Charles's gaze shifted away from Jacob, and he wrapped his arm around Noelle, almost as if he was making a statement. Noelle, feeling a bit trapped, tugged at Charles's sleeve. "Let's go," she said."Okay!" Charles nodded, and Ronald brought over the gift. Charles said goodbye to Jeanette, and the old lady looked sad to see Charles and Noelle go. "You're leaving already?""Noelle isn't feeling well, so we’d better not stay any longer. We'll come by for another visit soon!"After Charles explained, Jeanette did not push them to stay. She took off a bracelet from her wrist and held Noelle's hand. "Charles's wife, I'm so happy to meet you for the first time. I don't have much to give, but I'd like you to have this jade bracelet!""Oh, I couldn't possibly take this!" Noelle was surprised and tried to decline. However, Jacob raised an eyebrow and gave a small smile. "Mrs. Hoffman, if my grandma wants you to have it, you should accept it. She doesn't just give things away, she must reall
After Noelle said this, Charles could not help but furrow his brows. Jacob's and Jeanette's behavior did seem strange.Initially, he thought Simon was peculiar enough, but it appeared the York family had more unusual characters besides him.Seeing Charles' contemplative expression, Noelle knew he was giving it serious thought. "Never mind. We don't have much to do with the Yorks anyway!"Charles nodded. "Let's get in the car."When they returned home, Nancy was surprised to see them back so early. "I thought you young folks would spend more time socializing!""There were too many people, and Charlie was worried I'd get tired, so we came back early," Noelle explained while holding Nancy's hand."Aunt Nancy, why haven't you gone to bed yet?""I was concerned about you two, so I stayed up," Nancy replied. Her gaze fell on the bracelet on Noelle's wrist. "What's this?"Noelle tugged at her lips and pointed at the bracelet. "Mrs. Elmore insisted on giving it to me, saying it was a w
Maxwell let out an inexplicable sigh. "Did you meet Simon?"Charles curved his lips. "I did.""I actually think the Yorks would do well to let him take over."Charles raised an eyebrow. There was a glint of intrigue lighting up his eyes as his smile grew more enigmatic.Seeing this, Maxwell sensed there was more to the story. "You think Simon is a good choice too?""Among the three York heirs, Simon does seem to have the best aptitude, and he's quite clever. But his position within the family is somewhat awkward, so he wasn't considered a candidate from the start. Are you planning to involve yourself in the Yorks' affairs, Grandpa?"Maxwell frowned. "There's something I initially didn't pay much attention to, but now, I think you should keep an eye on it.""Go ahead, Grandpa. I'm listening.""It's about Mrs. Elmore. Before her second marriage, she had a misunderstanding with the Hoffmans." Maxwell shook his head, his eyes briefly closing in thought."Your great-uncle's death..
Charles nodded. "I'll keep in mind what you said today, Grandpa.""Good. Off you go," Maxwell replied with a wave of his hand. "Spend some time with Noelle."After Charles left, Maxwell fell into deep thought.The memory of Jeanette's seething glare as she left the Hoffmans was still vivid. Back then, her eyes seemed to carry the intensity of wanting to devour him whole.However, when Jeanette returned with her new husband and child for a family visit, she seemed like an entirely different person. She was warm and friendly toward the Hoffmans.Maxwell had assumed that her remarriage severed her ties with the Hoffmans, so he had not given it much thought. But now, seeing that bracelet again stirred an unsettling feeling that he could not shake."What's on your mind?"Noelle walked into the bedroom and saw Charles sitting on the couch. His rare, contemplative expression caught her attention.Charles looked up when he noticed her and gestured for her to come closer. "Finished talk
Following Samuel's sudden passing, his will revealed that Noelle and Grant were the primary beneficiaries of City Ring Corp.Subsequently, Kent, the lawyer entrusted by Samuel before his death, carried out a series of procedures to certify the shares for Noelle and Grant. Once these formalities were completed, the stage was set for City Ring Corp.'s shareholders' meeting.The employees of City Ring Corp. were still unaware of Samuel's decisions. Coincidentally, the day of the regularly scheduled shareholders' meeting arrived. Both Noelle and Grant received the meeting notice the day prior.Kent indicated that both of them needed to attend. Any future decisions regarding the transfer of Grant's shares were left up to Grant and Noelle to handle directly.Charles was preoccupied with company matters, so he could not accompany her. However, he had assigned Ronald to stay by Noelle's side. With Ronald there and Grant attending as well, Charles felt no concern that Noelle would be at a d
By now, Ronald had already been waiting downstairs for an hour. He occasionally glanced at his watch, silently wondering if Noelle was still getting ready.Just as he was about to check again, footsteps echoed from upstairs. Ronald immediately stood up upon hearing this."Mr. Hoffman, Mrs. Hoffman!"Charles nodded. "Ronald, take good care of Nelly. Handle the matters at the company later. If there's anything you don't understand, feel free to ask me."While Charles said this, he was fully aware of Ronald's capabilities. His words were more about reassuring Noelle.Indeed, Noelle was feeling a little nervous. However, hearing Charles' words put her somewhat at ease. She then added, "Grant is attending today as well, right?"Charles paused and nodded. "He should be. Grandpa left him shares too. Even though he didn't want them, he's still a shareholder, so it's natural for him to attend.""Exactly," Charles replied. "With him there, you have even less to worry about.""That's true
Noelle smacked her lips thoughtfully. This was not something that could be resolved with just a few words.Nonetheless, since Grant had already addressed it, she decided not to dwell on it."Grant," she said simply.Grant smiled faintly. "You and Kelly are sisters, so calling me just Grant wouldn't be out of line."Noelle pursed her lips, unsure how to respond.Even though Kelly was not a biological Anderson, she had been Grant's sister for so many years. For her, calling him just Grant felt natural. But Noelle did not know where she stood with Grant. Their relationship seemed so messy that it made her head spin."Okay, Grant," she replied."I'll be at City Ring Corp. today too. What about you?""Yes, I'm on my way," Noelle said, glancing at Ronald.Ronald immediately responded, "About half an hour to reach City Ring Corp., Mrs. Hoffman."Noelle nodded, and Ronald added, "We'll be on time for the meeting!""Good!" Noelle nodded again. "Grant, where are you now?""Me? About
Ronald noticed the way Grant looked at Noelle, and every hair on his body seemed to stand on end almost instantly as though he were bracing for a fight. Even Noelle felt the tension.She sighed, feeling a little embarrassed, and glanced awkwardly at Grant, only to find him smiling at her. There was something undeniably provocative in that smile.Noelle smacked her lips. Was Grant doing this on purpose?She looked at Ronald, who indeed looked like a cat with its fur standing on end, ready to pounce. She could not help but find it amusing.Meanwhile, Ronald was thinking to himself that with the boss absent, it was his sole responsibility to protect Noelle."Let's go. It's getting late," Grant finally said, showing no interest in engaging with Ronald, who was merely an assistant. Noelle nodded and fell into step beside Grant."What's your plan?" she asked.Grant understood that Noelle was not only referring to the shareholders' meeting. He turned his gaze to her profile.Perhaps
"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