Noelle looked at ke''s handsome face and didn''t believe a single word he said.
She knew all too well how much ke loved putting on an act both on the job and in real life.
ke leaned closer with a faint smile and whispered, "I heard your team''s looking for a sponsor, so let me help you. Cooperate, alright?"
Noelle had no intention of cooperating, but ke held her firmly by her shoulders and feigned intimacy.
As they walked in together, media photographers waited. It was clear that ke had arranged all of this in advance.
If they were somewhere else, she wouldn''t have hesitated to refuse, but this was the case now. If she made a scene, it would only bring negative attention to the team.
ke had always kept his family life private and changed his stage name after entering the entertainment industry. Noelle couldn''t understand why he was doing this now.
ke faced the cameras and said warmly, "Everyone''s curious about how I got the injuries on my face. Noelle did it. We''ve been sparring recently, and she''s improved a lot. As her older brother, I can''t even beat her now."
ke''s public image was that of a warm caring brother.
Sure enough, fans gushed and expressed their envy toward Noelle for having such a wonderful sibling. But Noelle''s expression remained cold.
Suddenly, someone in the crowd called out, "ke treats you so well by giving you exposure and securing sponsorships. Why the long face?"
Noelle looked up and saw Samantha and Xenia standing among the fans. That got her wondering if Samantha was ke''s fan.
Xenia chimed in, "Smile a little, Noelle. People might think you''re mad at ke." Noelle''s hands clenched slightly. How irritating.
ke nced at her sideways and lowered his voice. "Just cooperate. This is for your good, isn''t it?"
Noelle fumed. She''d never asked for that!
That was what the Liddells had always done. They''d force their so-calledpensation onto her and do what they thought was the best for her.
"Why should Noelle cooperate with family members who have mistreated her? She cut ties with them, and I''m sure everyone is well aware." Ady in a baseball cap stepped forward.
When Noelle saw her, her eyes reddened slightly. It was Rachel, her former ss president.
Xenia froze and was surprised to run into a former ssmate.
ke''s expression turned cold, though he maintained his smile. "This is something I''ve recently learned about. Noelle did have some serious disagreements with the Liddells, but she''ll always be my irreceable sister."
Rachel pointed at Xenia and said, "What about her? You treated your adopted sister better than Noelle."
Xenia bit her lips at the word "adopted". She hated to hear anyone bring up her background.
Tears welled in her eyes as she said, "We were in the same ss, Rachel. I understand you were close to Noelle, but you can''t just make things up. The brothers have always been fair and treated us equally."
"Fair is making Noelle run errands and fetch meals even when you two were sick. Fair is forcing her, a top scorer in the college entrance exam, to give up a spot at Yole University and attend amunity college with you. I''m sure no one would want that kind of fairness."
Rachel knew exactly what had happened during those three years of high school.
The crowd erupted in shocked murmurs. Even the reporters were stunned and hadn''t expected such sensational revtions.
ke''s expression darkened. He leaned to Noelle and whispered, "Your ss president friend is loyal, but she shouldn''t have said all this in front of such arge crowd. Do you think I should teach her a lesson?"
"You''re not allowed to touch her," Noelle warned. She knew what ke was capable of.
ke''s smile widened. "Exin everything then, or your friend might find herself in trouble."
Noelle clenched her teeth and turned to Rachel. She was grateful for thetter''s support, but she couldn''t let anything happen to her.
She forced a smile and said, "That did happen, but they have nothing to do with ke. He''s always treated me well."