No longer a pushover (Noelle and Cedric)

As Cedric watched the scene, a mix of exasperation and helplessness washed over him. He knew he shouldn't have let Noelle drink; even cocktails were too much.

At a nearby VIP booth, Justin noticed Noelle dancing and immediately whistled. "Not bad."

Watching from the side, Xenia felt a stab of jealousy. Of course, those seductive, vixen-like girls always managed to grab men's attention. She had always kept Justin at arm's length, never truly considering him.

But today, she had received a call that she suspected was from her father, and panic flooded her. If she lost the Liddell family's support, she'd have to find a scion to marry quickly. So, when Justin confessed to her at the bar, she reluctantly agreed. Xenia gritted her teeth, "Justin, let's go dance."

"Okay."noveldrama

Justin's gaze remained fixed on the girl dancing in the middle of the floor. But with Xenia beside him, he couldn't show too much interest. After all, he had only just managed to win her over today, and they'd even spent the night together. Soon, Noelle noticed out of the corner of her eye that Justin and Xenia were approaching.

How annoying.

She turned and walked toward Cedric, but a greasy dude blocked her path just then. "Ms. Fox, you dance so sexy. Want to have a drink with me? My treat." "No need."

Noelle firmly rejected him, but the man was persistent. "You're here alone anyway; don't be so pretentious." "Who said I'm alone?"

Noelle walked up to Cedric, hooking her arm around his, and said to the greasy man, "This is my boyfriend."

When Cedric heard this, he looked deeply at the girl beside him. The lights were dim, but to him, Noelle seemed to glow.

His throat tightened as he glanced at the greasy man, his gaze cold and sharp, carrying an oppressive weight.

The greasy man instantly recoiled, muttering in embarrassment, "Stop talking nonsense. I didn't see any interaction between you two. He's not really your boyfriend, right?"

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"Says who?"

IMS

Noelle stood on tiptoe, kissed Cedric's cheek, and then looked back at the man. "Isn't this proof enough?"

Cedric froze momentarily, the soft

kiss feeling like a feather grazing his chest yet heavy enough to knock the wind out of him. The music on the dance floor blared, but he could feel his heartbeat stutter.

The greasy man finally backed off after seeing the situation.

Noelle let out a breath of relief. Then, realizing what she had just done, she looked up at Cedric. "Well, I only kissed you to get rid of that

greasy guy's harassment."

At that moment, she felt like she had overstepped. She was a little tipsy, and perhaps the music and the atmosphere had given her the nerve to go through with it.

Cedric's gaze darkened like a vortex pulling her in.

Noelle felt uneasy under his gaze. "Uh, you're not mad, are you? Are you worried your girlfriend might get jealous if she finds out?"

She admitted her actions were a bit intentional. She couldn't quite control how much she liked him.

Though many people were around, Cedric reached out and embraced Noelle. He lowered his gaze and asked, "Do you know what it means to kiss a man like that?"

His voice was slightly hoarse. In his arms, Noelle could feel the warmth of his chest, and her heartbeat quickened.

Her courage growing, she met his gaze and answered softly, "I know."

Her clear eyes gazed at him sincerely.