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
Nurses occasionally strolled by, casting curious glances at Sean. They whispered among themselves, "Who was that woman who just stormed off? Why does she always speak to the dean like that?""Beats me! Didn't you notice how she's always on the dean's case, yet he just takes it?""Right? Do you think she's the one the dean's been waiting for all this time?"Their voices trailed off into the distance. Only then did Sean let his tense shoulders drop. He looked down to find his phone still in his hand, the call still connected.Sean's lips barely moved. "Anything else?"Charles was silent for a long stretch on the other end before finally saying, "You picked this path, so now you've got to deal with the fallout."A wry smile flickered across Sean's face. "It sounds like you're enjoying this.""Liliana's not cold-hearted or disloyal.""I know!" Sean's eyes lifted, heavy with fatigue. "I've hurt her too much. It's only now that I realize how brave she was, dealing with my constant re
Noelle was speechless.Could someone please tell her why there was such blatant favoritism between two children born to the same parents?The people nearby had also noticed the situation, and soon, muffled laughter spread through the crowd.Even Yves and Kelly could not help but chuckle. Charles was clearly a devoted husband and a doting father—but only to his daughter.As for his son… It seemed Connor now had the lowest rank in the family.Yves shook his head and glanced down at Connor, who had stopped crying. The little boy simply stared at Glitter as if watching her intently.Noelle sighed, feeling both exasperated and amused. Was Charles being biased? Connor was just as adorable!Meanwhile, on the other side of the hall, Clarisse had previously reached out to Liliana in private, hoping she would return to the family.At first, Liliana had remained noncommittal. Later, even Maxwell had personally approached her, expressing his desire for her to come back, admitting that the
"What else could it be?"Noelle did not even need to look to know exactly what Charles was up to. She sighed as she glanced at her sister, who was still oblivious.Meanwhile, Yves and Charles seemed to have reached an agreement on stage. The two men shook hands before stepping down together.Charles walked straight to Noelle's side and, without hesitation, took Nora from her arms. The moment Nora saw him, her bright eyes sparkled with excitement.She let out a series of delighted coos, clearly overjoyed to be in his arms. She was barely a month old, yet somehow, she was already showing favoritism.Noelle could not help but feel a little jealous. She had been holding Nora just moments ago, yet the little one had not shown this level of enthusiasm.Pouting, she reached out and gently pinched Nora's cheek. In response, Nora turned her head away, ignoring Noelle entirely. Instead, she snuggled into Charles' chest, continuing her happy babbling.Noelle scowled. "Hmph, ungrateful litt
Charles chuckled. "Are you sure?"Yves narrowed his eyes and leaned in close, lowering his voice so only the two of them could hear. "Charles, what the hell are you up to?"Charles smirked. "Nothing much. I just want to make sure you're certain about this."His gaze suddenly shifted toward Kelly. "Tell me, do you think my dear sister-in-law might find someone better?"A sharp glint flashed through Yves' narrowed eyes. "Charles, aren't you afraid I'll take over Collosus Group entirely?" His teeth clenched as frustration flickered across his face.Charles simply shrugged, utterly unbothered. "I'm just afraid you won't.""You—" Yves could feel the vein in his temple pulsing.He never expected Charles—renowned for his ruthless decisiveness—to be such a schemer! He was utterly devoid of a moral compass. "Where is your conscience?"Charles arched a brow. "Can't help it. I have a wife and kids to take care of. I don't have time to waste.""And I do?" Yves shot back, clearly irritated
Before Winter could even finish her sentence, a series of rapid knocks echoed from the front door of the Shaw residence.Within moments, the door was violently forced open as a group of uniformed police officers stormed inside."Mr. Shaw, Ms. Shaw, this is a search warrant," the leading officer declared as he held up a document. "And this is an arrest warrant. Ms. Shaw, you're under arrest for attempted murder. Take her away!"With a subtle nod from their leader, the officers moved swiftly. Winter was subdued before she could react.For a moment, she was too stunned to struggle. It was not until they had escorted her outside and shoved her into a police car that she finally snapped back to reality."You can't arrest me! Let go of me! I didn't kill anyone!" she screamed, her voice filled with desperation.However, it was no use. She was quickly taken away. Meanwhile, Julian was also arrested for harboring a fugitive.All of this unfolded within a single night. By the time most pe
Through Janet's eyes, Milo seemed to see her mother again. It was the same clarity in her gaze that had appeared the moment she took her own life years ago.A sharp pain shot through Milo's chest, but before he could react, Janet's knife had already plunged into him."Monster! You're a monster! It's because of you that Charlie doesn't want me anymore! He abandoned me!"No matter what she did, Charles would never take her back.At that moment, Janet was utterly consumed by despair. She watched as blood gushed from Milo's chest, staining his clothes in deep red. Then, suddenly, she burst into hysterical laughter."Let's go to hell together!""You…" Milo's eyes widened in shock. He stared at Janet in disbelief.Then, as she pulled the knife out, he collapsed."Milo!"Raphael stood frozen as he watched Milo fall. Blood spread rapidly around him, pooling onto the floor in an uncontrollable flood."Somebody! Somebody call an ambulance! Call an ambulance—now!"His panicked screams
"My child, where is my child? Where is the baby Charlie and I had? Give my child back to me!"Janet's eyes locked onto Milo, and she immediately rushed toward him. "Father, give me back my baby! Give them back!"She clutched at Milo with frantic desperation. Her long, untrimmed nails, sharp from neglect, scraped deep into his skin, leaving red, bloody gashes across the back of his hand. "Father, where is my child?""That's my child with Charlie… Where is Charlie? Why isn't Charlie coming to see me?"Milo sucked in a sharp breath, startled by Janet's unnatural strength. However, the moment Janet turned and spotted Raphael, her expression darkened even further, and her gaze turned menacing."You… You old bastard! Give me back my son! Give him back!"She lunged at Raphael, gripping his arm and yanking at him violently.She was like a rabid animal, stronger than any of the doctors or caretakers combined.Janet ran wildly around the living room, knocking over furniture as the doctor
"Hmm? What's that supposed to mean?" Sean asked in confusion. "What exactly are you doing?""Nothing," Charles replied, his expression returning to normal. "What was the situation in Capiton before? The timing of Janet's breakdown doesn't seem right."It was not quite what he had expected, but it did not affect his plans.Sean smacked his lips. "Haha, speaking of that, you should ask that little brat Linda. Her acupuncture skills are seriously impressive. Just a few needles and she did more damage than the medicine I prepared!"He had to admit that the drugs he had mixed up were practically useless compared to what Linda had done. "But that little girl was pretty ruthless with it!""Ruthless?" Charles' gaze turned sharp. "Compared to what they have done, Linda went easy on them."If Noelle had suffered any real harm, he would have wiped the Bakers off the face of the earth.Sean caught the murderous intent in Charles' expression and raised an eyebrow. "So, what's your plan? Keep
Noelle nodded and pushed open the door to Connor and Nora's nursery. "What do you think, Mom? Charlie started working on this room as soon as I found out I was pregnant. Everything here, from the decor to even the smallest details, was his doing."Clarisse smiled as she stepped inside. Her gaze swept over the room, filled with warmth and tenderness. Her eyes grew misty as she took it all in. "It's beautiful—truly wonderful."Walking over to the crib, she saw the two babies fast asleep. Their tiny arms and legs were slightly lifted in the air.Noelle chuckled as she approached. "They sleep like this all the time. The doctor said it'll get better in a while."Clarisse nodded but could not hide a trace of guilt. "I never really took care of my own children after they were born. No wonder they aren't close to me now."There was a hint of regret in her voice.Noelle pursed her lips and then said playfully, "I was actually thinking about going back to work once I recovered. But what ab
Noelle placed the paper in front of Clarisse like she was presenting a treasure. Clarisse was slightly taken aback. Although her relationship with Charles had improved, she still felt a bit uneasy when facing her own son.At this moment, Noelle was acting as a bridge between them. It might not seem like much, but Clarisse understood that Charles' willingness to be even slightly cordial with her was largely because of Noelle.Her son was fiercely devoted—especially when it came to Noelle. Clarisse had started to see her in a new light.At first glance, Noelle seemed rather ordinary. But over time, her good qualities became more apparent. The more Clarisse got to know her, the more she realized just how remarkable she was."Mom, look! Charlie put so much thought into this," Noelle said while beaming."Yes… he really did," Clarisse murmured, her eyes growing slightly misty. The sadness she had felt earlier because of Milo had eased, replaced by a strange sense of warmth as she gazed