Chapter 281 Chapter 281 Noelle .
Hearing the familiar voice behind her , Noelle turned around and smiled brightly .
Brandon ! You came ? She waved at him cheerfully Am I too late ? Brandon asked with a smile , holding a bouquet of white roses .
As he approached , he handed them to her .
These are for you , Noelle .
Happy 19th birthday Thank you , Brandon , she replied with a smile .
Glancing down at the white roses , she tilted her head curiously .
Why white roses ? Because I think they suit you perfectly Brandon replied , still smiling .
Really ? Noelle didnt have a strong preference for flowers and wasnt sure if they suited her or not but a gift was a gift , and Brandons thoughtfulness warmed her heart .
She accepted them happily .
Well , Ill take them then .
Thank you , Brandon .
Its freezing out here .
Lets go inside .
Brandon nodded .
Sure .
Before following her in , his eyes swept to Nicolas , and although his lips curved into a smile , there was no warmth in it just cold hostility .
Nicolas ? she tugged on Nicolass hand when she noticed him frozen in place , distracted . He blinked , snapped out of his thoughts , and met her worried gaze .
Smiling gently , he said , Its nothing .
Lets head inside .
No matter what Brandon was planning , Nicolas had to trust Noelle .
She had promised she wouldnt follow the labs orders not against him , and not against the Anderson family .
As long as she stayed true to that , Brandons presence meant little .
Still , to be safe , Nicolas had stationed a special ops team nearby , ready to act in case anything went wrong .
As Nicolas and Brandon flanked Noelle on either side and walked into the Anderson familys main hall , they drew plenty of attention Many guests already knew of Noelle through The Legend and as the hit songwriter behind Reynas iconic track The Shadows .
But few realized she was actually the long lost biological daughter of the Anderson family .
This birthday party wasnt just a celebration it was a public acknowledgment of her identity , As for Nicolas , once dismissed as a playboy , he was now known as the sharp businessman who single handedly took over the Sawyer Group a man who could turn the world upside down if he wanted to .
And yet , in front of Noelle , all his edge melted away .
He looked at her with nothing but warmth and devotion .
On Noelles other side , Brandon though unfamiliar to most carried an unmistakable aura of nobility and danger .
His striking looks and elegant demeanor made it clear he wasnt ordinary .
A group of well dressed socialites gathered around Kimberly , all full of admiration .
Mrs.
Anderson , youre truly blessed , one of them gushed .
Such an exceptional daughter and so many remarkable young men surrounding her .
Were all jealous ! Kimberly , practically glowing with pride , beamed as she looked at Noelle between the two men .
Thank you .
Honestly , its all Noelle .
I dont deserve the credit shes always been so thoughtful and kind .
Im not exaggerating when I say having Noelle as my daughter makes me prouder than anything else in this world .
The ladies exchanged glances , seeing the genuine affection in Kimberlys expression .
It was obvious she adored Noelle , perhaps even more than she had ever adored Leia .
After all , nothing compares to the bond with your own flesh and blood .
Elwhrer , Stanley had just escaped a swarm of overly friendly girls when he noticed his terrifying bass walk in .
He was debating whether to go say hello when something or someone made his blood run cold .
Wait isnt that the chief commander of Atoraka Nowedon Laboratory ? What the hell is he doing here ? He wasnt alone in his shock .
He glanced at Elsie and saw the same panic flash across her face .
She was clearly just as uneasy Elsie ? Adriel , standing next to her , isoticed how tense she was .
Her whole bly was trembling , and her eyes were locked onto the man standing beside Noelle Frowning , he reached out to hold her hand .
Whats wrong ? 2:26 Chapter 281 Even though Elsie didnt remember her fight with Brandon at least not consciously some buried instinct still screamed danger at the sight of him .
She shook her head quickly and leaned closer to Adriel , whispering , Its nothing Adriel , of course , didnt buy it .
But instead of pressing her or taking her over to Noelle , he quietly led her away to a different part of the JOGIL Noelle , meanwhile , had brought Brandon over to introduce him to her friends , With a bright smile , she said , Harley , Tina , Stanley this is Brandon , a close friend of mine .
Brandon , polite and charming as always , greeted them with a warm smile . Hello , Im Brandon .
Nice to meet you .
Harley gave a polite nod .
Hi , Im Harley .
But his eyes lingered on Brandon for a moment .
Seriously ? Why are all the guys around Noelle this ridiculously good looking ? No wonder I never stood a chance , Tinas gaze flicked over Brandon with interest .
This guy is drop dead gorgeous .
If he ever becomes famous , I need to get a few autographed photos while I still can ! Meanwhile , Stanley ... was panicking Why is the high ranking freak from the lab here ?! He was already trying to stay under the radar , and now Brandon was standing right in front of him , smiling like a gentleman but radiating danger .
Brandon took a leisurely glance at the three of them .
His smile was easy and refined , but in his mind , it was a different story altogether .
So these are Noelles friends ? Interesting .
The bonds of friendship have already formed .
Should I just kill them all now !! And right then , Stanley felt it .
An icy chill ran down his spine .
He shivered involuntarily and glanced at Brandon , who was now looking straight at him still smiling .
but it made Stanley want to cry .
I just want to go home , Stanley thought miserably .
12/2 æ²