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
Charles kept his lips tight and stared straight ahead. His focused and serious expression left Noelle no time to think about anything else.She gripped the handle with both hands as Charles accelerated again, overtaking another car at the next bend.Noelle felt the wind rushing past her ears. It was an indescribable sensation. Her heart pounded in her throat, and she felt like she might scream at any moment.As Charles overtook another car, Noelle heard someone outside curse in awe, "Holy crap! This guy's a legend!"Noelle bit her pale lip, glancing at Charles under the dim interior light. The man outside was right—Charles really was something else.Seeing his calm demeanor, Noelle bit her lip and asked, "Were you a race car driver?"Charles raised an eyebrow, his lips curving into a smile. "Scared now?"Noelle shook her head. Seeing that Charles could still talk to her, she could not help but worry. "I'd better not distract you. Just focus on driving!" Then, she added, "Actuall
Noelle stared at Charles and then turned to look behind them.The other cars were already far behind Charles'. "How did you do that?"Before she could finish her sentence, Charles' eyes grew sharp. "Hold on tight." As he spoke, he floored the accelerator, speeding through the rough terrain."Fuck!" The red-haired man, who had been in first place, saw Charles accelerating on the most dangerous part of the road. "Is he crazy?"Usually, they would slow down on this stretch, but Charles had sped up instead.Noelle gripped the handle tightly, her entire body grew tense. Her heart was seemingly pounding in her throat. However, she had no choice but to trust Charles completely.To Noelle's surprise, the car came to a sudden stop. She turned to Charles in bewilderment. "What happened?"Charles smiled lightly, shutting off the engine and rolling up the windows. He pulled Noelle into his arms. "Were you scared?"Noelle swallowed hard, feeling as if she had been reborn. She wrapped her ar
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