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The only one who could calm her was Cisco, but he was absent and unable to deal with her.
And that left…her.
Noelle did her best to keep out of her mother's path, but that only made her home life an uncomfortable battlefield. Then there was her school and the fact that those few hours she was allowed in the piano room were her only solace.
Remove that and Noelle was left with…nothing.
She supposed she still had her computer with her games, shows and books. But sometimes those made her more melancholic as she realized there were things out there she would likely never experience.
Like traveling the world, going on an adventure…falling in love.
She sighed deeply as she realized her thoughts had taken her down a forbidden path.
Though she strove not to dwell on it, Noelle was aware that she was living on borrowed time. And that was the source of her frustration.
She knew far too well that she was only allowed to continue her education because she excelled at the piano—the only thing that made her worthy of the DeVille name. But as soon as she turned eighteen, her freedoms would be restricted, her entire life mapped out for her by her mother—as tradition dictated.
Throughout the years, she'd heard hushed conversations about her fate as the only girl in the family. From the beginning, the seed of dread had been planted, stripping her of any potential fulfillment even in the most exciting moments for she knew what awaited her eventually.
There had also been those times, during an argument, when her mother would taunt her with her future, promising she would eventually wash her hands off her and her impetuous self. Elena had never shied away from telling Noelle she couldn't wait until her future husband would finally take the brat out of her and teach her how to behave like a proper lady.
She'd been so vehement in her threats that Noelle was certain Elena had something planned for her—something to get back at Noelle for not being the daughter she'd always wanted.
So where did that leave her?
Adrift…
Shaking her head, she ground her teeth, steeling her spine as she brought her focus back to the present.
She couldn't let that affect her. There were still three years left until then, and if need be, Noelle was more than convinced she'd rather run away than be forced into a loveless marriage.
She couldn't stand most people, and she barely tolerated her family. She couldneverallow a stranger to own her.
Anger simmered inside of her, together with a new determination.
"I'm strong," she whispered to herself, her usual mantra. "I'm the strongest person I know. And I can overcome anything."
She chanted the words to herself a few times, feeling her resolve strengthen. Yes, she could overcome anything. Including the musical block she was currently facing.
Armed with the new conviction, she moved to the piano, ready to give the piece another go. Her mind was clearer than it had been, her heart open and ready to gaze to the future.
"I won't let them," she murmured, tracing the notes she'd already scribbled down. "I won't let anyone dictate my fate. It's mine and mine alone."
The more she cheered herself on, the more she let her imagination fly, opening herself to new ideas and possibilities.
Because if she wasn't caught…if she took charge of her own life, then the skywasthe limit—or maybe more. Her piececouldend.
It took her the rest of the afternoon, but she finally managed to finish her piece. And as she arrived home, she locked herself in the piano room, practicing and improving her piece.
Yet in her excitement to finish her piece she didn't realize that her music sheets had been moved, their location slightly different than she'd left them. She was too lost inside her mind to notice that.
6Noelle
The booming sound of thunder startled her. Blinking, she lifted her head as she looked around, noticing she was in the piano room—home, yet not her true home.
After her father had passed away, Elena and Noelle had moved upstate with an army of staff and bodyguards, leaving the main DeVille residence to Cisco as the heir. Still, for Noelle that was the house in which she'd grown up and where she had most of her pleasant memories, and she couldn't help but be melancholic about it.
She wished her brother would take her to live with them, but she was embarrassed to make the request since he now had his own family, and Noelle feared she would inadvertently impose on them. The last thing she wanted, or needed, was to feel unwanted—again.
