"Mrs. Hoffman, well said!" Ronald could not help but applaud Noelle.Noelle merely curved her lips slightly. "Mr. Wells, please hand over all these pieces of evidence to the police. And remember to tell them that my grandfather's death wasn't an accident!""You wretched woman, Noelle! I'll fight you to the death!" Jade screamed."You're a curse! You won't stop until you destroy the Shaws completely, will you? You and your shameless mother are the same—both of you are nothing but disgraceful women!"Jade lunged at Noelle in an attempt to grab her, but Andrew stepped in and kicked her away. "Damn it! What's wrong with you, woman? How dare you lay a hand on Mrs. Hoffman!"Andrew was not like Ronald—he was a straightforward and rough man who was loyal to his boss. To him, Noelle, as Charles' wife, was his boss as well.Jade had repeatedly ignored their warnings and even dared to try and harm Noelle. Andrew was not going to tolerate it anymore.Jade was sent flying with the force of
Noelle's lips twitched slightly. "He's impressive!"She meant it. She did not think Sean would place surveillance cameras everywhere. Did Sean not realize how costly it was to install cameras even in places that were not necessary, like hospital wards?Was it not an issue to install cameras inside patient rooms? Surely, that infringed on privacy, did it not?Still, Noelle kept these thoughts to herself. After all, without Sean's video, she would not have had concrete evidence to defend herself.Besides, it was thanks to these recordings that she realized Winter and Jade were far more terrifying than she had ever imagined.Noelle sighed softly. Standing beside her, Grant noticed the subtle change in her mood. "The dead can't be brought back, Noelle."Turning to look at Grant, Noelle murmured, "I can't shake the feeling that I bear some responsibility for Grandpa's death."Although it was not directly her doing, Winter's jealousy toward her led to Samuel being dragged into this me
Ronald suddenly realized he had been staring at Noelle and quickly averted his gaze. "N-Nothing!" he stammered.He would not dare admit that he had been pondering the nature of Noelle and Grant's relationship. If Noelle found out, she might think he would report it to Charles—and truth be told, he had briefly considered it.Noelle gave Ronald a faint smile before redirecting her gaze. "Let's head back.""Mrs. Hoffman, do you want to return to the office or go home?""Home."After everything that had happened today, Noelle was not in the mood to go back to the office."In that case, I'll have Andrew take you home. I need to head over to the police station to deal with the follow-up matters."Noelle nodded, understanding that Ronald would handle the aftermath. "Andrew, take me home, please."...Inside City Ring Corp., after Noelle and Grant left, Julian's anger boiled over as he looked at Jade's despairing face.Between the issue of the company's shares and Samuel's death, J
"Fine, Julian, very well! You'll regret treating me like this today!" Jade screamed.Having been thrown out of the Shaw residence and left homeless, Jade had no choice but to seek out Winter. Winter, however, had been in hiding due to the recent events.No one knew her whereabouts, not even the police who were actively searching for her. At that moment, Winter was holed up in an abandoned warehouse in the southern part of the city.Across from her sat a man dressed in a black suit, which gave him an air of darkness, like a specter of the night. His face was hidden behind an intricately crafted silver mask.Winter could not see his face but could make out his sharp eyes and chiseled jawline, enough to imagine that he must be strikingly handsome.She had been in that warehouse for several days, with nowhere else to go. Someone delivered food to her daily, and while she was restless, she knew she could not leave yet. Normally, the visitors were minor lackeys, but today, a more signif
Jethro tossed an object to Winter, who stared at him in confusion. "What's this?""Take it. Find the right moment to meet Noelle. The instructions on how to use it are included. Remember, there's only one of these—don't lose it."After saying this, Jethro handed Winter a small communication device. "And don't use this casually, understand?"He grabbed Winter's chin, forcing her to look up at him. "Did you get that?"Winter was momentarily stunned, her wide eyes fixed on Jethro. His piercing gaze seemed to hold secrets, making it impossible for her to look away.She swallowed hard while nodding. "I understand."Jethro smiled in satisfaction and nodded. "Good. Right now, it's not safe for you to go out. And don't go looking for Xavier again, got it?"Though Jethro's tone was calm, his words carried an implicit warning. Winter's pupils contracted slightly, and her hands clenched into fists. "I understand."He knew she had gone out before and even knew she had met Xavier.Jethro a
Even though Charles held the shares of City Ring Corp., it was Noelle who really had to run the show.Today, Ronald came from City Ring Corp. with some numbers for Noelle. "Mrs. Hoffman," he said, "Mr. Hoffman thinks that City Ring Corp. has taken a big hit. It's not going to be easy to get out of this mess quickly. We've got to deal with the projects from last year right away. Collosus Group will just have to put up some cash to cover the holes for everything else."Ronald explained while keeping an eye on Noelle. She was so engrossed with the reports that she did not even notice Ronald standing there. He waited quietly until she looked up.Noelle flipped through a few pages, her forehead wrinkling a bit. She glanced up at Ronald. "Mr. Wells, this... Mr. Wells, please sit down!"You can sit, you know!" she added, realizing he had been on his feet the whole time."That's okay, Mrs. Hoffman. I'm fine with standing!" Ronald said with a light smile. "Is something wrong?""No, nothin
"Okay!" Noelle shut her folder. "You've been working so hard lately, Mr. Wells. You should be with Charles now!" Ronald had been so busy with tasks at both City Ring Corp. and Collosus Group recently."Mrs. Hoffman, you must be kidding. I work for Mr. Hoffman, so it's my job to do these things. If there's nothing else, I'll be on my way!"Ronald quickly gathered his things and got up to leave.Noelle rubbed her forehead, feeling tired. Clarisse, who was coming down the stairs, noticed and said, "Feeling worn out? You're pregnant now, so you shouldn't worry about the company. Let Charles handle it."Over time, Clarisse and Noelle had grown to get along much better.Clarisse had come to see that Noelle, her daughter-in-law, was not as troublesome as she had thought. In fact, Noelle had been a big help with rekindling the emotional bond between her and her son, Charles.When Noelle saw Clarisse coming down, she stood up to straighten some scattered papers on the desk. Clarisse quick
It was Clarisse’s first time going out with Noelle, and they were heading to the hospital for a check-up. Clarisse felt a mix of emotions she could not quite put into words. However, while Clarisse was nervous, Noelle seemed calm. They got to the hospital where Margaret was already waiting. She looked a bit surprised to see Noelle walk in with a middle-aged lady. "Mrs. Hoffman!" Noelle nodded. "Dr. Ellison, thanks for seeing us." Margaret smiled and glanced at the woman beside Noelle. Noelle smiled back. "Dr. Ellison, this is my mother-in-law."Margaret nodded in understanding. "Just a moment. I'll go check on Mrs. Hoffman!" With that, she led Noelle into the examination room.Noelle was almost five months pregnant, and her belly was starting to show. After a quick check-up, Margaret smiled. "Everything looks great. Just make sure you don't sit around too much at home. It's good to walk around a bit!""Okay!" Noelle slid off the bed, her smile as warm as sunshine. "Thanks a lo
Liliana turned and saw Yankel looking at her. She felt a bit shy and brushed her hair aside. "Mr. Canfield, let's talk outside," she suggested.Yankel looked at Bobby, who was fast asleep, and nodded. "Okay!"Liliana saw that Yankel needed help, so she gently pushed him out of the room.They did not go far, just out to the hallway outside the hospital room.Liliana paused for a moment before looking at Yankel with a serious expression. "Have you noticed that Bobby seems really scared of Xenia?"Yankel's brow creased as he thought about how Bobby had acted in the hospital room. He stayed quiet."I'm not implying anything bad. I raised Bobby, and he's definitely not scared of me. Mr. Canfield, you saw for yourself that Bobby doesn't push you away," Liliana said, her point clear. There were only the three of them in the hospital room earlier—Bobby could not be afraid of Yankel or Liliana, which left only Xenia.Yankel's frown deepened. "That can't be right. She was the one who su
Once Xenia had left, Bobby, who had been so tense and frightened, finally let himself relax. Liliana watched Bobby with a hint of doubt, then glanced at Xenia walking away. Her brow stayed knitted with concern.Yankel had no idea what Liliana was pondering. He was just thrilled to have some alone time with his son. This boy was his and Samara's, their only child together. Now, Bobby was his sole focus in life. Yankel could not quite put into words the swirl of emotions he felt.Samara was gone, and Bobby was the last link he had to her.Yankel's eyes, deep and filled with warmth, rested on Bobby. Bobby might not have known Yankel well or felt comfortable around him yet, but he was starting to understand a lot more these days.Liliana had explained to him that Yankel was his real dad. She had gently told him that his real mom was in Heaven, a place of beauty.Bobby was not sure what Heaven was, but he thought it must be a really nice place. Liliana had told him that everyone would
Bobby spoke those two sentences in a very soft voice, leaning in close to Liliana's ear. Neither Yankel nor Xenia could hear him.Liliana's heart skipped a beat, and she looked at Yankel and Xenia with a worried look in her eyes.Yankel looked puzzled and a bit mad. Xenia, on the other hand, looked away when Liliana tried to catch her eye, so Liliana could not read her face.Turning back to Bobby, Liliana gently wiped the tears from his chubby cheeks and whispered, "I'm right here. I won't leave you." Then, she turned to Yankel and said, "Mr. Canfield, I'll just stay over here, okay? I promise I won't get in the way of your time with Bobby."Yankel was not happy about it, but he knew he did not have much choice with Bobby being so upset.Bobby was his son, but he had always been with Liliana. She had raised him. Trying to separate them then would probably make things worse.Yankel nodded. "Okay, but it might hold you up a bit."Liliana smiled. "It's no problem at all. It’s my jo
Sean's head was pounding, and his eyebrows twitched with frustration. "Linda, just go away," he said through clenched teeth."I'm going to tell the pretty girl that you're picking on me. What will you do then?" Linda taunted, sticking her tongue out at Sean before dashing off.As Sean watched Linda run away, his headache distracted him from his sour mood over Liliana's rejection.Bobby's surgery had gone really well. Afterward, Bobby and Yankel were taken to a room to rest. Bobby was just a kid, and the surgery had been a lot for him to handle. Liliana stayed right by his side, making sure he was okay.Next door to Bobby's room was Yankel's. Yankel often visited Bobby, and so did Xenia. Liliana could not help but notice that Xenia was pretty crafty. She did not like Bobby at all, but she sure knew how to act like she cared for him. She looked after Bobby so well that anyone who did not know better would think she was the sweetest person ever. However, Liliana knew better. She h
Sean nodded.Liliana's expression turned even more sour. "Even though this is your hospital, Mr. Smith, isn't it wrong for you to listen in on other people's conversations?"Sean's brow furrowed. "I didn't mean any harm, and you know it.""How would I know that?"As Liliana tried to leave, Sean reached out and caught her hand. "Liliana, you must realize that neither Yankel nor Xenia will just let things slide."Liliana scrunched her eyebrows. "And what about it?" She was not without means to handle them, even if Yankel would not back down."Did you ever stop to think about why Xenia is so set on having Bobby return?"Sean looked at her, causing Liliana to pause. "Maybe she's trying to win over Yankel?" she guessed. A scorned woman could do anything, much like Joanna had four years ago.With that thought, Liliana pulled her hand away. "But what's any of this got to do with you, Mr. Smith?"Sean's brow was deeply furrowed. "Liliana, you know I can help you with whatever you wa
In the end, it was Xenia who broke the silence. She looked directly at Liliana and said, "Ms. Hoffman, let's not beat about the bush. How much do you want in order to give up Bobby's custody to Yankel?"Liliana raised her eyebrows, clearly surprised by what Xenia said.Xenia felt uneasy under Liliana's gaze and frowned. "Ms. Hoffman?"Liliana snapped out of her thoughts. "Ms. Bennett, did you not investigate my background before coming here?""What do you mean by that?" Xenia's expression turned unpleasant.Liliana gave a small smile. "I mean, do you really think I'm short on money? Or do you think the Hoffmans can't afford to raise a child?"Xenia's expression shifted slightly at Liliana's words, her teeth sinking into her lower lip. "The Hoffmans…"Brookville's Hoffman family… How could Xenia not know about them? Even her own father had to show Charles some respect.Her father had once told her that if you wanted to survive in Brookville, there were two families you could not
"Liliana, I know the damage I caused is already done, and there's no way to take it back. I just wanted to say this while we're still young and while we still have time. I—" Sean continued."Enough!" Liliana's body trembled slightly. "It's too late, Sean. All of this is already too late."She took a deep breath, and her hands clenched into fists. Maybe it was because Bobby was beside her, but Liliana did not lose control of her emotions. Still, there were tears at the corners of her eyes.Tears gathered in her eyes, and soon, they slid silently down her cheeks. She gave a faint smile."Sean, when something's in the past, it's just that—the past. Regres no longer matter, and time doesn't go backward."You say you've loved me all along, but you didn't tell me. You didn't show it. If you had told me that four years ago, I never would've let your mother take me away. I never would've given Joanna the chance to hurt me."You ask about what could've been? I used to wonder that too. If
When Bobby heard that, his already soft and fair little face became even more adorable. His eyes sparkled with genuine delight."Yes, yes! Mr. Smith, you're so good-looking, and Mommy is beautiful too, so the baby you have together will definitely be beautiful!"Bobby squeezed his own chubby cheeks with his pudgy little hands, then propped his chin up with one hand and added proudly,"The baby will definitely be as good-looking as I am!""Yes, just as good-looking as you are, Bobby," Sean echoed with a smile in his eyes.He glanced at Liliana with a subtle look, only to find that though she was smiling, there was no warmth in her gaze—just coldness.Liliana held Bobby in her arms, her eyes fixed on Sean."Sorry about that. Bobby is still a child. He doesn't understand the meaning behind what he says. If he said anything that bothered you, I apologize on his behalf."With that, she turned and carried Bobby back into the hospital room.There was a fleeting shadow in Sean's eyes,
"Then Mommy, you and Mr. Smith should make me a little sister!"Bobby suddenly seemed to remember something. His big round eyes blinked rapidly while his chubby cheeks turned red. He looked unbearably cute."Mr. Smith?""Yeah, the man who wears white clothes every day! He comes to see me every day, tells me stories, and even plays games with me," he said, counting all the good things about the man in white on his little fingers.Liliana gently held Bobby's small hand. "Bobby, I can't.""Why not? But I really like Mr. Smith," Bobby pouted. He was still too young to understand adult relationships—he simply knew that the man in white treated him well, so naturally, he wanted him to be with his mommy."You don't even know who he is, and you want me to have a baby with him?" Liliana could not help but laugh at how adorable her son was. "Bobby, listen—only a husband and wife can get married and have a baby. Got it?"Bobby nodded, kind of understanding. "Then Mommy, you should marry Mr