"Why did I see men's slippers? And you didn't tell him the address earlier, but he drove here like he'd been here several times."

She stared at Mia and teased, "You were that upset and still noticed these details?"

"I'm a journalist and trained to catch details. It's instinct," Mia replied. Now that she knew her inheritance was safe, her mood had clearly improved.

She glanced around again. "No clothes lying around, so you probably don't come here often."

Clicking her tongue, she continued, "Cedric is kind of disappointing. He looks at you like he wants to devour you, but he hasn't made a move?"

"What nonsense are you sprouting?" Noelle's face turned bright red.

Then came the sound of the door unlocking. Cedric was back.

Noelle quickly let go of Mia's hand while her face was still red from the frustration. She immediately got up and offered, "Let me help you."

Cedric placed the bags on the floor and noticed her flushed ears.

His gaze darkened slightly as he handed her a bag and said, "These are a few toiletries I just grabbed. Here's dinner. Let me set it up on the table."

As Noelle took the bag, her hand brushed against his warm fingers, and she was instantly reminded of Mia's words.

Turning, she brought the bag to Mia. "Stay with me."

Mia glanced at her. "I'll take the guest room, while you two can have the master bedroom."

Hearing that, Cedric visibly tensed. He gave Noelle a meaningful glance and said, "I'll sleep on the couch."

"I don't think there's much in there, but you can double-check."

It was true that Cedric hadn't stayed here often. There was probably nothing inside, but it was better to have a thorough check.

Noelle went to the guest room and confirmed there wasn't much other than having to change the sheets. After opening the wardrobe, she found a set of men's pajamas and a pair of boxes.

With a flushed face, she stuffed the boxers inside the pajamas and carried them into her bedroom.

Cedric had set the dinner table and was standing to the side. "All ready?"

Noelle nodded, but she couldn't meet his eyes. Then, the three of them sat down to eat together.

Mia asked about the car, and Noelle started telling her what they'd done earlier that day, which got Mia laughing so hard her stomach hurt.

"Aunt Salena spent so much effort on that lawn! She loves those clean, picturesque garden vibes, and you guys ran it right over! I bet she's too mad to even eat dinner."

Noelle laughed along. "It was all Cedric's idea. He's the worst."

Cedric looked up and shot Noelle a glance. He was the worst?