Charles gave Sean and Bob a look, and without a word, the three split up to search the house.They did not find even a simple walkie-talkie. When Charles opened the door and found Noelle on the floor, his heart jumped. He rushed to her and scooped her up. "Noelle?""Charles, I got someone!" Sean said, dragging an old woman in. He saw Noelle in Charles's arms, out like a light. "Uh, what's wrong with her? Let me check!"Sean handed the old woman to Bob and quickly felt Noelle's forehead. It was hot. He checked her hands and, seeing blood on her arm, he looked serious. "Charles, Noelle... someone might have given her a shot of something."As Sean spoke, the room seemed to turn colder. Charles's eyes were like ice as he glared at the old woman. "Tell me, what did you inject her with?""I..."The old woman had planned to give Noelle her shot and make a quick getaway, but she had not counted on the others moving so fast. They were quicker than Jethro had said they would be. After she
If the Hoffmans and the Smiths found out Noelle had been injected with something, they would be beside themselves with worry."We'll just say Noelle got a big scare and leave it at that. She'll be moved to a regular room soon, and she'll probably wake up tomorrow."Charles nodded in agreement. "Alright!"Sean let out a deep sigh. "I'll get someone to test this weird thing right away to find out what it is!"Once Sean left, Noelle was wheeled out from where the Hoffman and Smith families were gathered. They quickly approached Charles. "How's Noelle doing? "Clarisse was the first to speak up. She had been feeling so guilty about Noelle being taken. She had not been able to eat or sleep well for days, wondering if things would have been different if she had gone to the toilet with Noelle that day, or if she had stopped her from going.Charles gave Clarisse a tired look. "It's fine. Sean said everything's okay now. She’ll wake up by tomorrow!" He rubbed his forehead and then turned
Noelle thought she had a really long dream. She dreamed of a man with a mask and an old woman who seemed to give her an injection before everything went dark."Ah!"Noelle's eyes snapped open to a sea of white. She blinked, trying to make sense of the fleeting images in her mind. The ceiling above her looked different from the place she had been locked up. She could smell medicine. Was she in a hospital?Noelle turned her head, and before she could figure it out, a shadow fell over her. "Awake?"She felt a large hand on her forehead. Noelle blinked at the sound of the familiar, yet weary voice, and blinked again.The warmth on her forehead brought Noelle back to reality. She saw the man in front of her, her eyes filled with tears. "Charlie!"She scrambled out of bed and wrapped her arms around Charles's waist, burying her head against him. She clung to Charles, afraid to let go even for a second.Charles had rushed to Noelle's side the moment she let out a scream. When he saw he
"Okay!" Noelle agreed, then looked at Sean. "Ar the baby's okay?""All good! You're healthy as can be!" Sean said with a harmless grin, looking a bit mischievous. "You know, Charles was so worried when you didn't wake up, he nearly took it out on me. Noelle, you've got to admit, your husband can be a bit clueless. I mean, I'm practically his uncle now, right?"Noelle could not help but giggle at Sean's antics."It's between you and Charles, not my problem!""Okay!" Charles gave Sean a wry smile. "You'll stay in the hospital a bit longer to be watched over.""Oh!" Noelle suddenly looked at Charles. "How did you guys find me?""What is it?" Charles asked Noelle. "Got something on your mind?"Noelle chewed on her lip, thinking. "Suzy wasn't killed by Winter. Winter came to argue with me that day because she wanted to take me away, but it wasn't her idea. I think someone was using Winter. However, when the person in black clothes took me, they left Winter behind.""Yep, she's with
Charles narrowed his eyes slightly. "Alright, understood."Ronald was still stiff from fear, and he felt as though his entire body was frozen. He was terrified Charles might lose his temper and send him flying with a single kick.He had not forgotten how Andrew had been on the receiving end of several kicks from Charles that day. Despite being much tougher than Ronald, Andrew was still nursing his aching chest from the encounter."Mr. Hoffman, I'll take my leave now," Ronald blurted before making a hasty retreat.Leaning casually against the edge of Noelle's bed, Sean scoffed, "Charles, look at you. Your subordinates are scared to death of you."Charles lifted his gaze, coldly sweeping his sharp eyes across Sean's face. "Aren't you leaving yet?""Damn!" Sean cursed under his breath. "Talk about burning bridges!"Turning to Noelle, he complained, "Noelle, look at your husband! Treating his cousin-in-law like this—give him a good scolding for me!"Charles cracked his knuckles, an
"What are you even saying?" Noelle reached out, gently pushing Charles aside and pulling him to sit next to her.Her delicate hands rested on his cheek, then traced over his brow bone. She shook her head with a soft laugh. "You're the one who saved me."Charles moved his lips as if to speak but swallowed his words when he met Noelle's eyes. "I just blame myself for not protecting you this time," he murmured."You can't blame yourself for that. The one to blame is the person who captured me. They were in the shadows while we were in the light. How could we know what they'd do next?"Don't dwell on it too much. Look at me—I'm perfectly fine now," Noelle reassured him, her hand lightly caressing his face. "You haven't been resting well these past few days, have you?"Her earnest gaze landed on him, leaving Charles no room to deflect. He nodded. "I missed you too much to sleep.""What a sweet talker!" Noelle smiled shyly before admitting, "I missed you too.""Charlie, do you know wh
"Yes, and coincidentally, the registered name is Yves Hoffman!"Charles' expression instantly darkened. "What did you just say?""The hospital keeps these records confidential, but I managed to pull some strings. Yves is someone from the Hoffman family!"Charles' gaze turned cold and sharp, locking onto the name. His tone was steely. "There's no one by that name in the Hoffmans."If such a capable person existed within the family, he would have known by now.Although the Hoffmans were a vast family, Charles was familiar with anyone who had notable skills or influence.The existence of this Yves puzzled him. If someone like this was truly from the Hoffmans, there was no way he would not have known.Peter's face grew serious. "If Kelly was indeed abducted and later gave birth to Seth, then this man could very well be Seth's biological father."If he's connected to the Hoffmans, it explains why Seth's DNA matches someone from your family."Charles nodded. "That was my theory as w
"She has the virus too?" Tania gasped sharply. She had never experienced an outbreak herself, so she did not realize how excruciating it could be. Seeing Noelle in such pain now, Tania froze. "Then, we...""Peter, take Tania and Bran outside!" Charles shot Peter a look. Peter nodded and led Tania out of the room.Charles took a deep breath, then grabbed Sean forcefully by the collar. "What do we do now?""Charles, calm down. Just calm down. I don't know the right treatment yet. I can only...""What did you just say? You don't know how to treat her?" Charles' voice was a growl, his eyes blazing with fury."Do you realize how much pain Nelly is in right now? You're a doctor, and you're telling me you don't know how to help her?"He lifted Sean off the ground by his collar, his entire body trembling with rage. "Look carefully! The person lying there is Nelly. She's your cousin. And you're telling me there's nothing you can do?"Charles' bloodshot eyes reflected his desperation as
Sean emerged with a somber expression. "Margaret has confirmed that there's a fresh needle mark on Noelle's arm. That shadow from earlier must have injected something into her, which likely triggered her immediate symptoms."Charles clenched his fists, the sound of his knuckles cracking filling the tense air. "What's the plan?""Before the virus spreads too deeply, we could try using blood from Noelle's close relatives to extract certain components that might counteract it," Sean explained.Charles narrowed his eyes. "Be clearer. What are you suggesting?""This idea isn't fully tested. I only came across it in medical literature, and there's no guarantee it will work. If the virus hasn't invaded her bone marrow, we might still have a chance."Charles' expression eased slightly, but a hint of apprehension lingered. He glanced at Sean, who hesitated before continuing. "We need to call in Uncle Harrison and Shirley. Ideally, we should also bring Kelly here.""Fine!"Harrison arrive
"Make sure to cooperate well with Dr. Ellison, alright?"Charles leaned down, planting a soft kiss on Noelle's forehead before stepping out with Sean. "What's going on?"Outside, Peter, Tania, and Brandon were waiting. Brandon kept peeking into the room, and his curious eyes were wide with concern. "Uncle Charles, what's wrong with Aunt Noelle?"Charles' expression softened immediately. He reached out to tousle Brandon's hair gently. "Aunt Noelle is fine. She's just feeling a little sick.""Oh, then Bran will give Aunt Noelle some candy. If Auntie eats candy, she won't hurt anymore," Brandon said with childlike earnestness, pulling a few candies from his small bag and handing them to Charles."Uncle Charles, give these to Aunt Noelle!""Alright."Charles accepted the candies, his gaze drifting back to the room. He watched through the window as Noelle cooperated with Margaret's examination. His chest felt unbearably tight with worry."Have you figured out what to do yet?""Wh
"Mm, you didn't cry," Noelle said with a faint smile.Her face was still pale, but it was clear she had passed the peak of her pain.She placed her hands gently on Charles' face, slowly pulling herself up. After finding a comfortable position, she leaned into him, her head nuzzling against his chest like a mother soothing her child.Her delicate fingers traced the contours of his face. "You didn't cry."Charles could not help but tremble slightly. Lowering his gaze, he found Noelle looking up at him. She cupped his face with both hands, her body leaning closer, and her forehead was lightly pressing against his.She rubbed against him gently. "You were just worried about me," she said softly. Then, she placed a gentle kiss at the corner of his mouth."Our Charlie is the best, the strongest. How could he cry? Crying is my job."Noelle's smile was so tender and warm that it seemed to melt the storm brewing in Charles' heart.He carefully wrapped her in his arms, brushing his face
"She has the virus too?" Tania gasped sharply. She had never experienced an outbreak herself, so she did not realize how excruciating it could be. Seeing Noelle in such pain now, Tania froze. "Then, we...""Peter, take Tania and Bran outside!" Charles shot Peter a look. Peter nodded and led Tania out of the room.Charles took a deep breath, then grabbed Sean forcefully by the collar. "What do we do now?""Charles, calm down. Just calm down. I don't know the right treatment yet. I can only...""What did you just say? You don't know how to treat her?" Charles' voice was a growl, his eyes blazing with fury."Do you realize how much pain Nelly is in right now? You're a doctor, and you're telling me you don't know how to help her?"He lifted Sean off the ground by his collar, his entire body trembling with rage. "Look carefully! The person lying there is Nelly. She's your cousin. And you're telling me there's nothing you can do?"Charles' bloodshot eyes reflected his desperation as
"Yes, and coincidentally, the registered name is Yves Hoffman!"Charles' expression instantly darkened. "What did you just say?""The hospital keeps these records confidential, but I managed to pull some strings. Yves is someone from the Hoffman family!"Charles' gaze turned cold and sharp, locking onto the name. His tone was steely. "There's no one by that name in the Hoffmans."If such a capable person existed within the family, he would have known by now.Although the Hoffmans were a vast family, Charles was familiar with anyone who had notable skills or influence.The existence of this Yves puzzled him. If someone like this was truly from the Hoffmans, there was no way he would not have known.Peter's face grew serious. "If Kelly was indeed abducted and later gave birth to Seth, then this man could very well be Seth's biological father."If he's connected to the Hoffmans, it explains why Seth's DNA matches someone from your family."Charles nodded. "That was my theory as w
"What are you even saying?" Noelle reached out, gently pushing Charles aside and pulling him to sit next to her.Her delicate hands rested on his cheek, then traced over his brow bone. She shook her head with a soft laugh. "You're the one who saved me."Charles moved his lips as if to speak but swallowed his words when he met Noelle's eyes. "I just blame myself for not protecting you this time," he murmured."You can't blame yourself for that. The one to blame is the person who captured me. They were in the shadows while we were in the light. How could we know what they'd do next?"Don't dwell on it too much. Look at me—I'm perfectly fine now," Noelle reassured him, her hand lightly caressing his face. "You haven't been resting well these past few days, have you?"Her earnest gaze landed on him, leaving Charles no room to deflect. He nodded. "I missed you too much to sleep.""What a sweet talker!" Noelle smiled shyly before admitting, "I missed you too.""Charlie, do you know wh
Charles narrowed his eyes slightly. "Alright, understood."Ronald was still stiff from fear, and he felt as though his entire body was frozen. He was terrified Charles might lose his temper and send him flying with a single kick.He had not forgotten how Andrew had been on the receiving end of several kicks from Charles that day. Despite being much tougher than Ronald, Andrew was still nursing his aching chest from the encounter."Mr. Hoffman, I'll take my leave now," Ronald blurted before making a hasty retreat.Leaning casually against the edge of Noelle's bed, Sean scoffed, "Charles, look at you. Your subordinates are scared to death of you."Charles lifted his gaze, coldly sweeping his sharp eyes across Sean's face. "Aren't you leaving yet?""Damn!" Sean cursed under his breath. "Talk about burning bridges!"Turning to Noelle, he complained, "Noelle, look at your husband! Treating his cousin-in-law like this—give him a good scolding for me!"Charles cracked his knuckles, an
"Okay!" Noelle agreed, then looked at Sean. "Ar the baby's okay?""All good! You're healthy as can be!" Sean said with a harmless grin, looking a bit mischievous. "You know, Charles was so worried when you didn't wake up, he nearly took it out on me. Noelle, you've got to admit, your husband can be a bit clueless. I mean, I'm practically his uncle now, right?"Noelle could not help but giggle at Sean's antics."It's between you and Charles, not my problem!""Okay!" Charles gave Sean a wry smile. "You'll stay in the hospital a bit longer to be watched over.""Oh!" Noelle suddenly looked at Charles. "How did you guys find me?""What is it?" Charles asked Noelle. "Got something on your mind?"Noelle chewed on her lip, thinking. "Suzy wasn't killed by Winter. Winter came to argue with me that day because she wanted to take me away, but it wasn't her idea. I think someone was using Winter. However, when the person in black clothes took me, they left Winter behind.""Yep, she's with
Noelle thought she had a really long dream. She dreamed of a man with a mask and an old woman who seemed to give her an injection before everything went dark."Ah!"Noelle's eyes snapped open to a sea of white. She blinked, trying to make sense of the fleeting images in her mind. The ceiling above her looked different from the place she had been locked up. She could smell medicine. Was she in a hospital?Noelle turned her head, and before she could figure it out, a shadow fell over her. "Awake?"She felt a large hand on her forehead. Noelle blinked at the sound of the familiar, yet weary voice, and blinked again.The warmth on her forehead brought Noelle back to reality. She saw the man in front of her, her eyes filled with tears. "Charlie!"She scrambled out of bed and wrapped her arms around Charles's waist, burying her head against him. She clung to Charles, afraid to let go even for a second.Charles had rushed to Noelle's side the moment she let out a scream. When he saw he