Winter did not understand these matters, so she asked her father for help. However, her father said he was powerless.It turned out the malls in Brookville were all owned by the Hoffman family? If that were the case, why was Charles not helping Frotconn? Was Xavier not related to Charles?"I...""Miss? What do you want to complain about?""I..." Winter bit her lip. "I want to buy those shoes, but your store refuses to sell them to me. Don't you want to do business? Do you know who I am?"Winter continued, "I have money, yet you refuse my business. Does that make sense? And your sales attendant is very rude. She's completely lacking manners. Why did your store hire such people?"Winter did not dare to direct her anger at Charles, but she could still vent about the sales attendant.The manager raised an eyebrow and looked at Winter. He was surprised she still dared to speak like that. Those shoes were chosen by Charles. Hardly anyone in the world would dare to compete with him for
Charles chuckled and shook his head. He gently patted Noelle's head. "Do you think she wouldn't hold a grudge against you if you didn't do this?"Noelle sighed, reluctantly admitting the truth in Charles' words. Still, she decided to avoid Winter as much as possible in the future. "You don't understand. Winter doesn't let things go easily. She—"Charles shook his head. "It seems like she bullied you often in the past, didn't she?"Noelle gave a bitter smile. "I guess it's pretty obvious!"Moreover, she would always end up on the losing side. To avoid direct confrontations with Winter, Noelle moved out early and only returned for family gatherings to see her grandfather, Samuel.Charles' deep eyes settled on Noelle, and he could tell from her resigned expression that she had often been at a disadvantage with Winter over the years. "She's quite something."Noelle raised an eyebrow. "I didn't expect you to compliment her!" She noticed the shoes being packed by the sales attendant, a
Charles curled his lips. "That's it? Two words? Just a simple thank you?""I said thank you very much. That's four words," Noelle replied before smiling. "Well, what else do you want?"Charles raised an eyebrow. "It's no wonder you can't compete with her." He walked briskly to Noelle's side, took the bag from her hand, and quickly held her hand with his other.Noelle was stunned. Her face was flushing as she said, "What are you doing? There are so many people watching. Let go of me!" She struggled but could not break free. She looked genuinely worried as she glanced around nervously.Charles glanced at Noelle. Seeing her reaction, he lifted his eyebrows slightly. "Am I so embarrassing to be seen with?" Many women would love to walk with him, but this woman seemed to despise the idea.Noelle laughed awkwardly. "It's not that. I'm just worried Winter hasn't gone far. If she finds out about our relationship, I'm afraid...""Afraid of what?"Charles snorted lightly. "I didn't think
"I'm not joking. For the sake of 200 million, he casually handed me over to a man with a terrible reputation and character. He has never cared about my feelings. If he knew we were married, given your status and position, you'd be entangled with the Shaw family in unnecessary ways for life." This was not something Noelle wanted to see.Charles, however, laughed at Noelle's words. It was genuine laughter. "Silly girl!"Noelle pressed her lips together. "I'm being serious. Why are you calling me names?""I'm not calling you names!" Charles squeezed her fingers gently. "Since I chose to marry you, I've already considered all these things. And now that we're married, shouldn't we share our blessings and face difficulties together? Isn't that what marriage is about?" He continued, "If I were so easily manipulated, I wouldn't be Charles Hoffman. Trust me, I'll handle these things."Seeing Noelle's confused expression, Charles patted her head again. Noelle was annoyed and pushed his
"Well..." Ronald hesitated, but Charles took the phone."Send the video to my phone," Charles instructed before hanging up.Noelle's demeanor was clearly disturbed. The moment Charles took the phone, she seemed dazed.Although she had been groggy that day, she was still aware of what had happened to her. Now, she felt lost and unsure of what to do as she did not know who had done it. She looked at Charles, her eyes pleading for help. "Charles!""Don't worry," Charles said, holding the steering wheel with one hand while keeping the other around Noelle's hand."Nelly, don't be afraid. I'm here!" He gently squeezed her hand to reassure her. "Let me handle this."Ronald quickly sent the video over. It was short but clear enough to identify who was in it.Noelle was lying restlessly on a bed. The video was taken up close, probably with a phone. At that time, Noelle was still unconscious, and her movements were all subconscious. She stared at the person on the video, and her face turn
When Noelle heard the click of the seatbelt, she snapped back to reality and pointed at herself. "You want me to race?" she exclaimed. "No, no! I can't! I may have a driver's license, but I'm a rookie. Just driving safely is already an achievement for me. Racing? No way! And this isn't even a professional race car!""Nelly, don't be afraid. I believe in you!" Charles squeezed Noelle's hand, encouraging her. "You never know your limits until you try. I didn't know how to race before either." His calm voice acted like a spell, guiding Noelle.Noelle blinked, looking uncertainly at Charles. "But I don't know how...""When I'm in a bad mood, I like to race. Pushing myself to the limit helps me forget everything. Try it out, okay?""Fine!"Noelle took a deep breath, opened the car door, and switched places with Charles. Then, she took another deep breath with her eyes fixed on Charles. "I can do this.""Yes. I believe in you. I'm putting myself in your hands!" Charles buckled his
Back then, Noelle was naive and agreed to trade dolls with Winter. However, Winter quickly destroyed her own doll.Noelle's eyes darkened when she recalled this memory. She pressed the accelerator to the floor. "I don't want to lose. Not this time!"Charles smirked. "But they're professional racers, driving professional race cars.""But I want to try!"She did not want to be deprived of her rights without even trying. She needed to make an effort, and if she still could not get it after trying, then she would let go. It would simply mean it was not meant for her.Noelle's words were not only meant for Charles but also for herself. Seeing the determination in Noelle's eyes, Charles knew she had made up her mind. "Alright, go for it."From start to finish, Charles did not say much. He was just there beside her, encouraging her and cheering her on. He put his trust in her, placing his life in her hands.Noelle bit her lip, feeling a different kind of emotion toward Charles. She gri
Noelle felt Charles' gaze burning into her, and his eyes seemed to see right through everything. She looked at him shyly. "You don't want your reputation ruined by me, do you?"Charles shook his head helplessly. This woman was clearly worried about losing, so she came up with this excuse. Just moments ago, she had been excited to race, and now, she was backing out."Hmm?"Noelle blushed. "Alright, I admit it. I'm afraid I'll lose. Happy now?" She then urged him, "Hurry up!"Charles nodded and walked over to the group. "What are the rules?"One of the men in the group eyed Charles as if wanting to say something, but another interrupted him, "Our usual rules. We race to the mountaintop. Whoever gets there first wins. But hey, with your car... Do you want us to give you a head start?"The man with the red hair and a wild attitude added boldly, "Or… if you beat any one of us, you win.""Alright. It's a deal." Noelle quickly interjected. "You said it first. If we beat any one of your
This wedding was nothing short of spectacular. Every moment was meticulously recorded by a dedicated team, with cameras set up throughout the venue to capture every detail of the ceremony from all angles.Charles and Noelle barely had a moment to rest as they moved from table to table, toasting guests with endless glasses of wine. The atmosphere remained lively and joyous deep into the night. It was not until the early hours of the morning that Noelle finally helped Charles to a private lounge on the second floor of the hotel.Though many had stepped in to shield them from excessive drinking, there was no avoiding the celebratory nature of the occasion. The alcohol had inevitably taken its toll. After settling Charles onto the couch, Noelle fetched some honey water and a warm towel before returning to his side.Charles lay slightly on his side, propping his chin up with one hand. Noelle sat beside him and handed him the towel, but he did not reach for it.Sighing, she called soft
Sean clicked his tongue, shaking his head in amusement. "Charles, your body is here, but your heart is clearly somewhere else."Then, as if making an even bigger discovery, he gestured toward a spot not far away. "Oh, I say, Charles, this is a real crisis. See that?"With the enthusiasm of someone who thrived on drama, Sean pointed at Noelle and Grant. "I don't know, man. That guy doesn't look like he's here with good intentions."Charles raised an eyebrow, his gaze darkening as it settled on Noelle and Grant. He gripped his glass a little tighter, but his eyes refused to move away from them. Still, his words were dismissive. "He's just another big brother-in-law. That's all.""Yeah, right. Just admit it—he's a strong rival."The second Sean finished speaking, he felt an icy stare pierce through him. Charles' glare was sharp enough to cut. "Hmm? What did you just say?""Nothing!" Sean swallowed hard, instantly backtracking. Dear god, a jealous man was terrifying!"You think he's
Grant's eyes carried too many emotions—too many things unspoken. Noelle could not fully understand, but she could sense that there was something significant behind his words.The diary in her hands had to hold something important that was possibly related to the past she had forgotten. Perhaps they were the lost pieces of her memory that she had always assumed were not crucial.She had assumed so because otherwise, she would have recalled them after all these years. Besides, they had not seemed to affect her life in any meaningful way.Over time, she had gradually let go of the idea of remembering.Yet now, with Grant handing her this diary, an unsettling feeling crept over her as if she had forgotten something incredibly important—something she could not afford to lose.Holding the diary tightly, Noelle felt a strange mix of emotions that she could not quite describe.She hesitated before murmuring, "Thank you."In the end, she did not ask Grant where he had gotten the diary. I
"Alright!" Charles took the glass from Bob's hand and downed it in one go.Standing beside him, Noelle opened her mouth slightly and reached out to tug at Charles' arm. "Charlie… Take it easy!"With so many guests around, Charles had already had quite a bit to drink. If they kept pushing more onto him, how would he handle it?Noelle looked at him with concern, but Charles simply smiled and gently patted the back of her hand. "I'm fine.""Oh, wow, are you showing off your love for each other right in front of us? Are you trying to make us single folks suffer?"Simon chimed in, fueling the lively atmosphere. He had always been the laid-back type, and now, paired with Sean, the two seemed to hit it off instantly. They were like long-lost partners in crime. They exchanged a knowing glance, clearly set on making Charles drink more.Noelle wanted to say something, but seeing the calm look Charles gave her, she hesitated and eventually let them have their fun.With that, Charles was dr
Charles opened the gift box, revealing a pair of crystal flats. Noelle was surprised, but before she could react, Charles had already removed her heels and was carefully helping her into the new shoes.Gasps of astonishment rippled through the crowd, and Noelle could not help but feel a little embarrassed. However, Charles remained completely focused, his movements gentle and precise as he secured the flats on her feet before helping her stand again.The moment Noelle stood up, she immediately felt much more comfortable. However, a new problem arose.Her wedding gown had been tailored for the height of her heels, and now, with the flats, she had suddenly lost nearly three inches. It caused the hem of her dress to drag awkwardly on the floor. It looked far from elegant.Noelle shot a troubled look at Charles. Without hesitation, he crouched down once more. With a few effortless movements, he gathered the outer layers of her gown, tying them into a casual knot at the side.Noelle's
"Grandpa, Granddad!" Noelle called out, holding Charles's hand as they approached. Sebastian waved them over, "Noelle, come to my side!" Holding Charles's hand, Noelle walked up to Sebastian and let go to hug his arm, "Granddad!""There's my sweet girl!" Sebastian's eyes twinkled with joy as he looked at Noelle and Charles.Charles's lips were always tipped with a gentle smile, and he joined Noelle, saying, "Granddad!""Yes, wonderful!"Finally, the big day came—a wedding with a beautiful ceremony.Sebastian was really proud of Charles, his star student. Then, Noelle married Charles, and Sebastian felt a huge relief, as if a weight had been lifted from his heart.Sebastian felt a little sad thinking about Noelle getting married for real. He pulled a small box from his pocket and said, "Your grandma got this from her family when she was alive. Now, I want you to have it!""No, I can't take this!" Noelle said quickly when she heard it was from her grandma.However, Sebastian sh
"Wow, I can't believe that just happened!""Look at that! Charles is actually so considerate and gentle—it’s hard to believe!”Charles slipped the crystal shoes onto Noelle's feet and then scooped her up in his arms. With that, the noisy crowd made their way out of the place.Outside the place, a line of fancy cars waited. People climbed in, and they all set off for the hotel.As the luxury cars rolled away from the Smith residence, reporters followed, eager to capture every moment of the spectacle.Even though the Hoffmans and the Smiths had told the press to stay out of certain areas, they could not stop them from snapping pictures on the public streets. So, the day's big moments ended up all over the internet.In front of the hotel run by the Nexus Group, car after car pulled up and parked. The whole street had been cleared out just for today's wedding party.Charles, looking sharp in his white suit, stepped out of the car and turned his back to the door. A pretty figure in w
The church was alive with love and happiness, the air buzzing with laughter, congratulations, and heartfelt connections. For a moment, Charles stood still, holding Noelle’s hand, soaking in the overwhelming joy that surrounded them. It wasn’t just the ceremony that made the day special—it was the people they loved, the memories they’d shared, and the future they were about to build together.As the crowd slowly began to disperse, the newlyweds, still smiling and basking in the glow of their love, made their way out of the church, ready to begin the rest of their lives together.Just then, the bridesmaids—Kelly, Liliana and Linda—and the groomsmen—Sean, Peter, and the others—emerged from the church. They were all smiling, but especially Sean, who had his usual carefree, playful attitude. He walked up behind Charles as if he were about to give him a friendly shove.However, before Sean could do anything else, it was obvious that Charles was not pleased with him at all. With a quick mo
Meanwhile, Charles caught sight of his mother, Clarisse and father, Mateo, both of them beaming with pride. Clarisse's eyes were bright with tears as she dabbed at them with a tissue, while Mateo's face was etched with a quiet, proud smile."Charles!" Clarisse called out, her voice thick with emotion. She was barely holding it together, and her hands trembled as she waved him over for a hug. Charles went to her, his heart swelling, and pulled her into his arms. "I'm so proud of you," she whispered, and the emotion in her voice made his chest tighten. He pulled back, giving her a soft smile, and then hugged Mateo, who patted him on the back."Don't you go breaking her heart, Charles," Mateo said with a wink, making everyone nearby laugh. It was a comment Charles had heard many times before, but today, it carried a deeper, more heartfelt meaning.He turned to Noelle, and she smiled at him, her eyes crinkling at the corners in that way he loved. Her parents were waiting for her, and