Charles placed the gifts in the trunk and got into the car, only to find Noelle staring blankly at the large screen across the plaza. Her eyes were fixed on it, unblinking.Charles narrowed his eyes. "What's wrong?"Noelle snapped out of her thoughts. "You're back?""Mm." Charles nodded, glancing at the screen, which was now showing a different advertisement. "Were you bored from waiting? What were you looking at?""Nothing!" Noelle shook her head and withdrew her gaze, glancing at the backseat. "Did you get everything?""Yeah." Charles fastened his seatbelt and started the car. "I saw you staring at the screen earlier. I thought you were bored.""No, the screen was showing a trailer for a movie, White Night. I think it's coming out next month. Charlie, it feels like it's been forever since we've watched a movie. How about going to see it?""Sure." Charles nodded. "When it's released, I'll have Ronald book the tickets."Noelle curled her lips into a small smile, though uneasine
Charles narrowed his eyes. "How can I not be nervous? This is your first pregnancy!""Alright, if we don't head up now, Grandpa will start worrying!" Noelle reminded him, urging, "Let's go!"Noelle moved to pick up the items, but Charles stopped her. "Just follow me."With a helpless smile, Noelle relented, letting Charles take the lead. Watching his back, she suddenly felt that life with Charles—simple and straightforward—seemed genuinely happy. Especially when he treated her with such care, holding her like she was precious, it made all the grievances she had endured at the Shaw family feel insignificant.When Noelle and Charles reached Sebastian's door, they saw it was already open. Noelle raised an eyebrow slightly. "Grandpa even left the door open for us?"She stepped inside but did not see Sebastian. Puzzled, she called out, "Grandpa?""Noelle, you're here!" May, who was still wearing an apron, emerged from Sebastian's room. She looked a little fatigued."May, where's Gr
Charles gave Noelle a few more sips of water, stopping only when she protested that she could not drink any more. "Grandpa, did you happen to meet someone today?" he asked casually.At his words, both Sebastian and Noelle paused to look at him. Noelle blinked. "Meet someone? Who?"She glanced back and forth between Charles and Sebastian. "Grandpa, did you have a visitor at home?"Sebastian's expression darkened slightly as he stared at Charles for a long moment before shaking his head. "No one at all. An old man like me doesn't get many visitors. Besides you two dropping by now and then, who else would remember me?"His words sounded self-deprecating, but they were clearly a warning aimed at Charles. Sebastian knew Charles was sharp, but this was something he could not let Noelle find out.Charles narrowed his eyes slightly, understanding the message. "Grandpa, that doesn't sound right. You had so many brilliant students over the years. I don't believe they wouldn't come to see yo
Noelle looked up at Charles with half-closed, sleepy eyes. She blinked a few times and rubbed them groggily. "I'm so tired, Charlie.""If you're tired, take a nap. Be good." Charles adjusted her into a more comfortable position, using a pillow to make sure she rested well. Noelle curled up on his lap, her eyes slowly closing as she drifted off.As Sebastian watched their intimate interaction, the glimmer in his eyes eventually faded and he let out a helpless sigh. "I know how deeply you care for Noelle. As your teacher, I trust you.""You're absolutely right," Charles replied.Sebastian shook his head. "Take good care of Noelle. I know you'll protect her completely."Charles' sharp eyes gleamed. "Who did you see today?"Sebastian's expression flickered briefly. "Let her sleep well for now. I've had May keep her room cleaned and ready. Take her there to rest."Charles nodded and carefully lifted Noelle, his movements gentle to avoid waking her. Once he had settled her into the ro
Even though Charles was his student, Sebastian could not deny feeling a slight sense of pressure in the presence of such a commanding man. After all, Charles was no longer the teenager he once taught but a man of extraordinary influence."You can probably guess what happened after that," Sebastian began. "Noelle forgot everything from that period, but she remembered everyone else—except you."As he spoke, he noticed a crack in Charles' otherwise composed demeanor. "Later, she met Xavier in college, and the two started dating. They were planning to marry, but then everything fell apart. You know what happened after that.""So, if it weren't for what happened with Xavier, would you have let Nelly marry someone else? Tell me, if she had married another man, what do you think I would have done?"Sebastian narrowed his eyes. "You wouldn't have done anything. I know you, Charles. You're my student, and I understand your character."Charles let out a faint chuckle. "People change. I'm no
Sebastian's gaze hardened with a cold glint as he glared at Charles. Just as he was about to speak, Noelle's voice came from the doorway. "Grandpa, Charlie, what are you two doing here?"The anger in Sebastian's expression immediately subsided. He pressed his lips into a thin line, but his expression still did not look good. However, with Noelle present, he had no choice but to suppress his frustration. "Weren't you tired? Why are you awake again?""I…" Noelle glanced sheepishly at Sebastian, then at Charles. She could not very well say she woke up because she needed to use the restroom. "I'm hungry!"Sebastian, noticing her embarrassed look, could not help but laugh and shake his head. "This kiddo. If you're hungry, you're hungry. I'll go check if May has finished cooking." With that, Sebastian got up and left the study.Noelle watched his retreating figure with suspicion, then turned to Charles and pursed her lips slightly. "You and Grandpa were…" The atmosphere just now had been
"Grandpa?"Noelle hurried over to Sebastian, and May, who had been in the kitchen, quickly rushed out as well. "Sir Jones, are you alright?"As she wiped her hands with her apron, May quickly moved to help Sebastian over to the side. "Sir, you should sit down in the living room. I'll clean this up!" She muttered to herself as she went to grab a broom and dustpan, "This was Ms. Noelle's favorite clam chowder!""May, it's alright." Noelle smiled and linked her arm with Sebastian's. "Grandpa, what's going on with you today? You seem so distracted!"She guided him to the living room and noticed his eyes fixed on the television. The screen happened to show Shirley's image."Grandpa, do you know Shirley?" Noelle asked, helping him to sit down. Then, with a playful tone, she added, "I didn't know you were a fan! But Shirley is pretty amazing. I heard she's originally from Brookville. She later entered showbiz and, at 46, landed a lead role in this film. That's rare!"It was common kno
After leaving Sebastian's house, Noelle could not shake the feeling that her grandfather was hiding something from her.Charles fastened her seatbelt and noticed she was lost in thought. Gently tucking a stray strand of her hair behind her ear, he asked, "Still thinking about Grandpa?"Noelle snapped out of her thoughts and nodded. "Yeah. Charlie, don't you think Grandpa was acting strange today?""What did you find strange?"Charles started the car and prompted her to elaborate. "Tell me.""From the moment we arrived, I felt something was off with Grandpa. He kept pretending everything was fine, but I could tell something was bothering him. And earlier, when I was watching TV… "Do you remember how I used to watch TV at Grandpa's place all the time? He never reacted like this before. I mean, Shirley seems fine, so why did he get so worked up when he saw her?"Charles' sharp eyes flickered slightly at her words, and he glanced sideways at her.Noelle, noticing his gaze, touched
"Hm?" Charles raised an eyebrow, his gaze landing on the file in Noelle's hand.With a swift motion, he took the file and saw it was a project proposal. His eyes shifted back to Noelle's face. "What's this?""Ah, I…" Noelle had been so focused on calming Charles down that she had not expected to get caught so quickly. Laughing nervously, she wrapped her arms around Charles' neck. "Hehe, I hadn't visited the project department in a while, so I went to take a look, and, uh…""And then you assigned yourself a major project?" Charles lifted the proposal, his gaze steady and fixed on her.Noelle bit her lip, her eyebrows knitting together. "Are you mad?""Do you even care if I'm mad or not?" Charles retorted, making Noelle feel even more conflicted. "Of course, I care!""Then why didn't you stay in the office like I told you to?""Charlie, I'm sorry!" Noelle stuck out her tongue, realizing Charles might actually be upset. She pressed her forehead against his, trying to appease him.
"Yeah!" Arya sighed in frustration. "I have no idea when Mr. Parker will be back!""Let me take this one!" Noelle said, pulling one of the files from Arya's desk. "If you trust me, that is.""Of course, of course. How could I not trust you? I know how good you are at this. But will Mr. Hoffman let you work on it?""It's fine. I'm just killing time anyway. Whether I do this or something else in his office, it's all the same!"Noelle glanced at her watch and realized it was getting late. She patted Arya on the shoulder. "I need to go now, or Charlie won't bring me along next time."Noelle took the proposal into the elevator, and just as the doors closed, her phone rang. It was Charles. "Where are you?""Oh, I got bored, so I wandered around downstairs. I'm heading back up now!" Noelle replied, watching the floor numbers tick upward. "A few more floors. Charlie, are you done with the meeting?""Mhmm," Charles responded, raising an eyebrow. He glanced around before settling back int
"Without a word?" Noelle blinked in surprise. "Didn't I tell Mr. Parker? Where is he?""Don't even mention him right now," Arya grumbled. "Mr. Parker is on a business trip, and guess what? He left me to clean up this mess!"She glanced around at Noelle with mock exasperation. "You don't seem like anything's wrong, yet the rumors about you at the company have been absolutely wild. Where have you been?""Don't worry about me. What's keeping you so busy?"Arya pointed at the pile of documents on the desk. "Look at all this!" She scratched her head in frustration. "Honestly, I feel like I'm drowning. Sure, Mr. Parker reassigned some people to help before he left, but it's still overwhelming. Now, I truly understand just how helpful you were."Noelle walked over, casually flipping through the files and noticing numerous project proposals. "Are these all for this year?""Yeah!" Arya sighed, visibly stressed. "I think our department is seriously understaffed, and then you just vanished
Noelle knew her question was a bit rude, especially since Grant was Kelly's brother. Asking something like that seemed strange, but she could not stop herself—it just naturally came out. Deep down, Noelle always felt that Grant and Kelly were too different to be siblings.…Meanwhile, Grant stared at the message Noelle had sent, his expression softening with a faint smile. His slender fingers brushed against the screen, lightly tracing over the words. The smile in his eyes deepened.Kresten, standing across from him, could not help but shiver at Grant's smile but dared not comment.[She's going back.] Grant then pocketed his phone and looked up at Kresten. "Is everything ready?""It's all prepared, sir, but Ms. Kelly still refuses to leave," Kresten replied cautiously, glancing at Grant. As expected, Grant's expression darkened."She refuses? In that case, take Seth and leave without her!""But…" Kresten hesitated. Seth was still so young, and it seemed heartless to do this.
"Alright, alright. I won't wander off!" Noelle felt Charles was being overly clingy. "Now, go already!"Charles finally turned to Ronald and said, "Let's go."Ronald, who had been covering his face after witnessing Charles kiss Noelle, felt Charles' gaze sweep over him. It sent an inexplicable chill down his spine. Straightening up immediately, he responded, "Yes, sir!"As they exited, Charles could not help but give another instruction, "Have Becky assign someone to stay nearby. If Nelly needs anything, it should be handled immediately.""Yes, sir!"After Charles left, Noelle began aimlessly wandering around his office. She roamed back and forth a few times before realizing how bored she was. With nothing better to do, she picked up her phone and started browsing the internet.Since it was a weekday, Rowena was too busy to chat with her. Apparently, Rowena was tracking some big celebrity, with her editor pushing her to land a major headline this month. After cheering Rowena on
Previously, Charles did not live at the Hoffman residence for extended periods, so Maxwell could ignore most of his behavior. Now, however, with everyone under the same roof, Charles' actions clearly showed he had little regard for Maxwell's authority, leaving the old man feeling stifled.Maxwell wanted to blow up and scold Charles, that cheeky brat. However, considering Noelle's pregnancy and the need to ensure her safety, he swallowed his anger and held it in.He grumbled to himself before turning to head upstairs, muttering under his breath about how infuriating it all was.James followed behind Maxwell, glancing at him before looking back at Charles and Noelle, his lips curving into a helpless smile.Perhaps Maxwell had not even realized it himself, but he was no longer as resistant to Noelle as he used to be. His current actions practically screamed acceptance, even if he would not admit it.After finishing breakfast, Charles and Noelle headed to the company. Since Noelle was
Noelle opened her eyes. She took a sip of water to rinse her mouth before spitting it out.Just as she reached for the toothbrush, Charles instructed, "Open your mouth!" Without waiting, he began brushing her teeth himself.The cool sensation in her mouth jolted Noelle awake. She blinked a few times and then took the toothbrush from Charles' hand. "I can do it myself. You should brush your teeth too!""Alright."Noelle then brushed her teeth, her legs swinging slightly as she sat on the bathroom counter. She even turned her head to watch Charles.The window by the bathroom was slightly ajar, allowing the crisp morning air to seep in, carrying with it a refreshing coolness. Although spring had passed and summer had arrived, the early mornings were still a bit chilly.Noelle squinted her eyes against the sunlight. When Charles handed her the rinsing cup, she quickly rinsed her mouth and placed the cup down.She hopped off the sink, but Charles immediately caught her hand. "Be care
Charles' deep, jet-black eyes sparkled, especially when they caught the mischievous glint in Noelle's gaze.He stepped closer to her, closing the gap with every step. That was until he grabbed her hands and raised them high above her head. Arching a brow, he asked, "You think I'm good to you now just because of the babies?"Noelle shook her head but then nodded hesitantly.Charles glared at her before lightly bumping his forehead against hers.Noelle cried out in pain and instinctively tried to rub her forehead, only to realize her hands were still pinned by Charles. Pouting, she made her best pitiful face. "I was wrong, Charlie!""You silly girl." Charles' heart softened completely. He sighed, finally releasing her hands and lightly tapping her nose. "I care about the babies because they're yours. You're their mom, and they're our children. Got it?""Got it!" Noelle nodded earnestly.Though her earlier words had been meant as a playful tease, hearing Charles say this still made
Apparently, Maxwell had also instructed the housekeeper to transform a room into a nursery. Now, Noelle…"Did Ronald tell you?"Noelle shook her head. "No! Mr. Wells wouldn't dare.""Hmm?"Charles raised an eyebrow, his long legs striding over. Before Noelle could react, he took her phone. His gaze fell on the WhatsApp interface displayed on the screen.He frowned slightly, a vague sense of foreboding creeping in. Sure enough, as Charles scrolled through the conversation, his sharp eyes started scanning the messages and landed on a video. Clicking it open, his expression deepened instantly, his eyes growing darker.Noelle's heart raced with alarm, but by the time she realized what had happened, it was already too late.Charles arched an eyebrow, his slender fingers lightly gripping the phone, making it seem weightless in his hands. His index finger tapped the screen as he flashed Noelle a smile that didn't reach his eyes. "Funny, huh?"Noelle pursed her lips and shook her hea