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
"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