This was way too over the top!Noelle used to think Charles and her grandfathers were pretty eccentric, but they were amateurs compared to Maxwell. "I thought your grandpa wasn't a fan of me."Why all this fuss for a granddaughter-in-law he did not like?Noelle glanced at her belly, feeling a sudden pang of jealousy toward the twins she had not even met yet.However, she thought about it and realized that they were the reason why Sir Hoffman was treating her so well, so why should she be jealous?Charles had no clue about the whirlwind of thoughts Noelle had just had. He affectionately patted her head and said, "It's the final result that counts! I never fuss over how we get there!"Noelle looked up and beamed at Charles."Mr. Charles, Mrs. Hoffman, time to change shoes!" The servant came over with shoes for both of them. "These are brand new and were just prepared today. Sir Hoffman made sure they were all sanitized, so you can wear them without worry!"Charles gave Noelle a k
Noelle gave Maxwell a curious look when she heard him. Maxwell caught her eye and felt his cheeks heat up with embarrassment. He quickly averted his eyes and coughed to cover it up. "You’d better watch it," he warned playfully. "If you upset my great-grandson, I'll have to show you the door!" He pointed at Noelle, trying to sound stern.Noelle raised an eyebrow, a smile tugging at her lips at Maxwell's antics.Maxwell was a real piece of work, an old man who still threw tantrums like a toddler. He was the definition of a ‘man-child’!"Sir, dinner's all set!" James announced, popping up beside Maxwell. "When should we dig in?""Now!" Maxwell eyed Noelle's tummy. "We wouldn't want rumors flying about us neglecting an expectant mom!"Noelle's eye twitched in annoyance as she exchanged a knowing glance with Charles, who chuckled and gently took her hand.Maxwell looked around. "Where's Mateo and that lady?""Mr. Mateo is still out, and as for Madam Baker..." James was cut off as C
"Stop! That's too much!" Noelle quickly put her hand up to stop Charles. "I can't eat all that!""You need to eat more. It's one thing to be a picky eater now and then, but you can't keep this up.""When have I ever been picky?" Noelle's cheeks ballooned, her mouth full of food, as she gave Charles a look of protest. "I'm not picky at all!""Hmm?" Charles quirked an eyebrow. "Then who is it that won't touch green pepper? Or cucumber? And won't even eat...""Okay, okay, I'll eat! Happy now?!" Noelle threw her hands up in defeat, took another mouthful of rice, chewed with a smack, and made a face at Charles. "There. Satisfied?"A soft smile played on Charles's lips, lighting up the room.The Hoffmans watched the back-and-forth between Charles and Noelle, noticing the rare smile on Charles's face.Henry and Nancy simply enjoyed the heartwarming moment. However, the rest of the Hoffmans stared at Charles in shock, hardly believing their eyes.They had seldom seen him smile since he
The Hoffman family was watching Charles and Noelle's chat closely. Nancy shot Henry a knowing glance, and he nodded back, fully aware of the situation.Henry was no fool. He knew exactly what Charles was scheming. Charles had been reluctant to bring Noelle to the Hoffman estate before because she had no leverage. However, now that Noelle was expecting, both she and Maxwell had a graceful truce, and Charles likely had his next moves planned out.Still, Henry was taken aback by how readily Maxwell had conceded, and so swiftly at that.Post-dinner, Noelle joined Nancy upstairs. Nancy showed her around, acquainting her with the Hoffman family's residence, while Charles and Henry took a leisurely walk outside.Mateo was not the true powerhouse in the Hoffman household—it was Henry. Charles and Henry just clicked, probably because they had a very similar way of handling life and other people. Whenever Charles had a problem, he made a beeline straight for Henry and would not bother with
"Got any more questions?""Did Shirley only have one daughter, Kelly?" "I'm not sure about that." Henry shook his head. "You'll have to check with your dad if you want the full scoop." "Got it," Charles said, momentarily lost in thought. "Uncle Henry, do you know anything about Shirley's past?" "What's there to know?" Henry replied, then suddenly looked up, a realization dawning on him. "Wait, do you think Shirley and Noelle are connected?" Henry could not figure out why Noelle popped into his head, but as the images of Shirley, Kelly, and Noelle flashed through his mind, he instinctively sensed a connection. "Noelle and the Shaw family?" "Noelle isn't Julian and Jade's real daughter!" Charles's fingers played with his cufflink, a slight crease forming between his brows. "I've been digging into Shirley's past, and it's weird, but there's nothing out there. It's like she's a ghost or something. I couldn’t find any starting points for a search." "So, you're asking me for h
Noelle was wide-eyed as she looked around the room. "I never pictured your room looking like this!""What do you mean?" Charles glanced around. It was pretty much how he remembered it. Ever since he came home and started at Colossus Group, he had not spent many nights at the Hoffmans', so he had not realized they had kept the room's old charm.Noelle let go of Charles's hand and dashed to the bookshelf, taking a quick look. "Whoa, you've got the whole Game of Thrones series here! Were you into it? ‘The Tales of Robin Hood', ' Anglo-Saxon Chronicle', some random essays, 'A Brief History of Time'... Charles, you've got a ton of books!"Charles gave the shelf a quick glance and narrowed his eyes a bit. "It’s just for show," he said nonchalantly."For show?" Noelle's eyes popped in disbelief."Yep!" Charles chuckled and waved Noelle over. "Come here!"Noelle made a face. "I'm not buying it! Grandpa said you’re a genius and were way ahead of other kids even when you were in school.
By the third day of living in the Hoffman Residence, Henry had his guys drop off a file on Shirley to Charles. It was not like the file was bursting at the seams, but it had information on Shirley's escapades in showbiz—what movies she starred in and the buzz around her. It was enough to sketch out a picture of who she was.Charles gave the dossier a once-over, especially focused on the bits about Shirley's social life, or the lack thereof. It turned out that Shirley was quite the loner in the glitzy world of celebs. Other than her film crew, she did not mingle much. Her days were like a broken record: all she would do was shoot for movies. Glittery parties and red carpets were not her scene.There was not much else about her, and it seemed like someone was purposely covering up. However, buried in the scant details was a gem—a snapshot of Shirley with a lady who just so happened to be Sebastian's daughter… Jade.The photo was a blast from the past, and young Shirley could have been
"Do all of Royal Star's artists make a habit of moonlighting?" Charles threw out a question that seemed to come from left field.Ronald hesitated, then replied, "Well, company policy is against moonlighting. However, with so many artists under Royal Star, resource allocation isn't always fair, so some artists take side gigs. It's an open secret, really—as long as it doesn't breach any contracts, it's pretty much the norm. Why? Is there trouble with Winter?"Ronald had not gotten a call from the big boss lately, so he was clueless about the trouble Winter had gotten into. With the way Charles was talking, Ronald got a sinking feeling. Was he about to be out of a job?"Give me a moment, Mr. Hoffman. I'll fix it in no time!""Forget it," Charles dismissed with a wave of his hand. "It's no big deal. Just take care of things here. I've got someone else on it.""Understood!"Once Ronald was gone, Charles lounged on the couch, lost in thought for a long stretch before he finally hit up
Kelly was a bit surprised initially, but then she got what Sean was asking and nodded. "Sure. We can do it anytime!""Great. Come with me for a bit!"When Sean whispered something to Kelly and she started to leave, Noelle stopped them. "What's happening?""Oh, I'm just taking Kelly to the lab to check on something. Don't worry," Sean explained to Noelle. "Kelly is your real sister, and her blood type is a perfect match for yours."Noelle looked at Kelly with mixed feelings. "Kelly, the truth is...""Don't worry. Charles, can you please watch Seth for a little while? I'll be back in no time!" Kelly said as she gently caressed Seth's cheek. "Seth, I'm going to run some errands with your uncle, okay? You stay here and have fun with your aunt and uncle Charles, alright?""Mommy, where are you going?""Just to the hospital. I'll return before you know it!" Kelly gave Seth's cheek a soft squeeze. "I've got my phone with me. If you miss me, just give me a call!""Alright!"Once Seth
"What are you two chatting about?"Sean was the first to push the door open and walk in. He saw Noelle and Kelly talking, and the sisters seemed to be in a good mood.Charles followed with a plate of pumpkin pie. When he saw the child in Noelle's arms, his expression softened.Noelle was softly touching Seth's cheek. When she saw Charles and Sean enter, she smiled and said, "Oh, it's just girl talk. That's not something for you guys to worry about.""Okay!" Charles nodded and walked over with the pumpkin pie. He cut a couple of slices and handed them to Noelle. "Margaret said this was okay for you to eat!" Then he gave the rest to Seth.At first, Seth was shy around Charles and seemed too nervous to speak. However, after seeing Noelle and Kelly's encouraging glances, he reached out, took a slice, and popped it into his mouth.The pie must have been delicious because after Seth finished one slice, he could not resist reaching for another, though he still looked at Charles cautious
Noelle gently pulled Seth into her arms, her fingers softly caressing his cheek and little head. "Kelly, about Seth's father…"Kelly paused for a moment before replying, "I don't know who he is."Noelle nodded and, with a perceptive sense of tact, decided not to press the matter further.The two sisters chatted about anything and everything the entire morning. Their topics ranged from mundane to absurd, yet with each exchange, their bond seemed to deepen, drawing them closer than before.Meanwhile, in the adjacent hospital room, Charles and Sean silently watched the two women and the child through a monitor. Their mutual silence, rare for the pair, was charged with unspoken tension.Sean held a detailed analysis report of Noelle's medical condition in one hand, alongside Harrison's blood sample results."Shirley hasn't shown up. It seems we can't count on her. Harrison's blood analysis shows no immediate issues, but you know as well as I do that his body can't—""I know," Charle
That would mean Charles had met her before she saved him, which explained why he looked so shocked when he woke up that day.Though Charles never said anything, his behavior toward her during that period was exceptionally kind. Whatever Kelly asked for, Charles would agree to it.Kelly stared at Noelle, who appeared just as puzzled. From what she remembered, she had met Charles only after Xavier's betrayal. Before that, Charles did not exist in her world—at least not in her memory.Given how extraordinary Charles was, Noelle did not believe her memory could be so bad as to forget someone like him. She could not fathom not remembering their first meeting.Noelle pressed her lips together, looking troubled.Seeing her expression, Kelly quickly interjected, "If you don't want to talk about it, that's fine. I was just curious. It's not something I'm fixated on."Noelle shook her head. "There's nothing I can't share; it's just strange. I can't seem to recall when we first met. Accordi
Kelly felt a bit startled by Charles' sudden attentiveness. Even at the height of their relationship, Charles had never shown such consideration toward her.His polite and gentle demeanor now seemed almost surreal, making her feel like she was seeing a completely different person.However, Kelly quickly realized that this shift was likely due to Noelle. She nodded and replied, "Yes, we've already eaten. What about you and Noelle?"Charles nodded as well. "We've eaten."Yet the atmosphere remained somewhat strained, likely because of his presence. Kelly harbored complicated feelings toward Charles—she no longer loved him, but having once been obsessively infatuated with him, she could not help but feel awkward.Charles, perceptive as ever, glanced at Noelle. She smiled and said, "Charlie, I've been craving something sweet, especially those pumpkin pies from Celia's Bakery. Could you go buy some for me?"Charles looked deeply into her eyes, his expression softening. Feeling a littl
"Of course. You're so adorable. Aunt Noelle will definitely like you," Kelly said, crouching down to Seth's level and gently pinching his nose."When you meet Aunt Noelle, remember to greet her properly, okay?""Okay! If Aunt Noelle likes me, I'll like Aunt Noelle too!""Mischief-maker!" Kelly chuckled. As they arrived at Noelle's hospital room, Kelly hesitated briefly before knocking on the door and pushing it open.Noelle was awake, and she was quietly reading a book. In the corner of the room, Charles sat on the sofa, engrossed in work on his laptop. Though neither spoke, the atmosphere between them felt harmonious.Kelly could not help but feel a pang of envy as she observed the scene. They looked so at ease together.Even while working, Charles seemed relaxed, a stark contrast to the cold and detached demeanor he often displayed around her.Kelly pressed her lips together, holding Seth's hand as they walked inside.Noelle set down her book and looked up, slightly surprised
In her dream, the man had seemed so real. He had called her Kelly in such a tender way.Kelly.She suddenly smiled.Throughout her life, no one had ever called her that name in such a way. People either addressed her as "Ms. Kelly" or simply "Ms. Anderson".Even during her closest moments with Charles, he had only ever called her Kelly in passing. That name, spoken with such familiarity, had only ever come from that man.Kelly raised a hand to her forehead and closed her eyes for a moment.After all these years, she rarely thought about what had happened four years ago, when she had been abducted.She had buried the memories of those months, refusing to revisit the pain and confusion. But ever since her meeting with Noelle the day before, ever since learning the truth about the man's watchful presence in her life, those unresolved emotions had come rushing back, leaving her overwhelmed and disoriented."Mommy!"Seth's small hand tugged at hers as his other hand rubbed his slee
Kelly did not sleep well all night. Her mind felt muddled, as if someone had stuffed it with incomprehensible thoughts.She kept ruminating about her origins and her relationships with Noelle, Harrison, and the others.In her dream, the connections between people were unclear. She did not even know what she was trying to accomplish, yet every face appeared vividly.She saw Noelle, Grant, Harrison, and Shirley. Their images flickered in and out of her dream like fleeting shadows, disappearing as quickly as they had come.She tried desperately to follow in their footsteps, but no matter how fast she ran, they moved too quickly. Watching their figures grow more distant, Kelly felt as though she was trapped in a dense fog, unable to escape.Then, as she ran faster, she saw Seth. He stood shyly in the mist, waving at her and calling out softly, "Mommy."Her heart swelled with joy, and she ran toward him. However, as she drew closer, Seth disappeared, and in his place stood a tall, imp
Kelly's fists clenched and loosened repeatedly, the process repeating several times. The silence in the hospital room was so oppressive it seemed to echo in her ears.After a long pause, she finally took a deep breath and said, "It's too late today, but I'll come to the hospital tomorrow morning for the blood tests.""Alright."Charles' expression softened slightly."But you need to promise me one condition."Kelly seemed to have thought deeply about it. After a long pause, she finally said, "Seth is my life.""Alright."Kelly laughed. In the quiet hospital room, her laughter was not loud, but it was enough to make Charles turn and look at her.Kelly looked back at Charles, her lips trembling slightly. "Sometimes, I really envy Noelle. She has a man who loves her so deeply. But Charles, does she know the side of you with blood on your hands?"Charles narrowed his eyes. "She doesn't, and she doesn't need to."Kelly laughed again, lowering her head to hide the loneliness in her