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
The conference room was nearly full, with most of City Ring Corp.'s shareholders already present. However, two seats remained conspicuously vacant, prompting quiet speculation among the attendees about who the absent shareholders might be.Those close to Julian seemed to have a good idea, while those less familiar with him were still in the dark.The room was not silent. Conversations buzzed back and forth until the noise gradually tapered off when the doors swung open. Ronald and Kresten entered first, followed closely by Noelle and Grant.The moment Noelle stepped in, murmurs erupted across the room."Isn't that Sir Shaw's granddaughter?" someone whispered."Granddaughter? Nonsense," another retorted sharply."Exactly. She's not Sir Shaw's granddaughter—she's not even part of the Shaws!""Why is she here?""And who's the man with her?""He looks familiar. Isn't that Joshua Shaw?""No, it's not Joshua. That's Mr. Grant Anderson!"As Noelle and Grant drew all eyes in the roo
Kent finished speaking and cast a glance at his assistant, who immediately stepped forward and asked, "Is there a DVD player or projector available here?"Holding a USB drive, the assistant continued, "This contains a video recorded by Sir Shaw before his passing. It documents the entire process of drafting his will, along with Mr. Cook's involvement. If anyone has any doubts, you can watch it for yourself."The assistant located a DVD player and started the video. The room fell into an uneasy silence as everyone focused on the large screen.On the screen, Samuel appeared vibrant and full of life. His demeanor seemed spirited, indicating that the will was drafted some time ago.The video showed that Samuel's mind was clear, and even Kent interrupted him several times during the process to confirm his decisions. Samuel firmly stated his intent to allocate the shares to Noelle and Grant without any hesitation.As for other assets like properties and savings, Samuel casually mentione
After watching the video Samuel had recorded before his passing, the crowd began to piece things together in their minds. Their gazes toward Noelle and Grant shifted subtly, reflecting new perceptions.Meanwhile, a glance at Julian revealed a different story. Many could not help but wonder—why had Samuel specifically asked Noelle to safeguard City Ring Corp.? What did he mean by that?Julian was clearly frustrated by the situation, and he was fuming. He glanced at Noelle and Grant, his displeasure intensifying. He slammed his hand on the table."You claim this video is authentic, but how do we know it's not something Noelle and Grant came up with together to steal the Shaws' assets? I'm Samuel's son. Why would the Shaws' shares be given entirely to two outsiders? Doesn't that strike anyone as suspicious?"Julian had initially thought Noelle might hand over the shares if she had any sense of propriety. But seeing her resolve to keep them only made him angrier.He could not fathom w
Ronald's statement immediately confirmed everyone's speculation about Noelle."Mr. Wells, so Noelle is…" someone asked, hesitating."Mr. Hoffman's wife," Ronald replied with a faint smile. "She's the future matriarch of the Hoffman family."The room immediately shifted. The shareholders exchanged glances, their expressions a mix of astonishment and the beginnings of flattery.She was Charles' wife—Charles Hoffman, the renowned figure of Brookville, future leader of Collosus Group, and head of the Hoffmans family. Forming ties with Charles could mean limitless opportunities.They turned their attention to Julian, bewildered. How could Julian possess such valuable connections yet oppose Noelle? Even Julian's close associates began to find his decisions questionable.They initially assumed Noelle was just an orphan, but now, realizing her true identity—and that Joshua was actually Grant Anderson—they wondered how Julian managed to squander such an advantageous position.While some
"Keith!”Keith's parents and Jacy rushed to his side. They saw him struggling and quickly pulled him to his feet.Liliana watched, her eyes filled with worry. "Sean, stop fighting. I'm begging you." Keith stood no chance against Sean, and it could end really badly."Keith, stay back. He..." She thought to herself, 'He might actually kill you.'Keith shrugged off his parents' hands and walked toward Sean, full of stubbornness. "Sean, do you even realize what you're doing? Liliana's going to have a baby, and you could hurt her. If you're mad, take it out on me, but leave Liliana alone.""You? You think you're up to it?" Sean glared at Keith. "You think you can take me on?"Keith's hands turned into fists. "I don't know if I can beat you, but I've got to try.""Don't, Keith," Liliana pleaded, shaking her head. She had given up hope. She should have known what Sean was like from the moment she fell for him.She had been too naive, thinking she could just stop loving him and ignore
That question was all Liliana could think about. She clenched her fists and swallowed hard. "No. I already told you the baby isn't yours. If you want a child so badly, find someone else to have one with you."She tried to escape, but Sean grabbed her hands and pinned her against the wall. His eagle-like eyes fixed on her. "The baby isn't mine? Really, Liliana, you dare to say that?""No—Mhm!"Liliana had not even finished her sentence when Sean clamped his hand over her mouth. "Since when did you become such a liar?""Let me go!" Liliana was furious and frantic, trying to kick Sean, but he pinned her legs with his knee and glared into her eyes. "You're coming with me.""I won't!"Sean ignored Liliana's protests and struggles. He twisted her arms behind her and dragged her out of the hotel.Liliana had no idea what Sean was up to, but she kept fighting. "Sean, you're crazy! Let go of me! Let me go!""You're hurting me, Sean...""Release her!"Keith had rushed to the hotel on
Liliana and Keith's parents had decided to meet at the Evergold Hotel, a place Liliana had chosen with their budgets in mind. She did not pick anywhere too fancy. Luckily, both sets of parents were not too fussy and were all really nice people.Keith was held up with a last-minute issue and had not made it yet, so Liliana, along with Keith's parents and Jacy, arrived at the hotel first. Jacy was pretty happy with the arrangement, and Keith's parents were easygoing.They all started talking about Keith and Liliana's wedding plans. Keith's parents were clear that they wanted a proper wedding banquet and it could not be small—they did not want Liliana to feel shortchanged. However, considering Liliana's pregnancy, everyone agreed to get the marriage license first and wait to have the wedding ceremony until after Liliana had the baby.Keith's parents made sure to emphasize that they were not trying to shortchange Liliana at all. They were just pushing the date back, not canceling anythi
Liliana raised an eyebrow. "You've been reading too many of those palace drama books, haven't you?" Joanna was with Sean, right? Why would Tania be worried about her?Liliana shook her head, pushing away those nagging thoughts. She had nothing to do with Sean anymore, and everything related to him was no longer her concern.After Liliana and Tania had left, someone emerged from Jayla's clinic room.Joanna came out, her high heels clicking. "Jayla, you sure made me search high and low for this info."Jayla gave her a small smile. "So, did you find it?"Joanna held up the papers. "I found them, but it sure took a lot of my time." Then, she noticed the files on the computer. "Was Liliana here just now?"Jayla nodded. "Yes, for her prenatal checkup. She's always on time."Joanna nodded, but her eyes lingered on the files, unable to look away.For some reason, Joanna felt like she was missing something important, but she just could not put her finger on what it was."How's Liliana
Tania laughed. "Of course. Keith's always right," she teased. "But why not go to City Hospital or Sean's place? Why come to this far-off hospital? It's such a trek."Tania grumbled a bit. They had been in the car for an hour, and the traffic had made them both a bit cranky.Liliana's expression turned a bit stiff when she heard that. "Oh, it's nothing. I just had my first check-up here before, so I came back.""Is that so?" Tania did not really get it, but she could tell Liliana seemed upset all of a sudden. She pursed her lips and did not say much more. "I just thought Central City Hospital isn't as nice as City Hospital. But if you're okay with it, then it's all good!" Then she added, "I heard you and Keith's parents are meeting soon. Is it just your mom on your side?"Liliana tensed up, then nodded. "Yes, you know how it is with my family. I've always been with my mom, and she's all the family I've got," Liliana explained. "Keith said once we're married and have our own place, w
Liliana froze for a moment, her fists clenched tight. "No!"The child had never been his and never would be.Sean stared at her clenched fists, his own hands tight with tension. "It better not be. If I find out you've lied to me, Liliana, you know what I'm capable of."Liliana did not face him, but Sean's threat made her laugh. "I know what you can do. So what?"After that day, Liliana never saw Sean again. She made it safely through the first three risky months. She took good care of herself, and Keith was there to help her every step of the way.Liliana's life was simple: work, home, and regular doctor's visits. She and Keith were a typical young couple, caring for each other and facing the world together.Liliana and Keith had a serious talk about getting married. They even visited Keith's parents, who really liked Liliana. When they found out Liliana was expecting a baby, they were a bit upset with Keith. They said he should not have let things happen like this and that they
In the past, Liliana would have scampered after Sean the moment he spoke, but the Liliana of today was different. She gave Sean a small smile. "My legs aren't long, so I don't walk fast. Also, I'm expecting now, so my husband wants me to slow down.""Husband?" Sean's teeth were practically grinding, his brows were so furrowed they could have been tied in a knot, and his face was clouded over. "When did you get married? Why didn't I know?"Liliana kept her smile. "It's Keith. He popped the question, and we're going to get our marriage license soon.""Oh, so you're not actually married yet?" Sean's laugh was distant. "You're already calling him 'husband' so eagerly. Liliana, you really haven't changed at all."Liliana's face fell, a shadow passing over it.She could easily pick up on the jab in Sean's words—it was just a way to put her down.Liliana took a deep breath, reminding herself not to lose her temper and stay calm for her baby's sake."It won't be long now, and I'll be su
The apartment was not big, and both the interior and exterior were pretty old. How could it even compare to the Hoffman family's grand home?She was a Hoffman too, but the difference between her and her sisters, Chloe and Layla, was like night and day.Liliana glanced at Sean, her brow furrowing. "Mr. Smith?"Sean's gaze softened. "Liliana, we're friends, right? Won't you invite me in to sit for a while?" He put extra emphasis on the word ‘friends’.Liliana's frown deepened. "I don't see why that's necessary, Mr. Smith. You're used to fancy high-rises and grand mansions. Our old apartment probably isn't to your taste." Holding Keith's hand, she led him to the living room. "I'll be back soon. I'm just stepping out for a moment.""But Liliana..." Keith hesitated, wanting to suggest they could talk at home instead of going out. He also wanted to offer to handle the matter himself if she preferred to avoid Sean.Seeing Liliana's resolute look, he nodded. "Alright, go ahead."Liliana
"You think you can go to work feeling like this?" Keith did not think it was a good idea, but Liliana did not see the problem. "You really don't have to worry. I had some trouble before because I didn't know what I was doing and wasn't ready to be a mom, but I've learned a lot since then. Anyway, you can't even tell I'm pregnant yet. You don't expect me to stop working now, do you?"Liliana joked, "If I don't work, how will I make money? How will I take care of our baby?""I'm here for you, Liliana," Keith sighed. "Haven't I told you? I'll look after you from now on.""But I can't just do nothing," Liliana reassured him. "Don't worry, Keith. If it ever gets to the point where I can't do anything, I promise I'll stop and just stay at home, waiting for you to take care of us."Liliana was in a very good mood and started teasing Keith. Keith gave her a look and said, "Okay, but if you're not feeling well or anything, just take it easy. We're not rich, but I've got enough to take care