"Hey, where's our drinks? Can't make a truce without a toast." Frank says joyously. Him, Carmine Rosato, Dominic and Noelle were in Richie's Tavern, Noelle suspecting that something was up. She heard footsteps behind her and grabbed a knife from behind the bar as one of Carmine's men began to strangle Frank, saying "Michael Corleone says hello!" as the other two forcefully dragged Dominic and Noelle across the floor, Noelle slashing the one across his face with the knife.
The one dragging Dominic had a tougher time trying to subdue him more than the one trying to keep Noelle under control. Noelle still had the knife though and fought back, biting her attacker's hand and stabbing him until he threw her against the wall, Noelle screaming out as her face collided against the wall.
"A cop, what the fuck?!" Carmine growled, him and Richie trying to act casual as the cop walked in.
"Hey, Rich? You opened or closed?" The cop asks before noticing that Dominic and Noelle were in trouble and pulled his revolver, Carmine ambushing him.
"Carmine, no! No, not here!" Richie shouts as Carmine runs out the door, Dominic managing to knock his assailant down before the guy who had grabbed Noelle threw her towards Dominic, who caught her.
"Are you alright?!" Dominic asks, checking on a bruised and bleeding Noelle.
The young raven haired girl was about to tell him but then sirens were heard and Dominic dragged her up the stairs with him.
Noelle knew where this was going and put her fears aside… the daredevil in her was bound to emerge sooner or later...
"You're being quiet, Ellie… you alright?" Dominic says after Noelle got changed into a navy nightgown.
"Yeah, just… a bit rattled." Noelle says. Rattled didn't even began to describe how she felt right now, having seen Frank Pentangeli strangled in front of her.
She was also angered… caught in the crossfire, the words "Michael Corleone says hello!" ringing through her head along with something she had overheard years ago.
"Why do you think he kept Carlo at the mall? All this time, he knew he was gonna kill him!" Connie says to Kay before turning to Michael. "And you stood godfather to mine and Carlo's baby… you lousy cold hearted bastard!" She says through tears, Aldo lightly pulling a confused and terrified Noelle away from the door.
"Daddy, what did she mean by that?" Noelle asks as Aldo picked her up in his arms.
"Remember how you said you saw Carlo being bad, doing things he shouldn't? Well… he was punished for it and he's gone." Aldo says, trying to figure out the best way to explain it to Noelle… but the 8 year old looked at him and he knew she knew that from what he said that Carlo was dead...
Was her Aunt Connie right?
Was Michael truly cold hearted and careless?
Noelle pulled her robe on and tied it closed, walking down the steps and reaching Michael's office before she was stopped by her dad.
"Hey, kiddo. Can't sleep?" Aldo says.
"Yeah, I just… I need to talk to Uncle Michael about something, then I'll settle down for the night." Noelle says, Aldo nodding and heading upstairs.
Noelle turned and knocked on the door, Michael saying it was unlocked and Noelle opened it after her right hand had stopped trembling.
"Ah, hey kiddo-" Michael says, Noelle abruptly closing the door after walking in and making him jump. "Something wrong?" He asks.
"Look me in the eyes and tell me that you didn't send those men after Frank and Dominic." Noelle says firmly, the voice out of her mouth not fitting with her age…
At least in Michael's opinion… gone was the innocent girl and standing there was a woman seeking the truth, much like Kay had after Carlo's murder.
"You know…" Michael says, standing up calmly. Deep down, he suspected that Noelle had known about the less legitimate side of the business he and the others had done for years and that included the murders that took place during her cousin's baptism.
"Around the time Victor was old enough to start asking where his dad was and why he was never around. Michael… I want to believe that you had nothing to do with Frank's death… hell, I want to believe he's not really gone but that's not the truth. And I can't go on believing any lie, even if you're trying to protect me." Noelle says, Michael resting his hands on her shoulders.
"I would never put you in harm's way, Noelle Adriana… I was scared to death when I found out you were there. I'm sorry about what happened but I didn't send anyone after you, Dominic or Frank." Michael says, pulling Noelle into his arms.
Noelle eventually returned to her room, climbing into her bed after slipping her robe off and lying down on her side.
She wasn't sure what to believe anymore… Michael was her family, she had known him for her entire life.
But she had also seen what he was like whenever he got angry… and she had a feeling there was something that would send him over his breaking point.