Kresten had no response, and Grant's entire demeanor radiated hostility. His sharp eyes swept over Kresten's face, his clenched jaw making his frustration all too apparent. It was clear that Grant was furious."Find out immediately. I want the details of Shirley's flight schedule, every place she plans to visit, and who she intends to meet. You have one day. If you fail, don't bother coming back to Capiton with me.""Y-Yes, sir. I'll take care of it right away!" Kresten stammered before rushing off.As Grant watched Kresten's retreating figure, his expression remained tense. His brows did not relax even for a moment.'Shirley! So, you've come back, have you? If you have the audacity to return, don't blame me for being ruthless,' Grant thought to himself.Grant adjusted the cufflink on his sleeve, his face gradually regaining its calm, composed facade.He gathered his things and turned, only to find Kelly standing at the doorway. She was carrying Seth in her arms. Kelly's cold, di
"You don't want to return to Capiton? So, you plan to stay in Brookville, hoping Charles will look your way?" Grant's lips curved into a mocking smile. "Do you know Noelle is pregnant?"Kelly froze, staring at Grant in shock. "That's impossible!""What's impossible about it? Noelle is Charles' wife. They're married, so it's perfectly normal for her to be pregnant," Grant replied, his expression remaining unchanged as Kelly's face grew increasingly pale. "I've told you before—let it go.""How can I let it go? He's my everything—my entire youth. If not Noelle…" Kelly faltered. No, even without Noelle, Charles would not have married her. Her pupils dimmed, losing focus. "I can follow your orders in everything else but not this. I won't go back. If I return to Capiton, I won't have a single chance left. There'll be no connection at all between me and Charles."Grant frowned, his gaze turning icy as he took in Kelly's stubborn expression. "Whether you're willing or not, you're leaving
Noelle helped Harrison sit down. "Sir, are you here to visit a friend or…""Yes, I came to see someone I haven't met in a long time," Harrison replied, his gaze sweeping over Noelle. "Young lady, are you here for a check-up or visiting someone?""I'm fine, just here for a routine check-up," Noelle answered with a smile. For some reason, she found this middle-aged man rather likable.The two chatted briefly until Noelle received a call from Ronald. On the other end of the line, Ronald was panting as he asked, "Mrs. Hoffman, where are you?"Glancing around, Noelle replied, "Oh, I'm in the garden behind the hospital, Mr. Wells!""Please wait there. I'll come over immediately!"Noelle ended the call and turned back to Harrison with a grin. "Sir, my friend is on the way, so I'll leave you here to enjoy the garden."Harrison narrowed his eyes slightly and asked, "Your boyfriend?""No, he's not…"Before she could say more, Ronald had already jogged over. Seeing Noelle about to stand
"Ease up, Mr. Wells," Noelle said with a chuckle as the elevator dinged and the doors slid open. She stepped out with a confident stride, Ronald quick on her heels."Madam, Mr. Hoffman is still tied up in a meeting. Maybe you'd like to hang out in his office while you wait?""Sounds good!"Noelle made herself comfortable in the office while Ronald hovered nearby, ever the attentive aide. She caught him sneaking peeks at his watch. "Mr. Wells, you don't have to stick around. I know the way around Colossus Group like the back of my hand!""Are you sure?""Seriously, go on. I'll be fine!""Alright!" Ronald said, relieved to be excused. Thanks to Charles's last-minute call to fetch someone from the hospital, he had a mountain of work waiting for him. With his tasks stacking up like skyscrapers, Ronald was swamped.Once Ronald had dashed off, Noelle took a moment to take in Charles's office. She had been there many times, but it was always for business. She had never paid much attent
Noelle did not wait for Maxwell to give her the go-ahead. She headed straight for Charles's break room, grabbed a carton of cream and a bag of coffee grounds from the fridge, and got to work using Charles's fancy coffee maker intended for guests.She had planned on brewing a quick cup of joe, but with time to kill and an extra person in the mix, she figured it was better to stay busy than awkwardly hang around Maxwell. Making the coffee gave her something else to focus on.Maxwell watched Noelle. She was unflappable and detached, as if his chilly vibe could not reach her. Her lack of reaction left him feeling unexpectedly flat.Who would not be at least a little intimidated by him? However, Noelle did not seem scared in the slightest.Maxwell had to concede that if he had to pick someone amongst Kelly, Janet, and Noelle, Noelle was the best choice, without doubt.However, no matter what Noelle did, Maxwell could not bring himself to like her. Even from the start, he just could not
"I...""Exactly!" Noelle squinted again, thoroughly enjoying Maxwell's chagrin. She said cheerfully, "I asked you earlier, remember? You just told me you didn't want any, but you didn’t say I couldn’t eat. Isn’t that the same as giving me permission?”"You’re twisting my words!" Maxwell was irked by Noelle's logic. "I can't believe an employee of Collosus Group dares to break the office rules like this. With a company as big as Collosus Group, it would be chaos if everyone started eating in the office!""So, I've made it a habit to only snack in Charles's office!" Noelle chuckled, glancing over as the water for the coffee started to bubble. She flipped the lid off the kettle and rinsed the coffee gear with water. "Sir Hoffman, try to calm down. It’s not good for a man your age to get so worked up. You might hurt yourself.”"You..."Maxwell was at a loss for words by Noelle's cheeky comments. His face turned steely as he glared at her. However, Noelle was not intimidated and kept o
Sure enough, Maxwell's face twitched, and he blurted out, "If you're on leave, why are you even here at the company?"What kind of leave are you taking? I should've guessed. Women like you just laze around all day once you get what you want. You're only after Charles's money. I suggest you divorce Charles as soon as you can. The Hoffman family will never welcome someone like you!""Someone like me?" Noelle touched her chest, feigning thoughtfulness. "Well, I think I'm pretty great.""Y-you're utterly shameless!""I'm just telling it like it is. Charles thinks I'm fantastic, and that's all that matters! Besides, don't you want to know what kind of leave I've taken? I've gone ahead and taken... ten whole months!""T-ten months?" Maxwell's jaw dropped, his eyes nearly bulging out of their sockets. He gaped at Noelle, and then his gaze dropped to her belly. "You're pregnant?" He was utterly flabbergasted.Noelle quirked an eyebrow. "You hit the nail on the head, Sir Hoffman!""Feeli
"Thanks for the compliment, Grandpa!""You...""What's going on here?"The office door swung open, and Charles walked in, straightening his tie and giving Maxwell and Noelle a quick look-over. Maxwell's presence did not seem to faze him in the slightest.Charles set some papers down on his desk and casually sat beside Noelle, gently grasping her hand. "Wasn't Ronald supposed to take you home?""I just can't stand being at home by myself, Charles. I'm feeling fine, really. How about letting me come to work?" Noelle pondered for a moment. She was only two months along. She was sure she would lose her mind if she had to endure solitude for the next eight months."Absolutely not!"This time, it was not Charles who objected but Maxwell. "Pregnancy is no small matter. You really don't seem to grasp the seriousness of it, young lady. As of today, you're not allowed to set foot in the office again."Noelle was visibly surprised, not having expected Maxwell to react this way. She gave
"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