No longer a pushover (Noelle and Cedric) novel Chapter 1099

Noelle hadn't expected Xenia's body to be brought back, too. No wonder Cedric said he needed to take a call—it must've taken quite a while to sort that out.

Cedric said, "They sent her remains to the funeral home. It's right near your parents' cemetery."

At that, Noelle's fingers tightened around her utensils. She replied calmly, "They did that on purpose. Just to get under my skin."

"I figured as much," Cedric said.

A wave of irritation stirred in Noelle's chest. Why did she always have to be the one swallowing her anger while the other side kept pushing?

She turned to Cedric. "I don't want Xenia buried anywhere near my parents."

"Whatever you want to do, I'm with you."

Her tone turned grim as she added, "Then let someone send them a message. If they even try to bury her near my family, I'll have the whole damn grave dug up."

Seriously—this nonsense was never-ending.

She looked straight at Cedric. "Since she wants to put on a performance and pretend to be a loving mother, I'll let her have the stage."

Originally, Noelle thought everything was over when Xenia died. She hadn't intended to do anything to a corpse. But now that the woman was still stirring trouble, Noelle had no plans to play the victim anymore.

Cedric handed her the menu. "Yeah. There's no need to tolerate this anymore."

"I just don't get it," Noelle mumbled, frowning. "She stayed hidden for so many years. Now, suddenly, she shows up? Is it because she thinks it's safe or because she thinks I can't touch her?"

If it was the second one, Noelle was really starting to believe Xenia's mother might have had a hand in everything, too.

Cedric spoke evenly. "Probably both. She's always been arrogant. Women like her slip up eventually."

Her grandmother looked a little guilty. "When did I ever say that? Don't be so bitter, child."

"Yeah, Rachel. Sure, you got into a great school, but who knows what the future holds? Ashton only went to a second-tier college but now works at a public company. Boys tend to rise a little later. That's normal."

Another relative chimed in, "And just now, when you stood up for your friend, it was like you didn't even care about your own family. So what if she's dating some rich heir?

"That won't do anything for you. She's not going to help you in the future."

Rachel's mother tugged her arm. "Enough already. We're celebrating your grandma's birthday—why start drama? And honestly, if your friend's so well-connected, why didn't you introduce her to Ashton?"

Rachel looked like she was about to lose it. "Mom, look at Ashton! He acts like he's better than everyone. What introduction?

"He's just trying to climb the social ladder and land some rich heiress. But the truth is—those girls don't even want anything to do with him!"