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
Noelle sneered as she watched them collaborate, directly distorting the facts and confusing right from wrong. "You guys are good friends.""Of course, we're good friends. It's because we are good friends that we're standing up for Winter. You're Winter's sister, and we can't do anything to you, but one shouldn't be too ungrateful. "Don't forget that Winter saved you back then. Without her, you wouldn't be where you are now. And now, you want to steal Winter's boyfriend!"Noelle's lips trembled slightly. "Enough. You don't need to keep repeating this. You know the truth very well. You also know very well who stole whose boyfriend. Do you want to disgrace me by distorting the facts in front of everyone?"Noelle clenched her fists, taking a deep breath. "Just because I've been backing down doesn't mean I don't have a temper. Winter, I will say this one last time. From now on, you go your way, and I will go mine. We have nothing to do with each other."Noelle's peripheral vision caug
Winter's face stiffened, utterly surprised by Charles' response. After all, she was the eldest daughter of the Shaw family and somewhat famous in the entertainment industry. She assumed anyone would grant her a bit of favor.She never expected Charles to outright say he did not know her, making it difficult for her to maintain her composure.Winter took a deep breath. After all, she was a lady of a prominent family and still managed to control her emotions. She smiled. "Mr. Hoffman, you must be very busy. There were too many people that day, so it's understandable you don't remember. "Let me introduce myself. I'm Winter Shaw, the daughter of City Ring Corp's Shaw family and Xavier Harris' fiancée."She thought Charles would surely recognize Xavier's name.Charles squinted his eyes and said, "I remember the Shaw family, but who's Xavier?" He curled his lips. "Ms. Shaw, are you here to buy shoes?"Winter's expression looked even more strained when she heard Charles say he did not
Noelle never expected Charles to be bored enough to join her in arguing with Winter. She had not seen Charles earlier and assumed he had left.At that moment, saying she was not happy would have been a lie. She felt good being treated so kindly by Charles.Their banter was almost enough to infuriate Winter. She could not believe Charles had approached because of Noelle, not her.Why did Noelle deserve to be remembered by a man like Charles?Both she and Noelle met Charles for the first time that day. At the birthday banquet, Charles had not even noticed Noelle. Why did he take the initiative to greet Noelle now?The more Winter thought about it, the angrier she became. She simply became a bystander as Noelle and Charles interacted. Charles had completely forgotten about her and was chatting enthusiastically with Noelle.In Winter's mind, Noelle was just unworthy.Annie and Suzy felt the same. At first, they thought the man looked impressive. After all, no woman could ignore a ha
Winter felt a bit resentful. Why did Charles remember Noelle yet remain indifferent to her?Ever since she was little, there had never been anything Winter wanted that she could not get. She stepped forward and walked to Charles' side as she said, "Mr. Hoffman, do you like these high heels too? These shoes are—""Wrap these shoes up," Charles interrupted her while turning to the sales attendant.The sales attendant immediately understood. "Yes, sir," she said. She then added, "Sir, is the size right?"Charles squinted, his long eyes falling on Noelle. As if sensing something, Noelle looked up at Charles.She pressed her lips together, feeling slightly nervous. She feared that Charles might say something shocking.Charles smiled slightly."Size seven," he continued while looking at Noelle. "But, Ms. Noelle, could you do me a favor?"Noelle felt a bit relieved and smiled. Holding the pair of flats she had just taken off, she said, "Of course, as long as you don't mind.""Let Ms.
The sales attendant looked at Winter in disbelief when she heard this. "Miss, what you said isn't quite right. Mr. Hoffman saw these shoes first, and you haven't paid yet, so it's only fair I give them to Mr. Hoffman. "Besides, no matter who you are, everyone is a customer to me. Should I give you special treatment just because you're someone important?""You..." Winter was at a loss for words after being blocked by the assistant's response. As the eldest daughter of the Shaw family, she was used to people granting her wishes. Her fans treated her like a treasure, yet this small-time sales attendant dared to speak to her like this. "Get your store manager… No, get your general manager here! I can't believe I have to take this nonsense just to buy a pair of shoes!"Winter was truly furious, almost to the point of losing her temper. Annie and Suzy were about to say something when the sales attendant replied while smiling in anger, "Alright. I'll get our manager right away. Please w
"Yes."Charles' attention was drawn to Noelle's feet. He found them unusually attractive.Though not a foot fetishist, he genuinely liked Noelle's feet. He smiled slightly. "They do look very nice!"He had thought these shoes would suit Noelle earlier, but seeing them on her was even more astonishing. "Ms. Shaw, they look great on you!"Noelle blushed slightly. "Well, I'm glad you like them," she said, sitting down to remove the shoes.At that moment, the manager arrived after being called in by the sales attendant. He wondered who could be causing such trouble that it required his intervention. As soon as he entered and saw Charles, his eyes widened in surprise.Especially when he saw Charles crouching down to help a woman take off her shoes. It revealed a rare gentle side of him.The manager was quite frightened, never expecting Charles to be there personally. "Mr. Charles, what brings you here?"Mr. Charles Hoffman?Annie and Suzy exchanged looks. They had speculated about
The woman with Joanna gushed, "You're so lucky! Your boyfriend Sean is so handsome and rich, and your future mother-in-law adores you too!""Please, you're making me blush. Sean and I aren't even official yet." Joanna laughed off the compliment."It's only a matter of time. Everyone at the hospital knows you two are an item. And your future mother-in-law is so generous, showering you with gifts. You wouldn't believe how many people are green with envy!""You're making it sound too good to be true!"As Liliana overheard Joanna and the woman's conversation about Sean, she felt like a creep for eavesdropping.Yes, Sean had been with Joanna for a while. Where did that leave Liliana?She had been with Sean, which explained why he was so cold that day. He must have really disliked her, or else it would not have made sense.Liliana squeezed her hands together, trying hard not to eavesdrop on Joanna and the other woman's chat. However, their words floated to her ears, every single one c
Adalee had braced herself for tough negotiations, but to her surprise, they were ready to shake hands on the deal he moment she stepped into the other company's office. The previous unreasonable demands were gone. They were going to work together just like they had before.Even though Adalee thought it was odd, she was just glad there were no hiccups in the partnership. She signed the contract and decided to give Liliana some time off, hoping it would help her shake off the blues from that unhappy evening.Ever since Liliana came back from Cascade City, she had been quiet. Her life was work, work, and nothing but work. She did not go out, not even when Tania tried to coax her into hanging out.Tania could tell something was off with Liliana, but Liliana clammed up whenever she asked, saying she was swamped with work and had no spare time.Liliana had even forgotten about the date with Keith she had planned to arrange after her business trip.Her routine was simple: she would work
Adalee had just stepped out of her room when she ran into Sean. Sean's face was stormy as he walked past, not even noticing Adalee."Mister..." Adalee called, but Sean did not even look back.Adalee's brows knitted together in worry. She rushed to Liliana's door and called, "Liliana? Liliana?"Adalee did not hear Liliana answer, so she knocked again. "Liliana, are you in there?"After Sean left, Liliana could not stop the tears from coming. However, she did not let herself cry loudly. It was just a quiet, steady sob.When she heard the knock at the door, Liliana quickly stopped crying.She bit her lip, hurried to put on her clothes, and dried her eyes.Adalee waited outside, not leaving before she heard from Liliana. Liliana had no choice but to open the door.As soon as Adalee saw her, she noticed her red, puffy eyes and the marks on her face and neck. "Liliana, what's wrong?"Remembering the drink Liliana had taken for her sake the previous night, Adalee gasped and grabbed h
Disgust—that was it.She remembered a similar desperate moment from years ago. However, Sean had not given her a chance to explain back then.He was disappointed and disgusted with her."Sean, only you and I know about today. If we keep it to ourselves, no one else will find out. I know I was wrong… but I was set up. I'm truly sorry."I promise I won't bother you again. I'm not the same as I was before. I used to have feelings for you, but now I really just see you as a brother. I wouldn't fall for my own brother."And I have a boyfriend whom I really love… I wouldn't ever ruin your happiness, Sean. I promise you that."Liliana was trying to explain, but her words were all jumbled up. She did not even understand what she was saying herself. All she knew was that she did not want to see that look of disgust in Sean's eyes, so she kept explaining, hoping Sean would not hate her.Liliana was so busy trying to clarify things that she did not notice the icy look in Sean's eyes when s
Liliana woke up feeling utterly spent, as if she had been run over.For a moment, her mind was totally blank. She could not remember a thing. She opened her eyes and stared at the ceiling for what felt like forever. Slowly, her senses started to come back.The warm breath and steady breathing from beside her made her eyes pop open wide.The moment she saw Sean lying next to her and shirtless, she could not stay calm any longer. "Ahh!"Her scream woke Sean up.He cracked his eyes open, still groggy, but then suddenly, his eyes snapped wide open, and his piercing gaze landed on Liliana.Her mind was a whirlwind, the memories of last night rushing back. She remembered being drugged, Sean bringing her home, and then, despite trying so hard to hold back, she ended up crossing a line with Sean.The thought made her heart ache, almost drowning her as she met Sean's icy stare.She wrapped her arms around herself, clutching the blanket tightly. She was shaking all over, and her eyes wer
Liliana was crying so hard that she could not think of anything else. All she knew was that she felt awful, and Sean was the man she loved more than anyone else in her life. She hugged Sean tightly, tears streaming down her face. "Liliana, please stop," Sean said gently. He tried to move her hands away, but she held on even tighter. "Sean, I feel so sad… I really like you, Sean," she said through her tears. Sean pried Liliana's hands off him, but she clung to him again. "Sean, I feel awful… I… I like you, Sean."She bit his lips, her hands desperately roaming over his body.Sean was a man, after all. The moment Liliana started touching him so recklessly, his body responded.However, he had always been a man of strong self-control. He pushed her away countless times, but Liliana crawled back each time, whimpering as she restlessly clung to him.Sean's expression darkened. It was not because of Liliana—it was because of himself.He could not believe it. He was actually having
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