"You..." Samuel gasped sharply, bending over as his entire body hunched forward. "You orchestrated Noelle's kidnapping? You were just a child at the time... How could you...""Grandpa, you know very well what money can do. What can't be accomplished with a little bit of money? Ha, the granddaughter you cherished was violated years ago!" Winter sneered coldly."You disgraceful child!" Samuel stood upright and slapped Winter across the face, but she shoved him away."Grandpa, you're old now. I don't blame you for your muddled mind. But from now on, remember this—I'm your only true grandchild, and everything you own rightfully belongs to me!"Do you think Noelle can stay on her high horse for long? Ha! The moment Charles learns about Noelle's shameful and sordid past, he'll undoubtedly abandon her. The Smiths won't acknowledge a woman so tarnished. Who would accept someone so impure? Haha!""You..."Before Samuel could finish speaking, he collapsed to the ground.Winter was still l
Noelle had barely slept when Charles woke her up. His expression was grave as he scooped her groggy figure out of bed, placing his hands firmly on her shoulders.He gently patted her shoulder, saying in a serious tone, "Nelly, there's something I need to tell you, but promise me you'll stay calm first."Still half-asleep, Noelle blinked at him in confusion. She instantly woke up when she saw the solemn look on his face. "What's going on?"Charles began with a heavy voice, "Nelly, Eli just called. Your grandfather collapsed and is now unconscious. He's been rushed to the hospital for emergency treatment.""What did you say?"Noelle was instantly wide awake. She pushed Charles aside and jumped out of bed. Charles quickly followed, steadying her. "Take it slow!""How could he collapse? We just saw him yesterday, and he was perfectly fine!" Noelle's voice cracked with worry as she paced frantically, tears threatening to spill."Nelly, calm down!" Charles gripped her shoulders firmly
Eli breathed a sigh of relief at Charles' words. "As expected, Mr. Charles. You've thought of everything."Charles nodded and helped Noelle sit down to rest. Meanwhile, Jade's sharp eyes remained fixed on Noelle, filled with undisguised malice.After receiving Charles' call, Sean immediately summoned a team of doctors who promptly entered the operating room. Sean's arrival acted as a calming presence for Noelle, easing some of her tension."Charles, come over for a moment," Sean said, beckoning Charles aside. Noelle was left to sit alone. She remained motionless, and her eyes were glued to the door of the operating room.Deep down, Noelle was scared. The love she had received growing up had largely come from Sebastian and Samuel. To her, they were the closest family she had ever known.Noelle had never seriously contemplated the inevitability of aging or death before. However, today's events forced her to confront these realities.She was growing older, and so was Samuel—a truth
Noelle froze, her gaze settling on Winter, who sat in a daze. Her eyes darkened with thought."Why are you staring at Winter? What are you plotting now? Trying to scheme against us again?" Jade accused. Her prejudice against Noelle was clear in her sharp words.Noelle's expression remained cold as she replied, "Madam Shaw, your words are truly amusing. What schemes could I possibly have against you? However, this does remind me of something. "Earlier today, Winter approached me in private, also asking for the shares. I told her I had sold them. Winter got furious and stormed off, isn't that right?"Hearing her name, Winter abruptly lifted her head and shot to her feet. Her bloodshot eyes locked onto Noelle's with a furious glare."Noelle, you wretch! Why are you here? It was you, wasn't it? You did this on purpose! You deliberately told me that Grandpa knew you sold the shares to provoke me into confronting him. You made me argue with him! You pushed me to upset him! What's your
Jade and Winter were completely terrified, and even Julian realized the gravity of the situation. "Uh… Mr. Hoffman, um… Charlie…"Charles cast a sharp glare in Julian's direction, and Julian immediately fell silent."Heh," Sean interjected as he arrived, glancing at the Shaws before shifting his gaze to Noelle and Charles. "I wasn't even gone for long, Charles, and yet your wife has already been bullied!"Sean's tone carried a hint of mockery, making his comment sting even more. His words were like pouring gasoline on a fire.Jade could practically feel the flames of fury emanating from Charles. She scrambled to her feet, clutching Julian's shirt. "Jule, please explain it to Mr. Hoffman! I didn't… I didn't mean to!""It was clear as day that you did it intentionally!" Sean raised an eyebrow, clearly enjoying the chaos."Forget that she's Charles' wife now. Let's talk about the fact that she's now Noelle Smith, the Smith family's treasured daughter. Ms. Winter, do you think the Sm
"You…" Jade and Winter were completely caught off guard by the mention of surveillance footage.Their faces turned pale instantly. "I…"Just then, the doors to the operating room opened, and the lead surgeon stepped out, addressing Sean, "Dr. Smith!"Sean nodded. "How's Sir Shaw?""We've managed to save him for now, but Sir Shaw previously suffered a stroke. This time, the surge in blood pressure caused him to have a heart attack. The situation was triggered by extreme emotional stress. Given his age and declining health, the outlook is not optimistic even though we've saved his life.""What do you mean by that, doctor?" Noelle asked, picking up on the doctor's grave tone. Her brows furrowed tightly. "What exactly do you mean?"The doctor glanced at Noelle, then at Sean. Only after Sean gave a slight nod did the doctor continue, "The patient's heart is severely weakened. Although he was resuscitated, the combination of the heart attack and a second stroke means he'll likely be be
Winter and Jade were trembling with rage, but there was absolutely nothing they could do against Noelle.They knew very well that Noelle's boldness came from the Hoffmans and the Smiths backing her. Unfortunately for them, they were no match for either family."Jule, what do we do now?" Jade asked, her voice filled with panic."Do what?" Julian was on the verge of losing his temper with Jade and Winter. These two foolish women! They were so shortsighted.Julian could see clearly that while Charles and Sean were formidable, they did not act recklessly. The key lay with Noelle. As long as it did not involve Noelle, they could turn a blind eye or even offer small benefits. However, they would never let anyone who hurt her go unpunished if it involved Noelle.Originally, the Shaws had the advantage of having raised Noelle. If they had played that card well, they could have ensured the Shaws thrived under the Hoffmans' and the Smiths' protection. Now, however, everything was ruined.C
Outside the private room on the prestigious Golden Floor of The Majestic Lounge, Andrew stood guard. Inside, a woman sat nervously while clutching an item in her hands.Every so often, she glanced toward the door, but as soon as her eyes landed on Andrew's stern face, she recoiled again.Andrew's gaze fixed on Suzy, and he let out a cold snort upon seeing her cautious demeanor.Charles had just stepped out of the car when Ronald approached him immediately. "Mr. Hoffman!"Charles nodded, holding his suit jacket casually in one hand as he strode forward. "Where is she?""She's in the private room. She said she has something to hand to you personally."Charles' eyes narrowed slightly. "Hmm."Ronald led the way until they reached the elevator. He then stepped aside, allowing Charles to take the lead."Mr. Hoffman!" Having spotted Charles, Andrew quickly opened the door.The moment Charles stepped inside, Suzy sprang up from the couch. "Mr. Hoffman!"Suzy was deeply intimidated by
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