Chapter 6 Looking Down On Noelle
Now, no one would bother debating whether Noelle was polite or not. With the way they put her in her place, it was already surprising that she even made it to the Sandback residence.
Ryder was a bit confused. Back then, my parents had adored Zoey. Why didn’t they like Noelle? Even if they didn’t like her, there was no need to go this far, right?
Making things so difficult for a child was truly disgraceful.
Jacinda had a hunch. It was most likely Zayla stirring things up. That woman had always loved causing trouble. She had treated Jacinda the same way even though Jacinda was her sister-in-law.
Back then, out of jealousy, Zayla had done plenty of awful things to her own biological sister, Zoey, too.
Since Jacinda had been part of the Sandback family for a long time, she was well aware of the things others might not see clearly. She just chose not to meddle.
Noelle was Zoey’s only daughter, and Zayla was afraid she had come back to take what belonged to her own daughters.
Other than one daughter in the second branch, the only other granddaughters the Sandback elders had were Zayla’s two daughters. The elderly couple had always treated the sisters well.
Now that Noelle had shown up, how could they not feel anxious?
From the looks of it, Noelle was nothing like her mother. Zayla wouldn’t be able to gain any advantage over her.
Jacinda was happy to watch the drama unfold.
“Granddad, Granny, I apologize for my rudeness,” Noelle said calmly.
No matter what, they were still her mother’s family, but this would be the only time she acknowledged them as such.
As soon as she spoke, the expressions of the three Sandback brothers grew complicated, and they sighed.
Noelle was not in the wrong. The ones who had been disrespectful were not her.
There was nothing they could say. After all, it was their grandparents and aunt who had acted so inappropriately.
Ryder felt a bit relieved. Noelle was a good child who knew how to consider the bigger picture.
Yelena’s face flushed red in anger. After reprimanding them, Noelle now wanted to play the good guy and make them look like the villains.
“Elle, we did forget to send someone to pick you up, but do you really have to make such a fuss and ruin everyone’s mood?” Yuliana complained, clearly displeased.
Is Noelle trying to protect her reputation after what she did to us?
Noelle ignored her. This fool would only bring about her own downfall. Bringing up this matter in front of everyone was essentially ripping away the elderly couple’s last shred of dignity.
Kingston’s expression darkened slightly as he glanced disapprovingly at Yuliana. Yelena quickly grabbed her and pinched her arm, signaling her to stop talking.
Yelena was beyond frustrated. These two are just dead weight! Can’t they see what kind of temperament Noelle had? She isn’t someone they could easily manipulate, yet they are still stupidly provoking her. And did they not notice the way Uncle Ryder and his family are looking at them? If they angered Uncle Ryder, they will surely suffer!
“Elle, I’m really sorry. Liana doesn’t always think before she speaks. I’ll apologize on her behalf,” Yelena said.
She didn’t want to talk to the indifferent Noelle, but Ryder and his family refused to step in.
Her mother and sister might blurt out something even worse, so she had no choice but to bite the bullet.
“If she can’t speak properly, then she shouldn’t speak at all,” Carson scoffed.
Kingston coughed awkwardly, breaking the tension. It was also a way of acknowledging Noelle’s words.
“Noelle is new here. Lena, Liana, as her older cousins, you should look after her,” Kingston said.
Judging by the way he addressed them one could infer the level of their intimacy.
Yelena immediately replied softly, “I know, Granddad. I’ll take care of Noelle.”
Yuliana shot Noelle a provocative look as if to say, See? Granddad still favors me. Noelle, however, remained expressionless.
Ryder then shifted the conversation to company matters with Kingston and steered the topic away. He didn’t dare let them keep talking about Noelle.
Phoebe had remained silent the entire time, sitting with her eyes closed as if resting. Yelena walked over and sat beside her, gently massaging her arm.
Noelle suddenly felt bored. She wondered if she should leave as she didn’t want to waste time dealing with these people who all had their own agendas.
Her grandparents clearly didn’t like her. Her aunt was hostile. Her uncle showed some familial affection but not much, and her other two uncles weren’t even present.
Well, it made sense. There was no real familial bond between strangers. Just like how she was here merely to complete a task.
That was fine. She didn’t want to have any entanglements with them either.
Instead of wasting time here, she might as well go see Queena. It was strange.
Even though she preferred peace and quiet, she actually found herself liking Queena’s lively personality.
Lost in thought, she was interrupted when the butler announced that lunch was ready, snapping everyone back to reality. Forget it. I’ll leave after eating.
Everyone moved to the dining room and took their seats. The Sandback family didn’t have any strict rules about remaining silent during meals.
The Sandback brothers deliberately sat Noelle away from Yelena and Yuliana to prevent any disturbances.
Carson suddenly asked, “Elle, at your age, you should be in university, right?”
Noelle paused for a moment before replying, “I’m enrolling in a few days.”
If he hadn’t mentioned it, she would have completely forgotten about the annoying matter of starting university. Just thinking about it soured her mood.
Seeing the change in Noelle’s expression, Yuliana was secretly delighted. Judging from her reaction, it must not be a good university.
Clearing her throat, Yuliana asked, “Which university did you get into, Noelle? What was your university entrance exam? I can give you some advice.”
Yelena chimed in, “That’s right, Elle. Liana is also in university. You two are close in age and must have a lot to talk about.”
Noelle looked at the two relentless sisters with exasperation. Do they ever learn? Why are they so hostile toward me?
“I didn’t take the university entrance exam.”
Seemingly oblivious to the impact of her own words, Noelle calmly continued eating.
The dining room fell silent for a moment. Yelena was speechless.
“Elle, don’t joke around. Didn’t you just say you’re enrolling in university?”
“Mm. That university doesn’t care about my scores. Since they’re willing to accept me, I’ll just go,” Noelle said nonchalantly.
A university that didn’t care about scores? That only meant some unranked, pay-to-enter university.
Carson looked at Noelle with some guilt, regretting that he had brought up the topic.
Carson, though a bit of a playboy, had a good heart. He was the most innocent being in the Sandback family.
“Elle, do you want your uncle to help you find a better university? Or do you want to retake the exam?” Jacinda asked with concern.
Noelle shook her head.
“No need.”
Phoebe’s expression was unreadable, while Kingston’s face darkened in fury. He slammed the table.
“What nonsense! I don’t care what you learned outside, but now that you’re with the Sandback family, you must follow the rules. Get rid of those bad habits! Ryder, find a school for Noelle to repeat her studies. Our family cannot afford to lose face by sending her to some disgraceful university!”
His words were harsh. While Yelena and Yuliana were secretly pleased, the others looked at Noelle with concern.
