Unwanted Girl Spoiled By Billionaire - Chapter 277: Chapter 277

After dinner, Nicolas took Noelle on a stroll through the mall to walk off the food.
"Your birthday's coming up soon, right?" he asked, fingers interlaced with hers as they walked side by side.
"Mm-hmm, I think so," Noelle replied, recalling what Kimberly had told her. "I think it's in five days—that'll be my 19th birthday."
Nicolas raised an eyebrow. "You think so? Haven't you ever celebrated your birthday before?"
"Nope," she said simply, as if it were the most normal thing in the world. "I didn't even know when it was until recently. And even if I had, it's not like anyone would've celebrated it."
Back when she was still in the lab, her days were consumed by endless experiments. And after she left, she was constantly running missions assigned by the lab. Her life had been a blur of survival, never once pausing for something as trivial as a birthday.
Hearing her say that so casually made Nicolas fall silent.
'Just how much suffering had she endured? Not only had she never celebrated a birthday—she didn't even feel sorry about it.'
While Nicolas wasn't particularly fond of Leia, he knew that for the past 18 years, the Andersons had treated her like royalty. Every year, her birthday was a lavish affair—last year's coming-of-age celebration was attended by high-profile figures from all sectors.
Meanwhile, while Leia was being showered with praise and blessings, his precious girl was probably enduring some form of torment in total isolation.
The thought alone made Nicolas ache for her.
She'd never held a grudge against Leia for taking her place. Nor had she blamed the Andersons, even though they treated her coldly in the beginning.
"Noelle?" he asked softly, noticing the shift in his own energy had caught her attention.
She tilted her head. "What's wrong? You looked fine just now... why the sudden storm cloud?"
Snapped out of his thoughts, Nicolas looked down at her and forced a small smile. "Did the Andersons mention how they're planning to celebrate your birthday?"
At that, Noelle lit up. "Yes! Mom said they're throwing me a huge party. Tons of people are coming, and they'll officially announce my identity. She even ordered a 20-tier cake—it's taller than most people! And Dad's gifting me one of his villas on Chuawaii Islands as my birthday present."
Nicolas chuckled. "A 20-tier cake and a beachfront villa? Hmm... not bad. I guess the Andersons are putting in some effort."
"I'll finally be a homeowner!" Noelle beamed.
Nicolas couldn't resist ruffling her hair. "That's all it takes to make you this happy? Just one house? You really are easy to please. I have over twenty villas under my name. All of them are yours too, you know."
"Really?" she gasped, eyes wide.
He grinned and traced circles in her palm with his finger. "You're my wife. Who else would they belong to?"
Her smile stretched wider as she hugged his arm, giggling. "Forget the villas. I'd rather have you as my birthday gift."
Nicolas arched a brow. "Aren't I already yours?"
She grinned even more. "True."
Now that the experiments were finally behind her, Noelle felt light—everything around her seemed brighter, easier, happier.
As they wandered further into the mall, a commotion caught their attention.
"Damon, are you trying to spite me?" Eli's voice rang out. "I already bought Noelle a birthday dress—why did you buy one too?"
He was holding a pink tiered princess gown, delicate layers of tulle flowing like a dream, its bodice encrusted with diamonds that shimmered under the store lights.
Damon, standing next to him, carried a flowing blue fairy-like dress that looked like a cloud spun from stardust. Ethereal and elegant, it was clearly just as expensive.
"I didn't know you bought a dress," Damon snapped. "I ordered this one weeks ago. I'm just here to pick it up. And you didn't exactly consult me, did you?"
"Neither did you," Eli fired back.
"I'm your older brother," Damon argued.
"And I'm your younger brother," Eli said dryly. "What's your point?"
The two began bickering again, glaring like schoolboys in a playground fight.
Damon crossed his arms. "Well, I'm giving this dress to Noelle—end of story."
"Same," Eli replied. "She's wearing my dress on her birthday."
"No, she's wearing mine."
"Why are you always competing with me?" Eli snapped. "Your dress isn't even as nice. It's her 19th birthday—she should look amazing!"
Damon scoffed. "Are you blind? My dress is clearly in a higher tier."
"This dress cost ten million dollars, okay?"
"And mine's over three mil. What's your point?"
"You just want to argue."
"No, I'm just being honest. You clearly can't handle the truth, Eli."
And so the squabbling continued, voices rising.
In the end, neither gave in. They both bought their chosen dresses and decided to leave the final decision to Noelle.
"We'll see whose dress she likes better when we get home," Eli said smugly.
"Fine," Damon sneered. "I'm not scared of you."
"Keep talking, Damon. You'll eat those words soon."
"We'll see."
The sales associate nervously handed over their purchases, maintaining a forced professional smile as the two stormed off, tension crackling between them like lightning.
Noelle, who had been hiding behind a nearby display, finally emerged.
She sighed. "Those two toddlers are at it again. I just know it's going to be a disaster when we get home."
The dress debate was bound to become a minefield—if she chose one, the other would definitely sulk.
And yet... despite the impending headache, Noelle couldn't stop smiling.
They had both gone out of their way to prepare birthday dresses for her—quietly, without saying a word. She'd been convinced they hadn't gotten her anything.
So they did care.
She turned to Nicolas and asked, half-laughing, "Is this what people mean by 'blissful problems'?"
Nicolas looked at her radiant smile—so bright it could rival the sun—and nodded silently.
She really was easy to please. The tiniest bit of kindness could light her up for days.
And yet, the deeper she grew attached to the Andersons, the more worried Nicolas became.
Brandon wouldn't spare them.
And when the time came... would Noelle really be able to harm the people she now called family?