Chapter 2 Turning Twenty
Deep within the military compound, in a small building guarded by armed soldiers, Finnick set down his newspaper and looked toward Noelle, who was curled up on the sofa, typing away on her laptop.
“You little rascal, have you made up your mind?” he asked.
Noelle had officially turned twenty today. It was her birthday, and since she would be leaving for Jamore soon, Finnick had invited her over for a meal.
The once-little girl had blossomed into a graceful young woman, flawlessly inheriting her parents’ striking features, yet her temperament had only grown more withdrawn.
Finnick sighed. Had they been right or wrong to set her on this path all those years ago?
This child was unbelievably lazy in every aspect except for computers, which she was passionate about.
If they hadn’t forced her to train physically over the years, she would probably be weaker than him, an old man in his seventies.
Left to her own devices, she would spend all twenty-four hours of the day in front of a computer, except for when she was asleep.
With no other choice, they had to scare her into moving.
Her line of work was dangerous. If someone ever targeted her, she wouldn’t even have the ability to defend herself. That was why they assigned people to train her every day and kept a close watch on her.
Even so, Noelle still managed to sneak her way out of training whenever she could. The only reason her marksmanship was top-tier was that shooting didn’t require movement.
The more Finnick thought about it, the angrier he got. His beard practically bristled with frustration.
Finally, Noelle lifted her head from her laptop and looked at him helplessly.
“Calm down, old man. If you get sick from anger, no one can take your place.”
“You’re going whether you want to or not. Jamore is setting up a new cybersecurity department, and this is your assignment. Headquarters specifically named you for the job.”
Finnick was insistent. Of course, he and the others had pulled some strings, not just for Noelle’s sake, but for other reasons as well. She was simply the best candidate for the role.
“I’ll take the assignment, but what’s this nonsense about enrolling in university? What am I supposed to learn?”
These old men really knew how to make trouble for her. She already had more than enough to do.
Besides, she had learned everything she needed a long time ago, so going to university would be a complete waste of time.
“Kid, you’re only twenty. Can’t you have a hobby or two? Put down the computer and have a real life. Go to university, experience something new, and make some friends. Wouldn’t that be nice?”
At twenty years old, she lived like a monk, completely detached from worldly pleasures.
She had no friends, no interests beyond food, and when it came to clothes, she would wear whatever was most convenient.
She was a beautiful young woman, yet she dressed worse than an old man like him.
Noelle sighed. She really didn’t need this.
“Please stop worrying, Finnick. I’m perfectly happy with the way things are.”
Finnick sighed. “It’s my fault. I should have insisted on sending you to school back then, so you could live like a normal child. I just want you to experience student life, that’s all. You’re still young, and there’s time. I don’t want you to regret it later and blame an old man like me. Who knows if I’ll still be around by then?”
Listening to Finnick’s endless nagging, Noelle was speechless. He was getting more unreasonable with age.
“What if I get bullied at school? Haven’t you ever heard of school violence?”
Finnick nearly choked. Who could possibly bully her?
Noelle might seem quiet and indifferent, but if someone provoked her, she would skin them alive.
She wasn’t the type to let things slide—far from it. Over the years, the number of people who had suffered at her hands was beyond counting.
“Jamore is Carlos’ territory. With him around, do you really think anyone would dare bully you?”
Though he was silently cursing her logic, Finnick still answered smoothly.
“Well…”
“Kid, we old folks don’t have many years left. While we’re still around, can’t you just take a few years to live a little?”
His tone grew wistful, and for a moment, Noelle had nothing to say. She understood what Finnick meant. He genuinely cared about her.
Her journey hadn’t been easy. Since the death of her parents, she hadn’t lived a single day as an ordinary person. Her years had been marked by a relentless pattern of studying, training, and working.
Finnick wanted to carve out a few peaceful years for her and give her a taste of normalcy.
Seeing her deep in thought, Finnick sighed internally. He knew he was asking a lot of her. Sending her to Jamore wasn’t just about her. It was also about…
The position was critical. He couldn’t bring himself to ask her to stay, so this was the only way they could compensate her.
At least if she stayed in the military, even after they were gone, she would have the freedom to live however she wanted.
“I’ll go.”
Seeing the sadness on Finnick’s face, Noelle relented. She understood what he was thinking. It was her own decision, after all.
University had flexible rules, and with her special status, it wasn’t like she would have to be there all the time.
She would just show up for registration to put them at ease. Whether she attended classes or not would be her own business.
After dinner at Finnick’s house and chatting with him for a while, Noelle got ready to leave.
She wasn’t the type to hesitate. Since she had made up her mind, it was time to start preparing for her move to Jamore.
Before she left, Finnick reminded her, “Once you get to Jamore, don’t forget to visit the Sandback family.”
Noelle’s eyes flickered slightly. The Sandback family was her mother’s family. Zoey had been the daughter of Jamore’s prestigious Sandback family.
She had only met them once when she was eleven. That year, her parents’ project had finally been completed. The results were enough to deter any hostile forces from making a move.
That was when the military publicly acknowledged her parents’ contributions and laid them to rest in the Heroes’ Cemetery. Her grandparents and a few relatives had come from Jamore to pay their respects.
They had wanted to take her back to Jamore, but she refused. After that, she never saw them again. Contact was rare, except for the occasional phone call from her eldest uncle.
Based on what she had looked up, the Sandback family was considered a second-tier power in Jamore.
The old patriarch had three sons and two daughters. Her mother, Zoey, was the fourth child, with two older brothers, an older sister, and a younger brother.
Her eldest uncle was now the head of the family. If her instincts were right, her grandmother probably didn’t like her very much.
Her father had been an orphan, and when her mother insisted on marrying him, the Sandback family had opposed it.
They had even found a suitable match for her mother, but Zoey had eloped with Adrian instead.
It was only after her parents’ careers took off that relations with the Sandback family had somewhat improved.
However, their work kept them busy, and by the time her mother passed away, she hadn’t visited the Sandback family in years. At least in Noelle’s memory, the first time she had ever met them was when she was eleven.
Thinking about facing that entire family made Noelle’s face remain impassive, but internally, she was already screaming. Ugh, so annoying!
“Got it.”
