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
Margaret forced a smile and shook her head lightly. "No way. You must be kidding!" It was not fear that made Margaret tense around Sean. She just always felt uncomfortable around him. "So, what did you want from me?"Sean was not the type to show up without a reason. The last time he had dropped by her clinic was when Noelle was expecting. Today's unexpected visit meant he needed something from her.Sean chuckled. "I've got something I need your help with!""What is it, Mr. Smith?" Margaret was not used to Sean being so formal. "Is this about work?""Kind of." Sean gave a slight nod, taking a moment to think. "You've heard of Winter, haven't you?"Margaret was taken aback, the image of Winter flashing in her mind. She did not follow celebrities, but Winter had left a lasting impression. It would be hard to forget her even if she tried. Margaret nodded. "A bit. Do you know her well, Mr. Smith?""Know her? We're..." Sean trailed off. "She came by the hospital for a check-up with yo
Sean left the room and headed straight for his office. He flipped through Winter's medical file, tsking and shaking his head in disbelief. Picking up the phone, he dialed Charles. "Winter is one tough cookie, you know that?"Charles squinted, all business. "Cut to the chase.""Alright, I've got the goods. Want me to drop it off later?""Just send me a picture!"Sean snapped a photo of the document and sent it over to Charles, then said, "If you're planning to spill the beans, do it with style. I've still got a hospital to run here!""Got it." Charles looked over the case report on his computer, rubbing his temples. It was just as Noelle had said—Winter was a handful. She did not need to look for trouble, it just found her. "I'm not going to make a move just yet. You can relax.""I appreciate it," Charles replied, pausing for a moment. "About Yankel's situation, it's confirmed that Samara's gone and that kid is definitely hers and Yankel's. Liliana was just looking after him becau
"Forget it!" Charles dismissed with a wave of his hand. "Let them have their fun!" He found their squabbles entertaining, and as long as he could keep things under his thumb, he was not about to stop their wild antics.Ronald got the picture and could not help but feel a newfound respect for Charles. He had always pegged Charles as a tough guy with a moral compass, but he was starting to see just how cutthroat he could be when he wanted to. Ronald seemed to have forgotten that Charles had shown no mercy before, not even when Winter and Suzy were out to get Noelle.Charles did not do anything out of the ordinary. He simply set up a pool game with a few big shots from the business world. Those guys had been itching to rub elbows with Charles for ages, but the chance had never come up. Imagine their surprise when Charles himself extended the invite—of course, they jumped at the opportunity.Charles strolled in last, and the crowd rushed to welcome him with eager smiles. "Mr. Smith!" th
"Hmm?"Sergey eyed Charles, who appeared intrigued. Determined to secure the Golden Wave City project, Sergey played his final card. "You may not know this, Mr. Hoffman, but the ladies at Elysian Swallow Garden are no ordinary women. They come from all walks of life and are prepared to fulfill every desire!"Sergey's grin was a bit sleazy as he added, "One taste, and you're hooked for life!"Charles played it cool, idly twirling his cue, seemingly unfazed. On the other hand, Sergey was getting carried away, too wrapped up in his own spiel to notice Charles's poker face."Just the other day, we had another visit. The new girl was a real knockout, though she seemed a bit fragile for our kind of fun.""Really?" Charles's lips quirked up in a half-smile that managed to be both disarming and disconcerting. Luckily for Sergey, he was not the type to swoon. If he were, he would be a goner.Sergey, thrown off by Charles's cool demeanor, treaded lightly. "Thinking of checking it out, Mr.
"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