Noelle was outside waiting for Charles. When she saw him approaching, looking a bit worn out, she greeted him with a smile and took her bag from him. "What's up? You don't look too thrilled." She could tell something was off with Charles's expression.Charles squinted for a moment. "Back when you were with the Shaw family, did they always treat you like that?""Huh?" Noelle's eyebrow quirked, a realization sparking a laugh. "Oh, did you overhear them talking about me when you went back?" Noelle was not shocked by their attitude. She had been dealing with it for over twenty years. She used to care a lot, but she was over it.If the Shaw family would not accept her, she saw no point in trying to win them over. No matter how hard she tried, they would never see her differently. Why waste her time trying to warm up to them when they would just leave her out in the cold?Charles's face was a storm cloud of emotions, and Noelle guessed they had said some pretty harsh words about her. She
"Why the long face?" Charles said, smoothing away the crease on Noelle's forehead. "You're still so young. No more sighing from now on, okay?""Okay, okay!" Noelle grumbled playfully. "Charles, you’re so motherly!" she said with a smirk, feeling all warm and fuzzy inside. She clung to Charles's hand, following him step by step and gleefully stepping on their joined shadows as they walked. "Hey, isn't that Sean over there?" As they neared the Quinton River, Noelle spotted a figure in the distance and pointed. "Look, Charles!" Charles squinted, trying to make out the figure in the dim light of the street lamps. He could not see clearly, but he recognized Sean's build. With a slight frown, Charles took Noelle's hand, and they walked closer. "Sean!" Noelle shouted. Sean turned around, surprised to see Noelle and Charles. "What are you two doing here?" "Why can't we be here?" Noelle shot back with a playful grin. "What about you? Shouldn't you be at work? Aren't doctors supposed
"No way!" Tania gasped. "She didn't breathe a word of this to me!""You’re speaking to her?" Charles squinted, pressing on. "You've been keeping tabs on her this whole time?""Yep!" Tania hesitated, then revealed, "Yeah, we've crossed paths, but she’s really independent and not too keen on small talk, just like..." Tania let out a sigh. "Anyway, why'd she come back all of a sudden? She swore she was done with this place, right?"Tania knew Liliana like the back of her hand. It was clear Brookville had left some deep scars from the way she had cut ties and left everything behind, risking her own life. Tania was sure Liliana would never set foot here again. "Charles, have you seen Liliana around?""Nope!" Charles shook his head. "I've kept an eye on her comings and goings over the years, but I've never tried to hold her back. Her coming back this time..." Charles trailed off, unsure. "Sean's been off his game lately, so I figured I'd ask Peter to check if Liliana's still hanging arou
Peter quirked an eyebrow. "Losing my sense of shame? I think you've got me beat there!" He huffed, "Is there anything else, or can I go?""So, what's the latest with you?""Still no leads on this end. How about you? What's going on? I heard from Lareal that Kelly's back in town?" Peter's tone sharpened when he spoke of Kelly. "I always said that girl was trouble.""Every life is precious," Charles countered, not out of any real kindness, but because Kelly had once saved his life. He could not just ignore her plight, especially after she had pleaded with him for help."I hear Grant's in town too?"Charles's expression darkened a bit at that. "You're always on top of gossip, aren't you?""Did you forget that Somerset Group and Nexus are in cahoots? Jamie told me Grant's already reached out to him," Peter said. He casually waved his hand, signaling Tania to take Brandon out for some fun. Once they were gone, he leaned in. "You're digging around to see if Grant and Joshua are one and
"Okay!"...Back at the Shaw residence, Julian was visibly upset after bringing Jade and Winter straight home from Bamboo Grove House. Winter had been reluctant to return, but she did not dare utter a word to Julian’s furious face. She had never seen him this angry before.Usually, Jade would try to smooth things over when Julian was mad, but even she sensed that today was different. After hearing Winter's voice on Charles's phone, Jade was too scared to speak up.Julian confronted Winter. "I can't believe you. I warned you time and time again not to fight with Noelle. How could you just forget?""Dad," Winter protested, feeling unjustly accused, "you saw it yourself. Noelle was the one picking a fight with me. I've spoken to her like that before, but she's never reacted the way she did today." Winter's sense of injustice was deep, fueled by her belief that she was standing up for the Shaw family and City Ring Corp."Noelle was throwing her weight around as Charles's wife, acting
"You...""Dad, Mom, what are you guys talking about?" Winter eyed Julian and Jade suspiciously, not quite getting the gist of their conversation. "I know Noelle isn't my real sister. Mom told me ages ago. Who is Noelle's real mom? Do you both know her?""Nope. Kids like you don't need to know everything, and it's way past bedtime. Head to your room and go to bed!" Julian was obviously done talking.Winter felt like she was being left hanging. She gave Jade and Julian a puzzled look, but Julian was not spilling any beans. With no way to persuade him, Winter had no choice but to drop it. However, she made a mental note to grill her mom about it when she could.Once Winter was out of earshot, Julian's face turned serious again. He glared at Jade. "From now on, keep some things from Winter, okay? Don't drag her into our drama." Even though Julian was not exactly the world’s number one dad to Noelle, she was still being raised as the Shaw family's second lady, and he could not be too ha
Joseph was just as furious as Julian, having stormed out of Bamboo Grove House too. He could not hold back his rage. "That idiot! She had the chance of a lifetime, and she blew it," he fumed. Meeting Charles was like striking gold, and they had finally gotten close to him. How could Winter be so clueless at such a pivotal moment?To make matters worse, she had to name-drop Kelly at the most crucial moment."Idiot!"Xavier, who had been silent all evening, let out a mocking snort. His eyes flickered with resentment, but his smirk proved he was enjoying the disaster. "Dad, remember how you wouldn't shut up about how perfect Winter was? You wanted me to marry her so bad. Well, look how that turned out.""You..." Joseph's face flushed with anger. "I don't care how you do it, but you're taking Winter to see Noelle tomorrow, and you're going to apologize to her." Joseph could see right through the act. Charles's feelings for Noelle were real, and his behavior at Bamboo Grove House was no
Her outfit was on the revealing side, which might have been too light for the chilly weather, but she did not seem to care. Biting her lip, deep in thought, she paused at the door of Room 3808. Taking a deep breath, she flung the door open.The room was buzzing with people tossing dice and a few guys playfully teasing some girls. The sudden entrance made everyone freeze."Who are you?"With a slight smile playing on her lips and the dim light casting shadows on her face, she stepped forward, her gaze drifting over the crowd before locking onto a man nearby. She sauntered over, grabbed a glass, filled it with liquor, and offered it to the man. "Mr. Canfield. Does this ring any bells?"Yankel Canfield's brow creased. The dim light made it hard to see her features, but her voice was captivating. It was almost meltingly sweet."Who are you?" Yankel's eyes revealed his confusion, a far cry from the carefree man in the photo. He peered at the woman standing before him.She flashed a mi
Joanna's cheeks flushed slightly as she studied Sean's face. It was sculpted to perfection as if crafted by the hands of a divine artist.Not only had he been blessed with such striking features, but he was also exceptionally talented, capable, and charismatic.Joanna recalled the first time she had seen Sean at Vista University. Back then, he had not yet developed the calm maturity he exuded now, but his presence had already been overwhelming. From that moment, she had been unable to take her eyes off him.Now, after years of refinement, this man had only grown more irresistible.Joanna swore to herself that no matter what it took, she had to have Sean. Even if she had to use every trick in the book, she would make sure he belonged to her.She gazed at him with unconcealed adoration, her emotions laid bare for anyone to see. However, Joanna's affection was completely different from Liliana's.Liliana had also claimed to like him, but she had always been cautious. She would follo
Peter? Mr. Smith?The difference in treatment was almost laughable. In the past, whenever they went out together, Liliana would always follow behind him and constantly chirp his name.Back then, she had been terrified of Peter. Now, she would rather go to Peter than to him if she needed help.Sean admitted to himself that at this moment, he felt something indescribable. On one hand, Liliana was finally doing exactly what he had asked. On the other, her damned obedience infuriated him.Sometimes, he wished she would not be so obedient. If only she could…Sean was suddenly startled by his own thoughts. His brows furrowed deeply as he stared at Liliana, his expression dark and unreadable.Liliana had no idea how to interact with him anymore. No matter what she said, he always seemed dissatisfied.She stood there, silently looking at him. Sean looked back at her."Sean?"It was Joanna's voice that finally broke the tense silence.Liliana did not know when Joanna had arrived or ho
Sean stared blankly at his own hand, still hovering in the air where he had grabbed Liliana's arm. His brows furrowed slightly as if he could not believe what he had just done.Even though Liliana had mentally prepared herself, seeing Sean's reaction still sent a faint pang through her chest. However, she quickly regained her composure, lowering her gaze to where his hand had held her arm.In a calm voice, she asked, "Mr. Smith, did you need something from me?"As soon as she spoke, Sean recoiled and pulled his hand back as if he had just touched something filthy.Liliana's expression darkened for a brief moment, but she quickly masked it. She continued to smile at Sean, waiting for him to say something.Sean was not sure what was wrong with him. It seemed that every time he ran into Liliana, something inside him shifted in an unfamiliar way.He had no idea why he had instinctively grabbed her just now. It had happened so naturally that by the time he realized what he was doing,
Liliana tugged at the corners of her lips, but her attempt at a smile felt painful. Raising a hand, she slapped herself hard, hoping to jolt herself awake.Her face burned with pain, and her stomach churned as if it were on fire. There was an unbearable discomfort spreading through her.She turned on the faucet, scooped up a handful of cold water, and splashed it onto her face. The chilling sensation shocked her system, clearing some of the haze clouding her mind.Bracing herself against the sink, she stayed like that for a long moment before letting out a short, bitter laugh.The right side of her face still stung from the slap, but at least she felt more awake now.Liliana lingered in the restroom a while longer, waiting until she felt completely sober before staggering out.The moment she stepped outside, a strong smell of cigarette smoke filled her nose. She turned slightly and saw a man standing near the designated smoking area.He leaned casually against the wall, his long
No parent disliked hearing their child being praised, and Savannah was no exception. She genuinely believed Sean was outstanding, so hearing Joanna's compliments only made her even more pleased. She found Joanna even more likable.From beginning to end, however, Sean, the person being praised, showed little reaction. The only reason he had come today was because Savannah had called him and insisted that he join them after finishing surgery.Sean had always been carefree and indifferent, but he cared deeply for his family—especially for Savannah, the woman Hayes had always cherished.Savannah had told him she was hosting a dinner for the person who had saved her life. If he did not come, he might as well stop calling her his mother.Since she had put it that way, even if Sean was unwilling, he still had to show up. However, he was slightly surprised to see that the guest of honor was Joanna.Sean was well aware of Joanna's feelings for him. The admiration in her eyes whenever she l
Seeing Savannah smiling so warmly at Joanna felt like a needle stabbing Liliana's heart. Her face turned pale, and after standing for so long, she realized her legs had gone stiff.No one inside the private room had noticed her, nor did they have any idea about the turmoil she was experiencing.Liliana felt as if she had lost her mind for even standing there, watching.She bit down hard on her lower lip, only snapping out of her trance when the sharp pain brought her back to reality.A bitter smile tugged at the corners of her lips. Before anyone inside could notice her, she turned and quickly walked away. However, her unsteady steps betrayed the chaos inside her.…Inside the room, Joanna sat across from the middle-aged couple, her hands clasped tightly together, clearly nervous."I had no idea… that you two were Sean's parents," she said shyly.Sean narrowed his eyes slightly at her words.Savannah studied Joanna and found herself liking her more and more."Sean, so you and
Keith watched Liliana as he spoke. She was momentarily stunned before letting out a soft laugh. "And what exactly did she want to know?""Nothing much, really. She just asked about your family," Keith replied, hesitating for a moment as if worried she might be upset."I didn't say anything. I just thought I should let you know. Joanna doesn't seem very friendly."Liliana fell silent for a few seconds before responding calmly, "It's fine."Keith nodded but continued, "She asked if I knew who your older brother was. Liliana… do you have a brother?"Liliana stiffened slightly and pressed her fingers together before answering, "Yeah, I have an older brother. But we're only half-siblings, so we don't interact much."Keith accepted her explanation and didn't push further. "I don't trust Joanna. You should stay away from her."Liliana smiled. "I know."…After losing her job, Liliana continued her job hunt while occasionally attending classes. Time passed slowly in this routine.Eve
Liliana had been in the hospital for over a month. Since she was still a new employee at the company, they were not going to make any special accommodations for her just because of her illness. When she returned to work, the only news she received was that she had been let go.She had already prepared herself for this outcome, so when she heard the news, she remained relatively calm.After quickly packing up her belongings, she left the office. When Tania found out, she insisted on taking Liliana out that evening to "shake off the bad luck". In reality, however, it was just an excuse—Tania was simply looking for an opportunity to eat good food.Since Liliana had nothing else to do, she went grocery shopping in the afternoon. When she returned, she was surprised to see someone standing outside her door. She paused for a moment before smiling faintly."Keith, what are you doing here?"Keith scratched his head awkwardly, looking a little embarrassed. "Tania called me… She told me you
Charles noticed that Liliana was keeping her head down and remaining silent. His deep, contemplative eyes reflected a glimmer of thought as he tapped his knee and paused before speaking."I'll be heading to Capiton soon. While I'm away from Brookville, you can go to Sean if anything happens…""No need!" Liliana refused without hesitation. She was well aware of the gap between herself and Sean.Besides, even if Charles was not around, she could handle things on her own. There was no reason to seek Sean's help.Charles studied her closely as if trying to discern something from her expression, but Liliana remained tense and reserved.Narrowing his eyes slightly, Charles said, "Then go to Peter if you need anything. He's more reliable than Sean."Liliana wanted to refuse again, but seeing the subtle downturn of Charles' expression, she ultimately held back her rejection. "Alright, if something happens, I'll go to Peter."She wasn't particularly familiar with Peter, but given his con