Other than Cedric, who could possibly make such an unreasonable request? However, Cedric would never ask something like that, either! After all, he was Cedric''s clever, adorable, and considerate little brother.


    Magnus stared at hisputer, feeling like Noelle''s question had a hidden meaning. However, no matter how much he thought about it, he couldn''t figure it out. What if he gave the wrong answer and left a bad impression on her?


    He was Cedric''s diligent, brave, and intelligent younger brother-there was no way he could mess this up.


    "Captain, are you in an online rtionship? You''re smiling so much. Who are you chatting with?"


    "Get lost. What online rtionship? I''m chatting with Ms. Nelly, but she asked me a really strange question."


    "What question?"


    Magnus repeated Noelle''s question earlier. His teammate suddenly had a realization. "Oh, damn. She''s trying to set you up!"


    "Don''t talk nonsense! Why would she do that?"


    "Think about it, Captain. Didn''t Ms. Nelly publicly say she was challenging us onpetition day? We''ll be opponents next year.


    "Now, she''s trying to figure out what could make you quit the match. Isn''t her intention obvious?"


    Magnus gave it some serious thought. "You know, that actually makes sense."


    His bias for Noelle was so strong that he almost got caught up in her trick! What if she sweet-talked Cedric, whispered some pillow talk, and then Cedric turned around and ordered him to quit thepetition?


    Cedric was definitely capable of something like that. Oh no, he shouldn''t dig a hole for himself like that. His head could roll, his blood could spill, but the match couldn''t be lost!


    Magnus stared at Noelle''s message, hesitating on how to respond.


    "Who is it, really?


    "Are you still online?"


    Noelle waited for a while but didn''t get a reply from Magnus, her anxiety growing. Was there really such a person? She desperately wanted to know who it was. However, Magnus logged off before she could press further. He patted his chest, relieved. He''d almost slipped up; he couldn''t reveal his weakness, not even to his future sister-inw!


    Just then, Magnus''s phone buzzed. It was a WhatsApp message from Noelle. "Did you log off because something came up?"


    Magnus felt a headacheing on. He needed to devise a good excuse to smooth things over and ensure she didn''t connect it back to Cedric.


    Meanwhile, Noelle held her phone, waiting for a reply, but none came. Maybe Magnus really had something urgent.


    Still, when she saw his earlier response, her heart started racing for some reason.


    Was there really such a person? Who could it be? She wanted to know the answer, but she also feared that the truth might disappoint her.


    Noelle wrote up a detailed training n for the recruits and handed it to her senior, instructing them to train the team ording to her n.


    After leaving the base, she headed straight to the gym. Her mind was in chaos, and she needed a distraction.


    Boxing seemed like the perfect way to clear her head. Otherwise, she might end up asking Magnus directly. But reason told her she couldn''t do that.


    What if Magnus wasn''t the person she thought he was? What if the ount was just someone with the same name?


    The gym owner was surprised to see Noelle. "You didn''t book a session in advance today?"


    "No, it was ast-minute decision. Is the coach not here?"


    "He''s not. I''ll give him a call."


    The coach was exclusively assigned to Noelle and only came to the gym when she had booked a session. Usually, he wasn''t around.


    Even the boxing equipment in the ring had been reced with high-end brands worth more than the entire investment in the gym itself. At this point, the owner felt more like an employee than the actual boss.


    Noelle changed into her workout gear and went straight to the boxing area. She put on her gloves and began hitting the punching bag.


    Images of her past life surfaced in her mind-the days after she was kicked out of the Liddell residence.


    The Liddells had blocked all her paths. Whenever she found a job, she would quickly be dismissed. She even tried working in the ck market, but her name was infamous there, and no one would hire her.