"Nonsense! What are you blabbering about?" Julian banged his hand on the table when he heard Noelle's words. "Mr. York is right here! Stop talking rubbish and apologize to him!""Dad, can't you say anything else?" Noelle's voice dripped with sarcasm. "If you're so worried about Mr. York getting the wrong idea, you shouldn't have brought me here." She then glanced at Winter, who was sitting in silence, her eyes growing colder. "Since your precious daughter is here, she can be the one to look after Mr. York.""What nonsense are you spouting?!" Winter cried out, "Mom!""Noelle, come with me!"Jade shot Noelle a fierce look and yanked her hand, trying to pull her out of the room. Noelle was not having it and kept fighting back. The room turned into total chaos in no time, and only Simon was sitting back, calmly sipping the coffee Noelle had made earlier. "Mr. Shaw, your family sure knows how to make a scene!" Julian's face turned a shade of gray. He could not believe a dinner tha
Mr. Hoffman?Rowena felt confused. When she looked up, she saw a man in a light brown suit step in. He was tall, and his neat suit made him look very respectable. However, there was something chilly about him, especially his eyes.When Rowena accidentally caught his icy stare, she felt a shiver run through her. She bit her lip and swallowed hard. "Um... you can't stay in this room, I..." Rowena was frightened, but she thought of Noelle in the next room and knew she could not leave. She had to stay put."Rowena?" The man spoke up, his eyebrows coming together slightly and his voice carrying a note of certainty.Rowena jumped, feeling even more nervous then. The man had a powerful aura, and he had so many men with him. However, after thinking it over, Rowena could not recall offending anyone. "Who are you?""Charles!" Charles introduced himself.Rowena, who had been so flustered, suddenly brightened at the mention of Charles' name. She quickly responded, "That's right, I'm Rowena
Rowena had never met anyone as calm as Charles. His wife was the one in danger, yet he did not seem the least bit rattled.However, then Rowena paused to think about Charles. He was always so sure of himself, so she did not doubt him."Ms. Smith, you're very clever!"Rowena bit her lip. She did not really think Charles was praising her, but she thanked him anyway because it was the polite thing to do."Aren't you worried about Noelle being all alone with them? The Shaws aren't exactly nice to her. But Noelle can't seem to let them go. Otherwise, they would have never been able to bully her." While tapping his fingers, Charles explained, "Family ties are the hardest to break in the world. Nelly has a big heart. She can't just give up on them. However, she's never felt total despair. Once someone feels that, family ties might not mean much anymore."Rowena was shocked. "You… That's too harsh for Noelle."Charles squinted. "Is it any less harsh now? You've been her friend for year
“Indeed, you’re no worse than I am. In fact, you’re even better than I am, and there’s nothing about me that’s better than you. Winter Shaw, is there something wrong with you?” Noelle did not understand how Winter’s prejudices toward her had formed. “Whatever. I can’t be bothered talking to you.”“What do you mean you can’t be bothered? I think you’re just scared! Makes sense, though. I heard Simon has some odd in-bed fetishes. You and him…” Winter grinned, the evil look in her eyes difficult to disguise. “You’ll never be able to escape, Noelle Shaw!”“You’re not the one who gets to decide whether I escape or not!” Noelle countered, her eyebrows knitting themselves together. “Good luck does not always favor you, Winter!” Noelle said as she walked past Winter and into the bathroom. As Winter stood at the entrance and watched Noelle walk away from her, the corner of her lips curved up into a long, knowing smile. The fact she had to interact with Winter when all she wanted to do w
A fragrant aroma wafted through the dimly lit room. Simon immediately noticed what was different about the room when he walked in, and he frowned slightly as he switched on the lights. A sharp look appeared in his eyes when he saw the familiar-looking figure lying in bed, but the expression on his face remained unreadable. He hurriedly pursed his lips together and held his breath.Living full-time with the York family meant he always had to be on his guard, and it was the same now that he had stepped into this small trap.A sleazy look appeared in Simon’s eyes as he smirked. Things were getting interesting. He had not expected to end up as their target. However, the look in his eyes changed once again as he looked at the person lying in bed. Tough luck for her!“Mr. Hoffman, she’s gone!” Ronald had noticed what was going on in Noelle’s room almost immediately. He had overheard every bit of Winter’s conversation with Simon and realized the severity of the situation. “Mada
The look in Jacob’s eyes darkened as he tightened his grip on his phone. “Thank you for the reminder, Mr. Hoffman. I’ll look into it right away!” Jacob took action quickly and soon learned that Simon was not at home. After double-checking with the hotel employees, he discovered that Simon was, in fact, at the hotel and had met with the Shaw family.The entire York family soon learned of this news, and Norman York even called up Simon himself.When Simon got the call from Norman, he was watching Noelle roll amongst the sheets as she battled the heat building inside her. An odd look appeared in his eyes as he cleared the smoke from the room and destroyed all the surveillance cameras placed within the room.Then, he broke a vase and used one of the shattered pieces to make a cut on Noelle’s arm. He bent down and took a close look at her face. She had skin so pretty that it was practically glowing, and there was not a single blemish on it. He reached a hand out to touch her face as
Sean had never expected Noelle to still be the reason he visited Phoenix Tree Residence a second time.He gazed at the woman lying in bed and the man standing guard by her. A spark appeared in his narrow eyes as he watched the other man’s careful, considerate movements. He clicked his tongue, “Gosh, Charles, can this not always be the reason you reach out to me?” Sean spread his hands out, a rueful expression on his face. “This always happens just as I’m about to get some rest after completing a surgery.” “Well, might as well then, since it’ll give you something to do with your time. Come and take a look at how Nelly is doing,” Charles said solemnly instead of squabbling with Sean, which was a rare sight. A grim look appeared on Sean’s face as he gazed at Charles, and he could not help but shake his head. “I’ll take a look. But to be honest, it’d make more sense for you to reach out to any other general practitioner! I’m a—” Charles said impatiently, "Cut the crap! Attend to h
Charles glanced at Sean before turning back to Ronald. “Tell Lareal to find out whose instructions they were acting on. Feel free to use any unique interrogation methods he has should the need arise.” “Yes, sir.” Ronald nodded, realizing that Charles was truly angered this time.Sean raised an eyebrow. “Where’s Lareal? I’ll go hang out with him!” Charles looked at Ronald, who felt a feeling of helplessness wash over him. However, since it was Sean, there was nothing else Ronald could do other than say, “The usual spot.” The usual spot Ronald was referring to was the underground arena that functioned as Brookville’s largest meeting spot. There were plenty of legends surrounding that place. Not only was it a place where people went to entertain themselves, but it was also a living hell for those who did not know what was best for them. Sean’s gaze instinctively landed on Charles once again. He had not expected Charles to be taking things so seriously this time. He gave Charles a
The kid shivered when he saw Peter's piercing eyes. "I don't know where he is!""You're lying!" Peter said, spinning a scalpel in his hand with a smile that did not reach his cold eyes. "If you don't take me, let's see if you can run faster than my knife can fly!"Peter pretended to throw the knife at the kid, who shook with fear and quickly gave in. "I'll take you!"Peter raised an eyebrow and put the knife away. "Move it!"The kid did not know who Peter was, but after seeing what he could do, he did not dare say no. "Not just anyone can meet Mr. Holt!""Oh, really?""Yes!""Where are you from, sir?" the kid asked Peter in Spanyric."Zyphonia!" Peter answered, then looked at the kid and said, "You've been hiding behind that mask for a long time. Isn't it time to take it off?"Surprised, the kid did not react fast enough, and Peter quickly pulled off the mask, revealing a young and innocent face underneath.She had a soft and detailed face, like that of a girl around fifteen
Peter covered his mouth with a handkerchief, crouched down, and with his trusty military knife, he flipped over a body to take a closer look. To his surprise, he found some strange marks on the body, like a secret code.He squinted his eyes and checked the other bodies. They all had the same mysterious marks.With a chill in his gaze, Peter stood up, cleaned off his knife, and hopped into his car. He followed the path the kid had taken just moments before.Bodies were everywhere, and only a few people were still alive. Most were in shock, and some were rescue workers.However, Peter's sharp eyes quickly spotted a group of people and zeroed in on the kid. Something told Peter that the kid was in trouble. He got out of the car fast and followed the kid's tracks.That kid was no regular Joe. He knew he was being followed after just a few hundred feet and started dodging through the town littered with bodies.Peter's smile grew. He was getting more and more curious about that little
"I know, but Noelle, I had no other way. He put a virus in you. Do you understand what that means?" Charles's piercing eyes softened a bit. "You know I couldn't just do nothing. I couldn't stand to see you in pain!""But my sister is innocent too!" Noelle inhaled deeply. "What if that man didn't care about my sister? Isn't doing this like throwing her into a fire?" Noelle could barely imagine what had become of Kelly then.Noelle had seen that man before, and she knew just how harsh and mean he could be. They had only talked for a little bit, and she did not really get to know him, but she could tell he was the type of person who would do anything to get what he wanted.He was the kind of guy who would put a virus in people like Tania and Bran, and even in women and kids like her. Noelle was scared to think about what he might do to her sister, Kelly."Noelle, you've got to believe me!" Charles pleaded.However, Noelle shook her head. "It's not that I don't believe you. It's just.
Kelly was gone. The day after she vanished, little Seth cried his heart out because he could not see her. Tania and Nancy tried everything to calm him down, but nothing worked. They had no choice but to tell Charles about the situation.Noelle and Kelly could have been twins. They were so alike. That was why everyone thought it would be a good idea for Seth to meet Noelle. However, Charles was dead set against it, and nobody had ever seen him so stubborn.Nancy and Clarisse were in the dark about the whole thing, but Tania knew the score. There had not been a peep from Peter lately, and Tania was getting worried that something bad had happened.That day, Tania and Bran headed to the hospital. Charles had moved all his work there, and Ronald was dealing with everything, big and small, right in the hospital.Charles kept Noelle out of the loop, though. She figured she was just there because they had not gotten her sickness under control yet. She knew she had a virus, so she went alon
"What's the matter? Is looking at me enough to fill you up?"Yves turned to Kelly, pulling out a chair and sitting beside her. His long fingers picked up the silverware and served her the meal. "Eat up. Isn't this your favorite?"Her favorite?Kelly stared back at Yves, her gaze frosty. "Do you even know what I like?"Yves put his hands down and gazed at Kelly. "What's wrong? Don't you like the food?" Without waiting for her answer, he quickly summoned the two servants from earlier. "Madam doesn't like the food. You know I don't keep anything around that isn't useful.""Please, madam, have mercy! Sir, have mercy!" The servants' faces turned ghostly white as they stood stiffly on the marble floor, apologizing repeatedly. Kelly's heart raced with fear. "Stop, please. I'll eat, okay? Isn't that enough?"She bowed her head and started gobbling up the food, scared that Yves, who she thought was crazy, might do something unpredictable if he got upset.Kelly could not see the slight
Kelly felt a chill run through her. "Yves, you're just too scary."Kelly did not know much about the Lennon family, but she remembered how Peter had single-handedly brought down Lennon Group six months ago. What if they had not fallen? What about Peter's uncle..."Scary? What I've done is nothing compared to the Hoffman family. They're the real filth. Once you get involved with them, you're tainted too. Don't you think so?" Yves's eyes burned with undisguised hatred as he mentioned the Hoffman family."It's getting late, and you must be hungry by now!"Yves ignored Kelly's protests, bent down, and scooped her up in his arms.Kelly tried to wriggle free, but Yves held her tight. "Unless you fancy going hungry!"Realizing she was getting nowhere, Kelly stopped struggling. She had used up a lot of energy arguing and messing around with Yves, and then she felt drained.Once Kelly was calm, Yves carried her down to the restaurant on the ground floor.Several people stood guard in th
"What did you say?"Just a second ago, Yves might have looked totally calm and unbothered, but then he was like a scary fighter from the darkest night. He grabbed Kelly's hand, his frosty stare locking onto her. When he squeezed just a little, Kelly was trapped, unable to move at all.It hurt so much, like her heart was being drilled into.Kelly's face went white as she looked at Yves, whose face was hidden behind a mask.Somehow, even though she could not see his face, she could tell from his icy, sharp eyes that he was surprised, shocked, and hurting.He held onto Kelly's wrist so tight. His eyes looked like they could eat her up. "Say that again!" he said through clenched teeth, like he was so mad he could gobble her up.Kelly had never seen Yves look so ruthless and fierce, like a messenger from the underworld. She shivered, totally scared, but Yves kept his gaze right on her. "How could you, how dare you!"Was this woman out of her mind? She actually dared to inject herself
Yves just laughed when he heard her. "You've lost respect for me?" He towered over Kelly, who was sitting on the bed. He reached out and gently lifted her chin with his finger, gazing intently into her eyes. "There's no such thing as an innocent person in this world, right?""Let me go!" Kelly jerked her head away. "That's just your dark heart talking. Noelle never hurt you, and neither did Tania or Bran. I can't figure out why you're after them. Sure, you have issues with Charles and the Hoffmans, but go after them, not innocent people!"Yves squinted, then let go of her chin and looked at his finger. "Going after the Hoffmans, huh? Just wait and see what happens.""Yves, are you out of your mind? What did the Hoffmans ever do to you? Aren't you a Hoffman too?"Kelly was confused about Yves's motives, so she tried to get him to spill the beans. However, Yves took her words the wrong way, thinking she meant something else."Do you feel bad for Charles?" "I don't know what you're
Kelly trembled from head to toe when she heard Yves's words. She tried to push him away, but Yves was too strong, and she could not get free. "Let me go, Yves! You're crazy, a creep, let me go!" Kelly kept struggling. She tried to slap him, but Yves caught her other hand.Yves pulled Kelly close, and his chilly breath wrapped around her. She shivered, but Yves just hugged her tighter. "After all these years, you haven't changed a bit!"Kelly felt a chill all over her body. She wanted to push him away, but she could not muster the strength.Yves held Kelly in his arms. His firm chin was visible outside his mask, and his cool lips brushed against Kelly's cheek as he softly laughed. "Kelly, I've missed you too!"Kelly suddenly looked up, her surprised eyes meeting Yves's deep ones.His eyes were different from Charles's. Charles's gaze was icy and emotionless, like chunks of ice.However, Yves's eyes were different. They were just as deep but had a touch of warmth. His eyes were lik