Chapter 29 Alice stood there , expressionless , watching them . tAerus Oh , they thought she was still the same Alice from before ? They had never bothered to ask for her opinion , casually sweeping everything under the rug as if it were a grand favor to her . She didnt care anymore . Luke felt a twinge of guilt , unable to meet Alices gaze , waiting for Noah to step in . Noah , as the older , continued , Alice , after this match , youve proven your strength . No one can replace your position in the team . With that , Alice should feel reassured , right ? Chloes face darkened with resentment . Shed worked so hard ; why did Alice effortlessly take her place ? She might lack talent , but her effort was comparable . Luke looked at Alice hopefully ; although he didnt speak , he also wanted Alice to join the team . They had laid out the olive branch ; surely Alice shouldnt be stubborn anymore . Alices gaze was cold . I refuse . Luke was distraught . Why ? I competed because they insulted my parents , not because I wanted to join the team . But clearly practiced secretly , didnt you do that to come back ? Alice didnt just become this skilled overnight . She must have been practicing behind the scenes ; what else could it be for if not to join the team ? Luke didnt believe her , staring straight at her . Alices features were delicate , her eyes cold as ice : No . Lukes heart sank , he couldnt help but ask , Alice , do I need to apologize personally for you to forgive me ? Alice paused . Its not about forgiveness ; there are more teams in this world than just the Welch familys . She loved competing , but not just for the Landing Team . The message was clear . Alice , I know you hate me ! Chloe suddenly cried out , her voice trembling . Everyone looked at her . She walked toward Alice , her tone was humble . Luke really hopes you can join the team . If my presence is making you unhappy , Ill quit immediately ; I wont compete with you for this position ! Alice felt impatient . Youd better shut up . Im not joining the team because I dont want to , and it has nothing to do with you . Stop trying to make yourself look good . I knew it ! Youre still angry because I took your spot . I thought I could seize the opportunity you didnt want and prove myself , but I guess Im just too foolish ! Chloe sniffed , her voice sweet and pitiful , making everyone feel a pang of sympathy . Noah felt a twinge of pity for Chloe . Chloe , it was Luke who was wrong , he hurt Alice . Its not your fault . Luke felt even more frustrated , having been dragged into this . Seeing Chloes act , he regretted letting her join . She was better suited to being a sweet little , sister , not someone to work 22:23 0.0 % < Chapter 29 alongside ! Menu Seeing Lukes indifference , Chloe made a bold move , pulling out a brow razor and pointing it at her wrist : Alice , if I die , I wont compete with you anymore ! Alice stepped back in shock ; was Chloe out of her mind ? Whether she joined the team or not had nothing to do with this woman ! Wasnt Chloe the one who didnt want to see her join the team ? Now she was resorting to se lf harm to force her hand ; was she crazy ? shocked . Chloe , calm down ! This has nothing to do with you . Chloe smiled through tears . Luke , its my fault . Maybe I shouldnt have taken the opportunity you didnt want , and I wouldnt have made you angry . After all these years , just growing up in the Welch family , Im already very satisfied ; Id be willing to die ! Luke was Lukes heart softened instantly ; he had a bit of a grudge against Chloe . Noah looked at Alice anxiously . Alice , can you bear to watch your sister hurt herself ? Luke frowned , knowing Chloes actions were inappropriate , but if Alice agreed to join the team , everything would be fine . So , all Alice had to do was nod in agreement . Alice said calmly , Have you all misunderstood something ? Noah was surprised . What do you mean ? First of all , Ive made it clear that Im not joining the team simply because I dont like it ; it has nothing to do with any of you . Secondly , Chloe using self harm to coerce me is no different from me self harming to force the King to marry me . The sarcasm was sharp . The teammates who had been about to speak all fell silent , realizing she had a point . Luke couldnt help but interject : No matter what , Chloes still family . Chloe was unskilled and irresponsible , but she was still just a girl . Whats that got to do with me ? Whether Chloe self harms or commits suicide , its none business . Stop playing the moral high ground ! of my- Alice , her father saved your life ! How can you provoke her like this ?! Luke was furious , slapping Alice across the face . Alice was taken aback ; she never expected Luke would hit her ! Only Caleb had hit her before . But that slap didnt land on her face . Jack stood beside them , stopping Lukes hand . His expression was cold . According to the Minor Protection Law , this is already your second act of violence ; by law , the victim can report this and seek protection for their personal freedom . Alice turned her head , staring at him in shock . What was he doing here ? Luke gritted his teeth . Who are you ? This is our family matter ; you , an outsider , have no right to interfere ! Noah recognized Jack but didnt expect him to show up here . Jack spoke calmly : If even an outsider cant stand by , its clear how excessive your behavior is . His eyes were filled with cold fury ; how could they lay hands on her again ? 22:23 0.0 % < Chapter 29 Hed almost lost his patience . Noah frowned . Wilson , youve misunderstood . This time is different . How is it different ? Your fake sister drags her feet and plays hard to get , relying on Alice , the real sister , to step in and win the match , forcing the opponent to apologize . You dont treat her well , and you even lay hands on her ; wheres your conscience ?! Noah was speechless , finally realizing that their earlier actions toward Alice were a bit excessive ! He felt guilty. Alice , I didnt mean it . I just didnt want Chloe to do something foolish that would hurt herself ! Alice pursed her lips . Jacks voice was laced with sarcasm . You dont want your adopted sister to get hurt , so you hurt your real sister ? What kind of excuse is that ?! Noah felt even guiltier . He addressed Luke , Apologize to Alice ! Why did you hit her ?! He was also shocked by Lukes actions . Luke stood frozen , sheepishly hiding his hand . He hadnt expected to actually hit her ; he looked at Alice with guilt : I was just so angry when I heard what you said ; thats why I … thats why I did that . He didnt even know why he had such a strong reaction and acted without restraint , as if he could scold her like before . After all , no matter how excessive his actions had been in the past , Alice never held it against him . This time , it should be the same , right ? At least he wouldnt do it again in the future . Alices cheek still throbbed , but it paled in comparison to the pain in her heart . Her gaze was sardonic . So ? She realized shed been a pushover for Luke , which was why she was looked down upon . A proper apology requires sincerity . Jack grabbed Alices hand and delivered a hard slap to Luke . In "The Secret of Nami Sushi" by CrushReel, readers are drawn into a captivating tale of mystery and intrigue surrounding a renowned sushi restaurant. As the story unfolds, secrets hidden within the delicate flavors of Nami Sushi come to light, weaving a web of drama that keeps both the characters and readers on edge. 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