Noelle smiled. When she saw that Charles was serving her food, she hurriedly took her bowl from him and said, “Let me do it!”Charles merely smiled as he said, “Let’s eat!” Noelle enjoyed her meal thoroughly. After all, it had been some time since she could eat so freely. However, she noticed that Charles did not have much to eat. It was evident that he was not the biggest fan of spicy food, and she quietly took note of that. As the two headed downstairs after finishing the meal, they bumped into another couple leaving the cinema. It sounded like they were discussing the plot of the movie they had just watched. “You said you’d watch the movie with me, but you ended up falling asleep!” “It’s not my fault! Girls love watching miscommunication tropes, but do misunderstandings really happen that frequently in real life?” “But these movies are inspired by real life! Of course it’s an exaggerated version of real life! There’s no way it would be identical to daily life. I don’t care.
Charles took her hand and led her to the ticket redemption machine, where he frowned and stared at the machine in front of him instead of doing anything else. The people waiting in line behind them grew impatient and called out, “Hey, you guys in front of us! Are you going to redeem your tickets or not? Get out of the way if you aren’t going to redeem anything!” “Sorry, sorry, we’re almost done!” Noelle hurriedly apologized to the people waiting behind them before she stood on her tiptoes and whispered, “Don’t you know how to use the machine?” Charles glanced sideways at her, an indescribable look in his eyes. He did not say anything as he gave Noelle a long, knowing look. For some reason, Noelle found it funny as she took Charles’ phone from him and typed in the number displayed on the screen. Once the tickets were printed, Charles took them before Noelle could and held her hand in his as they walked away.Noelle allowed Charles to hold her hand as they walked away from the cro
Before heading in, Charles acted like any other diligent boyfriend and purchased popcorn and soda.Noelle held the bucket of popcorn in her arms and glanced sideways at the man standing next to her. When she saw the bottles of soda in his hands, she gulped. "Actually, you didn’t have to…” “Shush!” Charles said as he placed a finger on Noelle’s lips. “Time to head in.” It was the evening, which made it the perfect time for most couples to go on dates. Hence, the movie theatre was nearly filled by the time they entered the room. Noelle and Charles’ seats were nearer to the corner, and they had to traipse across the room to get to it.When they finally sat down, Noelle heaved a sigh of relief. “It’s been so long since I last watched a movie. I wasn’t expecting there to be so many people!” “Yeah!” Charles helped Noelle hold on to her bag, and he waited until she had settled down before handing her a bottle of soda. “Thirsty?” Noelle shook her head. "I’m alright!” However, she sti
A slight blush crept onto Noelle’s cheeks as she turned to Charles, feeling somewhat embarrassed as she said, “Girls usually have a thing for the domineering types!” When she saw the slight look of disbelief on Charles’ face, she bit down on her lip and added, “I’m serious, but this movie is stretching things out a little too far. If such domineering CEOs actually existed in the real world, I think it’d be easier for their presence to be accepted if they aren’t the best in everything!” “Mm-hmm!” Charles said as he raised an eyebrow. He did not retaliate but did not add on anything else either. Noelle felt somewhat embarrassed and hurriedly turned to watch the movie playing on the screen once again. However, she could not get over the fact that Charles was holding her left hand, and she could feel her heart racing. Noelle whispered, “Um… My palm is sweaty.” When Charles heard that, he gave Noelle a long, knowing look before he unfurled her fingers, placed her palm flat against
“Gosh, they’re so sweet. You know, I’m wondering why I even bothered watching a movie with you. It’s one thing to see such sweet interactions in a movie, but it’s happening in real life as well. Meanwhile, I feel like a neglected puppy."The man’s displeased voice rang out, “Are you a bitch? You're so unreasonable today!” “What did you say? Try calling me a bitch again!” the woman's voice, which took on a rough edge, rang out. “Am I a bitch?” “Did I say you were a bitch? You were the one going on about feeling like a neglected puppy.” The girl said, “You don’t love me anymore.” The guy answered, “Do we have to act in such pretentious ways for you to believe that I like you?” Noelle was speechless. Why were they getting dragged into the fight? She turned to Charles and said, “He said we’re being pretentious!” “Yep, it’s because he’s jealous of us!” Charles concluded before he picked up another piece of popcorn and stuffed it into Noelle’s mouth. “Have some!” Noelle marvel
Noelle pouted. “Well, I thought successful people like you, especially business owners, are of the same caliber as celebrities.” She often heard rumors related to the business sphere from entertainment industry-related news and thus assumed that Charles was the same as them. However, Charles merely chuckled. “That applies to the others but not to me.” Then, he added, “No one really dares publish anything about me, and not that many people know what I look like.” He smiled. “You don’t have to worry about your husband being seduced by women with ulterior motives, Nelly.” Noelle did not know what to say to that. He seemed to have the ability to twist the truth into something that fit his narrative instead. “Well, that won’t work either. Didn’t you promise that we wouldn’t let anyone else know about our relationship yet? They’d figure things out if they saw us together, right?” “Why do you keep thinking about such things?” Charles asked, a rueful look on his face. “Why is it so
Noelle shook her head. “I’m alright.” Charles looked at Noelle’s feet, and a solemn look appeared in his eyes when he saw the high heels she was wearing. “Let’s go!” “Where are we going?” Charles answered, "To get you some shoes! You have to speak up when you aren’t feeling well in the future, alright?” Noelle was stunned, and she blinked before saying, “It’s alright, I’m alright. I’ve got a lot of shoes at home. No need to buy any more!” She thought Charles was overreacting, but he did not give her any chance to object to his decision before he took her to the area of the shopping mall dedicated to selling shoes and into one of the shops. When the attendant caught sight of Charles and the expensive-looking suit he was wearing, she could not help but affix her gaze onto him. However, she hurriedly averted her gaze when Charles swept his stern gaze across her. Noelle pursed her lips and raised her eyebrows slightly. “See? She doesn’t know who you are, but your presence is
“Wow! They’re beautiful!” A tinkling voice interrupted the sales attendant. “I saw them during fashion week and heard that they’re the works of Cox. They looked so beautiful on Aubrey, and I wanted them the minute I laid my eyes on them. I didn’t know they were available for purchase in Brookville now!” Noelle froze when she heard that voice. Sure enough, Winter stepped into the store. She was followed by two other women who Noelle had met previously. They were all part of Winter’s posse and frequently caused her trouble. Noelle frowned and instinctively turned around to leave. However, Winter would not allow that to happen. She let out a cry of surprise, acting like she had just seen Noelle as she said, “Noelle! My goodness, are you shopping here as well, Noelle?” Winter walked over and put on a look of sisterly love on her face as she grasped Noelle’s hands. “Noelle, have you been very busy lately? Why haven’t you been visiting?” Noelle’s eyebrows rose so high they nearly d
Liliana's mind was a whirlwind. She found her key card fast, but just as she was about to shut the door, a big hand stopped it.She was not strong enough to close the door against Sean, who pushed it open.Liliana took a shaky step back, looking at Sean with a bit of fear. "Sean, it's late. I need to sleep."Sean just kept looking at her. "Liliana, what... what's wrong with your mouth?" he asked as he reached out, his fingers lightly touching the corner of Liliana's mouth. Liliana felt a rush of heat through her body, making her shake all over.In a swift motion, she knocked Sean's hand away. "Leave me alone."With his inscrutable eyes, Sean noticed the blood on his thumb and Liliana's unusual red cheeks. A flicker of surprise showed in his eyes. "Liliana, did..."However, Liliana was already clenching her fists, all pretense gone. She was shaking and crouching on the ground, her tears filling her eyes. "Sean, please. I'm begging you, just go, okay?"Sean's brow furrowed. His
Liliana could not make out what Sean was saying anymore. She felt awful and shut her eyes tight, not wanting Sean to notice.Sean thought Liliana had dozed off from drinking too much and had a headache, so he stopped talking.The car pulled up to Liliana's hotel, and Sean gently shook her. "Liliana, time to wake up. We're here."Liliana slowly opened her eyes and saw Sean's face close to hers. Her heart, which was already fluttering, started racing.She turned her head away, swallowing hard. "Are we here already?"Once she saw they were outside the hotel, Liliana quickly got out of the car and opened the back door to help Adalee. "Ms. Cobb, can you walk?"Adalee nodded. "Yes, I can."With a sigh of relief, Liliana told Sean, "Sean, we've made it. Ms. Cobb and I will head up now."Liliana rushed off, scared that any delay might make her lose her composure. She could not let herself fall apart in front of Sean again—not after what happened years ago.Sean noticed Liliana rushing
The moment everyone in the private room saw Bob, they were scared out of their wits.It was Andy, the favorite son of the Jones family in Cascade City! Even though he was the second child, he was the one everyone knew would run the company one day.Everyone felt a wave of relief, glad they had not messed with Liliana earlier. They knew that if they had, they would not just be outcasts in Cascade City, but probably everywhere else too.Sean gently put Adalee in the back seat of the car and then helped Liliana into the front seat. Noticing Liliana's pale face, he asked, "Did you have too much to drink?"When Sean touched her forehead, Liliana felt a wave of heat rush through her, like she was on fire. Sean's hand was cool, and the moment it touched her, she could not help but sigh in relief."Maybe," she said.Sean shook his head. "Where's your hangover pill? Take it now. Where do you live?"After Liliana told him the address, she saw that Adalee was already fast asleep.Sean tur
Sean nodded. "It's all done."He glanced at Adalee, who was next to Liliana, and said, "Hi, I'm Liliana's brother."Adalee, seeing a man of such stature had arrived, did not bother to question if he was truly Liliana's brother. Her main concern was to get out of there, so she nodded. "I'm sorry to trouble you.""It’s no trouble at all. Looks like you really enjoyed your meal!" With that, Sean took over supporting Adalee from Liliana.He was a big guy, so he steadied Adalee with no trouble at all. He turned to Liliana and said, "Liliana, grab Ms. Cobb's bag. We're leaving."Sean acted as if he did not even notice the other people there. He just finished speaking and started to walk away with Liliana and Adalee.However, the other guys were not just going to stand there. Even though Sean looked pretty cool, they had not seen anyone like him around Cascade City before.They thought they had these two women in the bag, but then this guy had come along and messed it up. "Mister, sinc
The others did not buy Liliana's story for a second.Adalee and Liliana were both from Brookville, and they were strangers in Cascade City. The idea of her brother suddenly showing up seemed far-fetched, so they did not really pay much attention to Liliana's claim.However, they had made a mistake because the brother Liliana mentioned was real, and his name was Sean.As soon as she felt things were going south, she had already reached into her purse and dialed Sean's number.Liliana was not sure if Sean would arrive immediately, but she was certain he would not leave her hanging.Seeing how Liliana acted, one of them smirked. "Do you have family here in Cascade City?"Liliana shook her head. "No, not really. But my brother came with me a few days ago for an academic conference. He's actually here having dinner too, and we planned to head back together."Liliana pulled out her phone with a small, nervous smile and waved it at everyone. She tried to keep her cool, always smiling.
As Liliana walked by Sean, he gently grabbed her arm, making her pause. "What's up, Sean?" she asked, puzzled."Don't drink too much," he advised, handing her a pill to help with the alcohol. Liliana looked at it, surprised. "What's this for? Don't you need it?""Nope, it's all yours!" Sean replied, a hint of concern in his furrowed brow. "Just remember to take it easy on the drinks, and give me a call when you head home, alright?"Liliana felt warmth radiating from where Sean had held her arm, mirroring the heat rising in her cheeks. Sean's expression remained unchanged.She wrapped her fingers around the pill, holding it tight in her hand, and nodded. "Okay."Back in the private room, Liliana found Adalee had been drinking heavily. Her face was paler than before. She waved her over and whispered, "I'll pretend I'm not feeling well in a bit, and you can help me get out of here."Adalee's voice was faint, and though Liliana did not know what was going on, she could tell she looke
After speaking, Liliana supported herself against the wall and headed to the restroom. Bob, still holding the bottle of hangover remedy, stood in place with a glimmer in his deep-set eyes.He smirked faintly, then chuckled and shook his head. Casually, he stuffed the remedy into his pants pocket and lingered there a while longer, lighting a cigarette before finally returning to the private room.Sean was inside drinking with a few others. They were all people brought in by Bob and were prominent figures in the pharmaceutical and medical industries.Truth be told, the entire dinner was simply Bob paving the way for Sean. Although these individuals were leaders in their fields, they still had to curry favor. The man they aimed to please was Bob—better known as Andy Jones, the second son of Jones Group.Though Bob was technically the second son, everyone in Cascade City knew he was the legitimate heir to the Jones family and, eventually, the Smiths as well. That made him a powerful fi
Liliana had not wanted to drink, but the other party insisted on making a toast. Under such circumstances, she could not exactly refuse. It was clear they would not even continue discussing the partnership unless she played along.She glanced at Adalee, whose expression was far from pleasant. However, given that they still had to maintain a working relationship with the client, Adalee subtly signaled Liliana to go along with it. Liliana understood—she could not say no.Hence, round after round, Liliana did her best to hold her own. She even tried to fake it occasionally, but she still ended up drinking quite a bit."Excuse me, I need to use the restroom," she said eventually, unable to take any more. Her head felt light, and her steps wobbled slightly as she walked.Though her alcohol tolerance was not exactly terrible, the combination of red and white wine tonight was rough. Even someone with a decent tolerance would struggle.She had not even reached the restroom when she stum
After finishing dinner, Liliana and Adalee went to pay the bill, only to be told it had already been paid for.Liliana instinctively suspected Sean, but Adalee, unaware, asked the cashier, "Who paid for it?""Are you Ms. Hoffman?" the cashier asked.Adalee shook her head and pointed at Liliana. "She is."The cashier smiled. "That's right. A Mr. Smith said to put the bill under his account."Liliana nodded. "Got it. Thank you."Adalee gave Liliana a curious glance. Judging by her reaction, she clearly knew the person. "Didn't you say you had never been to Cascade City before? How do you know someone here?"It was not until they got into the car that Liliana explained, "He's also from Brookville—a distant relative. I ran into him just now when I went to the restroom."Adalee nodded. Though she suspected things were not that simple, she did not press further.During their business trip in Cascade City, Adalee kept Liliana incredibly busy. Every day was packed to the brim, making