Noelle stepped out just after Ronald had taken off. She adjusted her clothes and noticed Charles with an unlit cigarette in hand. When he saw Noelle, he tossed it aside. "Hungry? What do you want to eat?""Did I just hear Mr. Wells a minute ago?""Yeah, he dropped by for a signature," Charles replied, his eyes lingering on Noelle.He had always known there was something special about her beauty. More than just her good looks, she had a kind of allure that stuck with him over the years. That was why he could not shake her from his thoughts and why someone like Kelly could never tempt him.Noelle strutted over, twirling a bit. "What do you think? Do I look okay?" she asked, cocking her head and flashing a playful grin. "Good thing I'm not showing yet. Otherwise, I doubt I'd fit into any of these outfits Becky picked out!""You look amazing!" Charles called out, pulling Noelle close. "You're not fat. In fact, you're too skinny.""You’re bringing this up again?" Noelle sighed, half-j
Anyone watching from afar would have caught the sweet scene unfolding between the couple.Grant, who had time to kill, wandered over and spotted Charles and Noelle. His eyes briefly sparkled with something unreadable, but he chose not to join them. Instead, he lingered outside for a while before leaving with a sense of resignation.Charles's piercing gaze followed Grant's departing silhouette, his eyes darkening in deep thought.Noelle, ever the food enthusiast, was too engrossed in her meal to notice Grant's presence. Her plate was heaped with treats, and she was blissfully unaware of anything else.Eventually, Noelle's stomach reached its limit, and she pushed Charles's hand away, exclaiming, "No more, I just can't! I'm absolutely stuffed!"Charles looked down, his eyes twinkling with mirth at the sight of Noelle's rounded belly. It was as if their baby was already making its presence known. "Okay, no more food for now!" he said, gently patting her belly. "Does it hurt?"Noelle
When Charles gave the nod, Noelle's face lit up with excitement. "Hey, old geezer! Get down here!""Huh?"Charles quirked an eyebrow, totally baffled by Noelle's request. She was already yanking on his sleeve, urging him into a squat. With a patient sigh, Charles crouched down, curious to see what Noelle was up to. However, before he could ask, she had hopped onto his back. "Old geezer, this old gal can't walk another step. Give me a lift, will you?"A grin spread across Charles's face, and he playfully pinched Noelle's nose. "You're something else, you know that?""What's the matter? Not up for it?" Noelle challenged, jutting out her chin and refusing to budge from Charles's back. "Let's go!"Shaking his head with a soft laugh, Charles said, "You're a handful, you know? You've got a baby on board. If I carry you on piggyback, I might squish your tummy. That won't be comfy at all, will it?""So what do we do?" Noelle whined.Without missing a beat, Charles reached back and scoop
The 'waterwheel' Charles mentioned was actually a cute little paddle boat in the river. Once inside, each person would pedal on one side, taking a leisurely boat ride as if on a lake.However, they had chosen the wrong time to go. The sky was darkening, and the evening boat rides were done for the day, probably to prevent mishaps like someone falling into the water at night.Noelle clung to Charles's neck with a look of such sweet sorrow that Charles could not help but notice. He gently stroked her hair. "It's okay. We can’t do it today, but how about we come back first thing tomorrow? I'll pedal with you all day, okay?""Maybe not. I'm not a kid, you know. It's just a bummer we missed out on the fun today!" Noelle was not one to make a fuss. "Let me down, and we can take a stroll by the river and enjoy the breeze!""Sure! Feeling up for a walk now, my little granny?" Charles said with a chuckle.Noelle could not help it. Her cheeks flushed with color once more. She gave Charles
Although Maxwell could be unreasonable at times, Noelle was completely safe around him, at least while she was pregnant. Maxwell would never say anything hurtful to Noelle then.It was clear as day that Charles had Maxwell all figured out. No sooner had they walked through the door than Maxwell started his verbal lashing. However, the target was Charles, not Noelle."Seriously, how old are you now? Do you even realize your wife's pregnant with your kids? You might like eating out, but who knows if it's clean? We've got all the tasty and healthy food you could ever want right here. What's your problem?"Mid-rant, Maxwell went for his cane, aiming to give Charles a piece of his mind the old-fashioned way, but Noelle darted in front of him. The cane froze in mid-swing. Maxwell's hand shook at nearly giving Noelle an unintended whack. He shot her a look that could curdle milk. "Step aside!"Noelle stood her ground. "I'm the one who wanted to eat out today. Don’t blame Charlie!”Maxwel
Maxwell knew his grandson like the back of his hand. Charles was not the type to say sorry just like that. Thus, Maxwell had not held his breath for an apology. However, he was intrigued to see Charles willing to bend a little for Noelle's sake."I'm sorry!"The words came out of Charles with a hint of reluctance, but they were out. That left everyone in the room, except for Noelle, totally taken aback. Charles had actually apologized. It was a moment no one saw coming.Maxwell watched Noelle with a thoughtful gaze while Charles, albeit a bit awkwardly, took her hand and led her upstairs. Only when the young couple had vanished from view did Maxwell blink twice, a grin spreading across his face with a dash of excitement and curiosity. He turned to his daughter-in-law. "Nancy, did you catch that? Our Charles, that little scamp, actually said sorry to me. You watched him grow up, Nancy. Take a look at him now...""Dad, I can’t believe your ears aren't playing tricks on you!" Nancy
A heart-to-heart with Nancy? Henry was not about to let Clarisse corner Nancy for a chat. However, Nancy seemed to have other ideas. Catching Henry's fierce look at Clarisse, Nancy gently touched his hand and shook her head. "Let me talk to her, please!"Henry's frown deepened. He did not like the idea of Nancy and Clarisse alone together. However, Nancy shot him a look that said 'trust me' and patted his hand. "We're at the Hoffman Residence. Everyone's around!" Clarisse would not dare make a scene with everyone watching, especially with Charles being so close to Nancy. Nancy was sure of it.Henry mulled it over and then gave a reluctant nod. "Fine." However, his eyes still shot Clarisse a warning glare.Clarisse felt a wave of nausea but refused to show it. She straightened her back, mustering all her courage to face Henry. "Do you still doubt me?"Henry narrowed his eyes. "You two can catch up here. I'm heading upstairs. When you're done, come find me, and I'll show you the way
Clarisse had always felt like a total failure in Nancy's presence.Clarisse, the Baker family's golden girl, had never known such disgrace before. Her resentment was not just aimed at Mateo—she despised Nancy too. Nancy had snatched Henry away from her, and then it seemed she was also after her son.Nancy watched Clarisse's turmoil and gently looked down. "Charles is your son, and nothing's going to change that. I never wanted to fight with you over him. Charles is our brother's kid. When you weren't here, Henry and I just stepped in to help our brother with his busy life by looking after Charles. That's totally normal, isn't it?""How is that normal? He has his own parents!""Sure, he does. But where were you guys then? You just up and left without a word to anyone, leaving little Chloe and Charles behind. Did you ever stop to think about how they felt?""You...""Seems like you're only worried about your own feelings. You think everyone's let you down, right? That's why you're
"Sean, stop messing around. Let go of me first," Liliana tugged at Sean's arm, realizing how tightly he was holding her. "You're choking me."Only then did Sean loosen his grip slightly, though he still did not let her go. His forehead rested against hers, and he panted softly. "Liliana, do you remember what you said to me in the fire?"Liliana's face turned red, and she awkwardly turned her head away. "N-No, I don't remember. What did I say? I don't think I—mmph..."Before she could finish, Sean kissed her, swallowing the rest of her words with that one stubborn kiss.Liliana raised her hands and smacked Sean on the shoulder, trying to push him away. "Sea—mmph, what are you doing? Let me go..."She shoved him hard, and Sean stumbled back, clutching his chest. Liliana's face went pale, and she rushed over. "Sean, what's wrong? Are you okay? Did I hurt you somewhere?"Nonetheless, Sean took the opportunity to wrap his arms around her again. That feeling of holding her tightly
Noelle raised an eyebrow. "I didn't say that."Then, she added, "That knot in Liliana's heart can only be undone by Sean."What happened back then had always been a shadow between the two of them. Noelle had noticed it these past few days. Though Liliana stubbornly claimed she no longer cared, she clutched her phone every single day, obviously waiting for a call.Liliana's social circle was small. Noelle and the others knew everyone she knew. Who else could she be waiting for but Sean?Charles furrowed his brows. "If Liliana can't have the best, then she's better off with nothing."Noelle could not help but laugh. "Alright, alright. I know you're still holding a grudge against Hayes and Savannah."Honestly, Noelle shared the sentiment. "Savannah really crossed a line with how she handled everything."Charles reached out and gently pinched Noelle's knuckles. "That's not what I meant."Noelle chuckled, exasperated. "I know."Outside, the sound of a car engine drew their attentio
Sean shoved Hayes away. "Dad, if you're just like Mom and trying to stop me from being with Liliana, then don't even bother. If I can't marry Liliana in this lifetime, I won't marry anyone else."With that, Sean lay down decisively. Hayes frowned. "Sean, this isn't about what we want anymore. It's about Liliana and Charles now."Truthfully, Hayes did not have many opinions about Sean and Liliana's relationship. He was always too busy with the company to pay attention to such things. Even the events from four years ago were only now becoming clearer to him."If you insist on marrying her, I won't stop you. But from what I can see, the problem lies with Liliana and Charles."Sean's gaze sharpened as he clenched his fists. "That's impossible. Liliana already forgave me back when the fire happened. She promised that if we both made it out, she'd marry me."Hayes sighed. "Your mother… She misunderstood Liliana and said some harsh things. Just rest for now. Once you're better, we'll go
Sean spat out a mouthful of blood. One hand gripped the bedsheet tightly, his gaze turning darker than ever."What do you mean by that? What do you mean she doesn't want to marry me? She promised me. She said that as long as I was willing to walk out of that fire with her, she'd be with me. You're lying to me, aren't you? Tell me you're lying to me."Sean's bloodshot eyes locked on Savannah's. "Tell me."Savannah was momentarily stunned by the sheer force of Sean's gaze. This was the first time she ever felt fear in front of her own son. "Sean, I…""Where's Liliana?" Sean demanded."Sean," Hayes called out as he pushed open the door and stepped in. "That's no way to speak to your mother.""Then how should I speak to her?" Sean's voice turned icy."Did you know it was Joanna who drugged me nine years ago? And while I was under the influence, I forced myself on Liliana? I misunderstood her, and as a result, she had to hide in the countryside for years."Four years ago, it was me
The operating room door swung open, and Liliana spun around. She saw Saxon step out. Not caring about anyone else’s opinions, she grabbed his hand. "Mr. Holt, how's Sean?"Saxon looked down at their hands, noting how soft and warm hers was. He met her eyes and nodded. "The patient is out of danger now. He should wake up by tomorrow."Hearing that, Liliana let out a sigh of relief and then suddenly fainted."Liliana!"Charles rushed over and wrapped Liliana in a tight hug, but his eyes quickly darted to Hayes and Savannah. "Now that Sean is safe, Sean's fate is no longer Liliana's concern, nor ours," he declared, speaking for the Hoffman family.With those words, Charles carried Liliana away. Saxon was tugged along by Linda. "Saxon, you should check on her. The young lady seemed off to me. She's been hiding her pain. Besides the wound on her shoulder, I think she breathed in a lot of smoke."Saxon's eyes shimmered for a moment. "Yeah, I'm aware."Liliana had been pushing through
"Charles, you…""Stop it!" Hayes was taken aback by Savannah suddenly slapping Liliana. He did not particularly like or dislike Liliana, but she was part of the Hoffman family, and their family commanded much respect. Besides, Noelle was still Charles's wife, and they had to be careful about their actions.Hayes turned to Charles. "I'm sorry, my wife acted without thinking. But what in the world happened today?"Hayes had been told that his son was hurt, but he did not know the details. When he arrived and saw Liliana was there and injured too, Hayes and Savannah could not help but think that Liliana must be connected to Sean's injury.Charles gave a sharp look. "It was Joanna's doing.""Joanna? No, that can't be!" Savannah was shocked to hear the name Joanna, and she quickly objected, "Joanna is such a sweet girl, she couldn't possibly...""Oh, sweet indeed!"Liliana, who had been silent until then, finally spoke. She narrowed her eyes and stood up, ignoring the pain from her w
"Liliana!""Get up quickly!" Liliana used all her strength to pull Sean up from the ground. "Can you walk?""Uh-huh!" Sean had been hit by a falling piece of wood on his leg when he tried to push Liliana out earlier. That was why he could not get out in time and could only hear Liliana's loud calls from outside.He had wished so badly for Liliana to leave quickly, but she had come back for him.Sean bit down hard and pushed himself up.Even if it was hard to walk, he had to try because Liliana wanted him to stand.Liliana slung Sean's arm over her shoulder, noticing his injury. Her eyes were red with tears. "Sean, hang in there. If we both make it out today, I'll forgive you. You can ask me to do anything.""Really?" Sean's eyes sparkled, and he smiled. "Liliana, I don't want you to do anything." In his heart, he added, ‘I just want you to marry me.’"The fire is licking at our heels, and you two are still dawdling," came Charles's icy voice from up ahead. In a flash, he was be
"Sean, where are you? Didn't you just say you love me?" she cried out. "How can you leave me like this, saying you love me and then j-j-just giving up? What am I supposed to do now?"Sean, you took our child from me. How could you think I'd just forgive you? If you don't make this right, I swear I'll never forgive you," Liliana yelled outside, her voice filled with madness. Inside, the plant was engulfed in flames. Shaking from head to toe, Liliana's screams slowly turned into a whisper. She clenched her hands tight, staring blankly at the fire. "If you're gone, what's left for me here?""Liliana!"Charles rushed over and saw Liliana moving toward the flames. He grabbed her and pulled her back. "What are you doing?"Liliana looked up, dazed, and saw Charles. She quickly stood up and grabbed his hand. "Charles, please. I'm begging you. Help me save Sean, please!"Charles's brow creased as he looked at the fiery red inferno, his fingers tensing. "Liliana, the fire's too big. Sean mi
Liliana shoved Sean aside and covered him with her body, taking a knife stab from Joanna. "Ugh..."Pain whitened Liliana's face, and blood dripped onto Sean's face. Reacting quickly, Sean rolled over, picked Liliana up in his arms, and seized Joanna's neck, twisting it hard until it cracked. Joanna's eyes bulged in disbelief as she stared at Sean."You..."She had not thought Sean would actually snap her neck. Her eyes were wide open, one hand clutching a knife, and the other holding a lighter.With her last breath, she tossed the lighter.A loud bang followed, and flames started to spread from that spot.Sean's eyes darkened as he carried Liliana and dashed for the exit. However, how could he outrun the swift spread of the fire while burdened with Liliana's weight?Liliana's eyes widened as she saw the flames creeping up behind them. She pushed Sean, urging him, "Go now, or it'll be too late!"However, Sean's eyes turned a deep red with emotion. "Liliana, I won't let go of you