Charles nodded and shooed Ronald off with a wave. Sergey finally caught up. "Mr. Hoffman!""Is there anything you want to discuss?"Sergey was practically wringing his hands, eager to please. "Is there anything I can do for you, Mr. Hoffman? Just say the word, and I'd brave any danger for you, no matter what!""No need for that." Charles laughed lightly. "It's a simple task." He pulled out a photo from his pocket and held it up. "Does this look familiar?"Sergey's gaze dropped to the photo in his hands, and in a flash, recognition hit him. ‘I know her well,’ he thought, remembering their intense past encounter.Before Sergey's eyes, the woman's image seemed to glisten as though touched by light.Charles, observing Sergey's reaction, allowed a shadow of a smile to cross his face as he concealed his irritation. "As long as you get it, that's all that matters. Pull this off, and I'll make sure your dreams come true," Charles promised, sliding the photo into Sergey's hands before tur
Ronald was suddenly thankful he had not gone ahead and pre-emptively called over the mall manager. That would have been embarrassing.Oblivious to his assistant's silent snickers, Charles made a beeline for the kiddie and maternity corner to scope out the goods.With Noelle's pregnancy already hitting the two-month mark and her belly set to pop before long, she would need a whole new wardrobe of maternity clothes.Charles roamed around without a clue, not bothered in the slightest. However, Ronald, right on his heels, was cringing big time. It did not help that they were getting looks from just about every mom and young woman in the place.Charles, though, was all in on the baby clothes and toys, totally missing the crowd that was gathering. Who could blame them? He was a walking heartthrob—tall, handsome, and with a charm that could outshine any A-lister.When Charles turned on the charisma, good luck tearing your eyes away.A few women clutching baby gear could not take their e
Boy or girl?Charles scowled. "She's only two months pregnant. How am I supposed to know if it's a boy or a girl?" He gave the clerk a look like he was talking to an idiot and added, "I'll pick it out myself!"It was the clerk's turn to be completely flabbergasted. "She’s only two months pregnant?" What was he doing buying clothes so early?Ronald had just finished dealing with a bunch of nosy middle-aged women when he overheard Charles and the clerk. He could not help but burst into laughter.Charles shot Ronald with a look that could freeze boiling water. Ronald quickly stepped in, motioning the clerk to step aside, and then said, "Mr. Hoffman, there's really no rush to buy these things when your wife is just two months along. Fashion changes so fast. By the time your baby arrives, all this stuff will be out of style and probably useless!"Charles dropped the clothes back on the rack and casually shoved a hand into his pocket, saying calmly, "I'm just browsing. Who said anything
A short clip had made its way online, showing Charles picking out baby clothes for Noelle and the little one. The clip included that awkward moment when the sales clerk asked if the outfit was for a boy or a girl.Charles was in the middle of a shower, leaving Noelle bored and mindlessly swiping through her phone. That was when a messenger notification popped up. It was a message from the group chat, and she tapped in to find that very video staring back at her.Noelle's immediate reaction was to glance at the bathroom door, which was firmly shut. She then grabbed Charles's phone, and there was the same video. She facepalmed, only to discover that Sean was the one who shared it. She could not help but pull a face and muttered, "Where on earth did this come from?"Without missing a beat, Noelle tagged Sean in a reply: [Delete that fast, or Charles will be out for your blood!]Before she could even finish, the comments started rolling in.Peter chimed in: [I never pegged Charles for
Hearing Charles ask her that question, Noelle pouted as her good mood vanished in an instant. "What do you think? Eat, sleep, repeat. There's nothing else to do."Her eyes darted mischievously, and she climbed up from the bed, grabbing hold of Charles' arm with both hands and shaking it. "Charlie.""Hmm?"Charles held a towel in one hand while his other hand was being tugged back and forth by Noelle. Unable to resist, he sighed and reached out to pat her head. "Alright, just say what's on your mind."Noelle grinned cheekily, kneeling on the bed and inching closer to him. She clung tightly to Charles with her hands as if she would not let go. "Just let me go to the office, please!""No," Charles said firmly while shaking his head. "There's no room for discussion on this.""Why not?" Noelle protested, pouting as she tugged on his arm again. "I think it's perfectly reasonable! Who gets confined at home right after finding out they're pregnant? Look at our company—there are plenty of
"Didn't you just say you're not just an extension of me? Hmm?"Charles sighed softly as he lifted Noelle's chin with his hand, gently pinching it with his fingertips, not applying much pressure. Noelle felt a slight tickle on her chin and rubbed against his fingers. "I'm not! I'll just stay in your pocket!"Noelle was being playful, her expression making it clear that unless Charles agreed to her demands, she would not let him off so easily.Charles' gaze deepened. "Are you being a troublemaker?""Yes, I'm a troublemaker, and you're the troublemaker's husband, so that makes you a troublemaker too!" Noelle wrapped her arms around Charles' arm, acting out as she clung to him. Charles did not resist and let her mess around. Eventually, Noelle grew bored. She exhaled heavily and pushed him away, diving under the covers. "You're no fun at all! Charles, admit it—you don't love me anymore!"Charles was speechless.She pouted. "I just want to go to work. It's not like I'm asking for th
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
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
"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