Ava could not shake the feeling of injustice, believing that those who did not know the truth should not speak. Yet, she knew that when many voices joined together, the noise could be overwhelming, and things were rarely as simple as they seemed."Time to get back to work!""Alright," Ava replied, her energy drained. However, as she turned, she caught sight of Xavier, and her expression turned complex.Noelle caught sight of Xavier as well, and her eyebrows knitted together in a slight frown. Their relationship had changed so much that she hardly ever spent time with him anymore. Xavier, however, did not seem to realize that things were different now.Xavier walked over, his lips pressed tightly together. He was not happy when he saw Noelle's look. "Yesterday, you..."Noelle interrupted, looking up, "What? Is there something you need, Mr. Harris?"Xavier's brows were creased with worry. "Why didn't you come home last night? You're a girl, and you didn't come home all night. Don't
Noelle had wanted to earn Xavier's affection through her own hard work, so their romantic relationship was a secret to almost everyone. She never imagined that a single mistake would turn into a weapon for Xavier and Winter to use against her.Only their families knew the truth about them, but to everyone else, it was a mystery.Winter, a celebrity in the spotlight, had an engagement party with Xavier that drew in hordes of media. The story that Noelle had come between Winter and Xavier seemed to be confirmed.Noelle did not know who had managed to keep the story quiet in the end, but she was sure she would be left with the blame.Her eyes darkened as she locked eyes with Xavier. "What's done is done, and I can't change the past. But please don't come looking for me from now on unless it's work-related, especially not for these insignificant things!""What's not important?" Xavier was puzzled. He and Noelle had been so tight before, and she used to say yes to everything. Now, she
"Let me go!" Noelle squirmed, feeling sick as she looked at Xavier. She swung her hand and slapped him hard across the face. "Snap out of it, Xavier! Look at me—I'm Noelle, not Winter. If you've lost your mind, go chase after Winter.""Noelle, I made a mistake. You know you're the one I love. With Winter... I just lost control. She lured me in, Noelle." Xavier suddenly wrapped his arms around Noelle. No matter how much she wriggled and squirmed, he would not let go.Xavier's grip was so tight that Noelle could barely catch her breath. She felt gross all over, especially hearing his words. "Let me go, Xavier! If you don't, I'm going to scream for help.""Go ahead and scream. I'll just tell everyone you like me and that we're a couple. Noelle, I know you're mad about Winter, but you've got to understand that she has shares in City Ring Corp. I had no choice." He gripped Noelle's arms, continuing, "After I marry Winter and get the shares, I'll divorce her. Then, it'll be just you and m
"No, he's not some kind of wild man," Noelle said without thinking. After catching a glimpse of Xavier's face, she took a deep breath. "Xavier, this is the last time I'm going to say this—stop doing things that gross me out."She reached out and peeled Xavier's fingers away one by one. "We really should keep our distance at work!""Noelle!"Xavier watched Noelle walk away. Feeling frustrated, he punched the elevator door, startling the nearby employees. "Mr. Harris!""What are you doing here?" Joseph's voice came from behind Xavier, making him panic. "Dad!"Joseph gave Xavier a fierce look. "How many times do I have to tell you to behave at the company? You're engaged to Winter, so leave Noelle alone!" Joseph was so disappointed with his son, wishing he could just shape up. "You need to know what you really want!"Xavier scowled. "But Dad, Noelle and I really love each other." He did not want to be with Winter. He just wanted her shares and the company. Even though he was att
Noelle's heart clenched sharply as she gripped the phone tighter. She closed her eyes, taking a moment to calm herself. "Mom, do you really not understand the reason why I haven't been going home?""You..." Jade had not heard Noelle say a word until then. She had thought Noelle was still the same old pushover, easy for her to control. However, to her surprise, Noelle cut her off. "What the hell are you trying to say here?"Noelle said with a sad smile, "What do you think, Mom? You know exactly what I mean. Why did you call?" Noelle knew her mom well. Jade would not bother with her unless it was something big.Jade snapped, "Come back home! Don't you forget, this is your home. Your grandpa treats you so well, you—""I'm really busy right now!" Noelle cut in without hesitation. She would definitely visit Samuel because he had always been kind to her. However, he understood her and would not ask her to come back, so Jade's excuse was not going to work.Jade said through clenched te
Noelle ended the call and felt like all her energy had been sucked out. She slumped to the floor, her eyes empty and unfocused.Ava rushed over when she saw her. "Ms. Shaw, are you okay?"Noelle forced a weak smile and shook her head. "I'm fine, really!" She told Ava to get back to work and made her way to her seat."Are you sure you're okay?" Ava asked, still worried.Noelle nodded, and Ava reluctantly went back to his desk.After sitting quietly for a moment, Noelle pulled out her phone and looked up Charles' number. She paused when she saw his name, then quickly changed it to 'The Man at Home.'She tried calling Charles, but there was no answer. It seemed he was busy, too busy to pick up the phone.…Charles was in the middle of a meeting, with his phone on silent mode, so he missed Noelle's call. The atmosphere in the meeting room was tense, with the recent trouble involving Robert causing a split among the group. Some supported Charles, but others were upset with him, es
They were more than just old-timers. However, Collosus Group's current structure dictated their composition. Even if Charles had great abilities, he could not completely change Collosus Group.The old-timers at the company usually did not do much work, and Charles thought it would be great if they just backed off. However, would they give up that easily?Charles had just handled a problem with Robert, taking over his and his buddies' company shares for himself. That was what really ticked off the old-timers. They kicked up a fuss today, trying to snatch the shares back from Charles or water them down so he would not have them all to himself.They were worried Charles would get too powerful and hard to handle. Charles was young, but he was sharp and knew how to play the game just as well as they did.Now that Robert was out, his department was up for grabs, and everyone wanted to put their own people in charge to get a piece of the pie.Ronald asked, looking over some papers, "Mr
Rowena was always blunt and did not like beating about the bush. When she heard what Noelle said, she got really upset. "And your husband? What does he think?"Noelle bit her lip. "He knows about it and said he'd take care of it. But just a day later, my mom showed up. I bet he doesn't even know yet! I tried calling him, but he was busy and didn't pick up. What should I do now?" Noelle looked worried."Your mom's being really weird, using that to threaten you. Shouldn't that stuff be destroyed? Shouldn't she go stand up to the York family?" Rowena was just as puzzled as Noelle about the Shaw family's behavior.Rowena did not hear anything back from Noelle and was worried her words had been too harsh. "I'm sorry, I..."Noelle shook her head. "It's fine, you're just stating the facts. I have to go there today, Rowena. Can you come with me?""Absolutely!" Rowena exclaimed, her hand on her heart. "What time tonight? And where?""Seven o'clock, at the Golden Oasis Hotel!" Noelle repli
"Mommy!" Seth saw Kelly and ran to her, hugging her legs. "Mommy, you were gone so long! Daddy and I were waiting for you!"Kelly was surprised and glanced at Yves. Their eyes met, and she felt a little embarrassed.Yves looked away, nodding at Charles.Charles had been about to go downstairs when he suddenly felt something strange. He turned and hurried back up."Come out!"He did not see anyone, buthe had felt a presence he had not noticed before.Charles had always been on his toes, so when he felt something was off, he quickly made his way to the second-floor hallway. To his surprise, it was deserted.Squinting his eyes, Charles pulled a military knife from his side and tiptoed toward the bedroom. As soon as he nudged the door open, a shadow darted at him, and they tumbled into a scuffle.Whoever this person had been, they had slipped past the Phoenix Tree Residence's tight security without a sound—a clear sign they were no amateur. Charles did not know who he was up agains
Charles quirked an eyebrow. "What do you want to talk about?""We can't afford to keep Janet around, she's trouble. You might ignore her because of the Bakers, but she won't stop stirring up problems. Now that Noelle's pregnant, we can't risk it!" Kelly's eyes were locked on Charles, searching for a hint in his expression.However, Charles simply observed her, his hand on his chin, his eyes filled with curiosity.Sensing his intense gaze, Kelly grew uneasy. She always felt this way in Charles' presence, as if she harbored a secret."Well, if there's nothing else, I'll head out."Charles lifted an eyebrow. "What's going on with you and Yves?"At his question, Kelly tensed up. "I...""I'm thinking of inviting him to join the Collosus Group, so I'm counting on you to help with this!" Charles finished. Kelly turned around, surprised, and looked at him in disbelief. "I don't get what you mean!" Even though they had cleared up the current issue, Kelly did not think Charles would welco
"Not getting it? Then think harder!" Charles ended the call, a cigarette hanging unlit from his fingers. He had not smoked in ages, especially since he began dating Noelle. However, today, the old craving hit him, and he found himself reaching for a smoke.A knock on the door pulled Charles from his thoughts. He looked up, surprised to see Kelly. Squinting, he asked, "What brings you here?"Kelly gave a small nod, "Got a minute to chat?"Charles nodded and gestured for her to take a seat. Kelly stepped inside. "I came with Yves. He's downstairs playing with Seth and Bran!" Kelly said, playing with her hair nervously. When Charles nodded, she took a deep breath. "I didn't really have anything important to talk about today. I just heard from Yves that something happened. Was it about Noelle?"Since Kelly was Noelle's sister, it made sense for her to be worried.Charles nodded again. "Sort of.""Do you know who did it?""You know them too!" Charles said, tossing his cigarette awa
When Sean saw his reflection, he jumped in surprise. Linda clapped her hands gleefully. "Perfect! Now no one can tell it's you.""Heh!" Sean let out a sarcastic laugh. He wanted to look a little ugly so no one would recognize him, but that was too much!Linda did not worry about what Sean thought. She had dressed herself up too, looking rough and tough, almost as much as Sean. That made Sean feel a bit better."So, when do we head out?""Tonight," Sean said. "We'll go when the Baker family is asleep. People aren't as alert at night!" He sat down, opened his computer, and started a video call with Charles. Charles almost turned off his screen when he saw Sean's face. He managed to stop himself, but he did not look at the screen again. Instead, he turned away. "Tell me, what's happening over there?""Grant looked like he wanted in on the action. We'd barely set foot in Capiton before Grant came calling," Charles said with an icy chuckle. "He wouldn't pass up a chance like this. Wi
After Grant had gone, Linda scooted closer to Sean and blinked, "Who's that Grant guy?"Linda did not really know Grant, but she could tell from how he acted just then that he seemed to care about Noelle and Kelly.Sean glanced up, "You never stop talking, do you?"Linda made a face at Sean, showing she did not care what he thought, and went back to enjoying her dessert.In the meantime, Sean took a phone call and received an email. It contained Janet's health records from the past six months, her recent activities, and the individuals she had been in contact with.Sean quickly skimmed through it, paying extra attention to the stuff about Janet from the last two months and how she had been acting.Janet seemed pretty normal, and she had left the mental hospital not too long ago. Then she stayed with the Baker family. So, if they were going to do something, they would have to go to the Baker family's place or wait until Janet left.However, Janet always had bodyguards, making it
Sean massaged his forehead. He did not know Linda well, but she was his guest, and in front of Grant, she seemed a bit out of her element.Grant, however, smiled at Linda. "Ms. Holt, feeling hungry?""I'm fine!" Linda licked her lips, wiping away the last bits of sweetness, then turned to Grant with a grin. "I just really love desserts!"Grant heard her and ordered a few more things, "Don't most girls eat less to keep their shape?""Well, I'm still a kid. I'll think about dieting when I get older!" Linda replied, her eyes twinkling as she glanced at Grant, " Mr. Anderson, do you have a girlfriend?"Grant gave a soft laugh, "Hmm?""Mr. Anderson, we should get down to business!" Sean interjected, not wanting Linda to continue. He pushed his untouched plate toward her. "You go ahead and eat. I need to discuss something important with Mr. Anderson."Grant averted his gaze, his expression composed as he turned to Sean. "I've been swamped with work in Capiton, so I haven't had the cha
Just as he had predicted, Julian had teamed up with Milo, which explained why Winter arrived so quickly. Charles had anticipated that, so he was not too surprised."Make sure someone keeps an eye on Winter. I'm curious to see what they're up to!""Really? I thought you'd confront her directly!" Peter chuckled softly. "That's not like you!"With Noelle involved this time, Peter had assumed Charles would be furious and have Winter captured right away."Didn't you say the Baker family is involved too? Well, then let's give them a surprise!" After ending the call, Charles's expression turned fierce and intense.Sean and Linda were quick to act. They quickly devised a plan and made their way to Capiton, using academic research as a guise to avoid raising any doubts about Sean.However, Grant showed up when they got to Capiton.Sean and Grant had crossed paths before but were not exactly friends. When Grant showed up at his door, Sean could not quite figure out his intentions. Meanw
Linda recalled the stuff she had sent to Noelle and thought, if Noelle did not care, why should she?It turned out the folks from the covert Lifebringer clan were far more ruthless than Sean had ever imagined."Hey, you there?"Sean lifted an eyebrow. "Are you sure you want to come with me?"Linda nodded.With a grin, Sean revealed a secret door in the lab. Linda's eyes widened as she trailed after him. "Wow, I've been here many times, but I never knew there was a whole other world in your lab!" It exceeded her wildest expectations.The lab she knew was just a simple study, but this new room was packed with shiny tools and gadgets, everything she could dream of. "This place is even better equipped than my family's. Hey Sean, I've made up my mind. I'm going to work here!"For a doctor, that equipment was priceless. Linda was a genius, just like Saxon, completely devoted to her research. So, once she laid eyes on all that gear, she could not pull herself away. However, she did not
Sean's expression grew serious. "But you said before that it wouldn't have any effect on them. I assumed you had a solution!"How could that kind of virus not affect the babies in Noelle's womb? Sean had always harbored some doubts, but considering Linda came from a prestigious medical family and was also the sister of the legendary Mystic Lifebringer, he had trusted her judgment.Linda smacked her lips. "Honestly, there's no way to completely eliminate it unless we find my brother!"She was well aware of the limits of her medical skills. "But don't worry. I've been adding special medicinal ingredients to the herbal soups Noelle drinks every day. They're designed to flush out toxins while strengthening both her body and the babies."She glanced at Sean. "So, you don't need to worry for now.""When exactly is your brother coming?" That was Sean's real concern."How would I know?"Sean was about to press further when his phone rang. It was Charles. "What is it?""Winter's out. Lo