"I could tell just by looking, Liliana! Did you forget I'm a doctor? The Holts are a family of medical experts!" Linda said as she stepped closer, placing her fingers on Liliana's wrist to check her pulse."I sensed something was off with your body when I sat next to you today. Your energy feels unstable. Have you been injured before?"Her usually youthful face took on an expression far more mature than her years. As she continued her examination, her brows knitted together with concern."You had a miscarriage and suffered severe internal trauma, didn't you? And you never properly treated it, which left permanent damage."Not only that but the procedure must have been done in poor conditions. Your body wasn't strong enough to endure it, yet you went through it anyway. Liliana, you really haven't taken care of yourself at all."Liliana's body stiffened at Linda's words.She almost found it laughable that a child was scolding her—yet this child clearly understood more than she did.
"Don't worry. Leave it to me!" Linda patted her chest confidently. "Go ahead, Mr. Hoffman! I promise I'll take good care of Noelle and the others!"Charles smirked slightly. "Alright."With that, he and Peter headed out. Peter had not been back to Nexus Group in a while, so he planned to check in today.Charles, on the other hand, had business at Collosus Group first. At the entrance, they each got into their respective cars and drove off.Charles then made a call to Sean.Since the night before, Sean had locked himself in his villa and had not stepped outside. After drinking through the night, he was in a groggy, half-conscious state.The persistent buzzing of his phone only irritated him further. Frowning, he reached for it, squinting at the screen, but the words blurred before his tired eyes.Annoyed, he furrowed his brows deeper and answered without checking the caller ID. "Hello?"His voice was hoarse, heavy with the effects of alcohol.Charles frowned. "Where are you?"
"Give me the prescription!" Sean took a deep breath. "Even if she doesn't want to see me or have any connection with me anymore, I still need to make sure she's okay. After all, back then, it was because of me...""Alright." Charles ended the call and sent Sean a picture of the prescription.Sean received it quickly. It was a traditional medicine formula. Though he had studied some traditional medicine as an elective during school, it was not his expertise. He had no way of judging whether Linda's prescription was truly effective.He got up, cleaned himself up, changed into fresh clothes, and simply wrapped his injured hand before heading out.Since he had decided not to disturb her anymore, he intended to keep that promise. He would try to appear in her life as little as possible. However, that did not mean he could not watch over her from a distance. He could still stand behind her and silently ensure she was okay, even if she never found out about it. Maybe that was enough.W
Sean's expression darkened, his shadowed eyes locking onto Linda's. Linda, however, stood her ground.She was unbothered, merely casting him a cold glance. "Why are you acting tough with me? Liliana's condition is clearly because of you."Sean pressed his lips together, remaining silent for a long moment. He could not deny it. Linda's words were harsh, but they were true. Liliana had ended up like this because of him."Hey, why aren't you saying anything?" Linda nudged, noticing his continued silence. "Are you—""I have things to do. The herbs are in your hands now. If anything else is needed, just let me know." Sean turned to glance at the villa a few more times before reluctantly pulling his gaze away. "Don't tell her I had anything to do with this."He feared that if Liliana knew, she would not even allow him to help in this small way.Linda watched him in confusion. "If you still like her, why don't you just tell her?"Sean merely narrowed his eyes but gave no answer.After
Even though Sean had just seen Liliana yesterday, it felt as if he had not seen her in ages."Sean, are you even listening to me?"Savannah frowned as she looked at her son. "You finally come home, and this is what you do? I'm talking to you, and you're completely ignoring me!"She reached out to glance at his phone, but Sean swiftly put it away with an indifferent expression. "So, what exactly did you call me back for?"Seeing his detached attitude only made Savannah more irritated. "Sean, you're not young anymore. Look at Charlie and Pete, they're already married with kids. And you? Still single at this age! Have you even heard a word I've been saying?"Savannah had noticed that ever since Liliana returned, Sean had been acting differently. Before, he would at least entertain their conversations, but now, he did not even bother pretending to be interested.Sean finally looked up. "I heard you. But isn't love something that depends on fate? If I haven't found the right person, t
Sean turned around, his expression cold as he looked at Savannah. "Where exactly do you think I'm going back to?"Savannah's expression darkened. She still remembered how Sean had left the Smith residence back then. It had been right after Liliana's incident, around the time she disappeared.On the surface, Sean had seemed unchanged, but not long after, he voluntarily moved out.At the time, Savannah thought he just needed space to cool off. He had not cut ties with the family, so she let him do as he pleased, assuming he would return when the time was right. However, she had never expected that the same son who once discarded Liliana without hesitation would now be admitting he was the one clinging to her."If you already know she doesn't love you anymore, and you're not getting any younger, then start going on dates tomorrow. The ladies I've arranged for you are from well-established families. You should at least meet them.""It seems you still don't understand me," Sean repli
Linda was having the time of her life, snapping endless photos of the two adorable kids. Every shot turned out beautifully.Just as she was busy editing them, she received a private message from Sean."Send me more photos of her."It was just a short message, but Linda paused for a moment before realizing what he meant. She turned her head slightly and glanced in Liliana's direction.Liliana was playing with Brandon, helping him build Lego structures. The kid was clearly bright, obviously inheriting his parents' intelligence.Watching them, Linda could not help but smile, feeling a warmth in her heart at the sight of something so wholesome.Liliana looked up and noticed Linda pointing her phone at them. She chuckled. "You've been taking pictures all night. Haven't you had enough?"Linda, who had an undeniable love for kids—especially Brandon—grinned and replied, "No way! You don't understand. Back when I was at the Holts, I was the youngest in the family. I wasn't even allowed t
Seeing how much Liliana loved children, Noelle could not help but feel a pang of sadness. Liliana should have been a mother herself. If her child had survived, they would have been around the same age as Brandon and Seth.That incident had taken her child away, but it was clear to Noelle that Liliana genuinely loved kids—not just Bobby, but also Brandon and Seth.Charles furrowed his brows slightly at Noelle's suggestion. "Let's think about it. Bobby's situation is different from Brandon's."Noelle was a little disappointed. "But Bobby is still so young. Leaving him alone in the hospital doesn't feel right, does it?"She still wanted to bring Bobby home. "He hasn't found a suitable bone marrow match yet. Right now, he's just staying in the hospital to keep his condition stable. Besides, isn't Linda here with us?"Charles glanced in Liliana's direction before nodding slightly. "I'll think about it.""Come on, stop hesitating. There are so many people here to watch over him. What a
The internal issues that had previously emerged within Collosus Group had gradually been resolved by Steven. The remaining risks had also been dealt with, thanks to Ronald, Raymond, and Lareal, who had sacrificed their rest time to finally clean everything up.Meanwhile, Charles was now leisurely sitting at home, drinking tea and keeping his wife company.The weather was nice today—warm, but not overly sunny. Charles had moved the chairs outside into the courtyard and carried Noelle over as well.She had objected, insisting that she could walk on her own. After all, she was heavily pregnant with twins, so her belly was round like a ball.Noelle was well aware of her own weight, but Charles, with his considerable strength, had effortlessly carried her over without so much as a breath of exertion.Once Noelle was placed in the chair, she rocked slightly. The man beside her sat down with a book held between his long fingers—a parenting guide.The small tea table next to him was stac
Back then, Kelly had desperately wished for Charles to give her a promise and publicly acknowledge their relationship.Yet thinking about it now, if that person was Noelle, then everything suddenly made sense.Kelly chuckled. "I never thought Charles would actually be rejected by someone. I've never heard of that happening before!"There was amusement in her voice.Noelle scratched her head. "Actually, it was because things were complicated at the time. The Shaws were watching closely, and I didn't want Charlie to get dragged into it."When I married him, it wasn't because of those external factors. I didn't want our marriage to be tainted by all of that. So…""I understand. You wanted to make sure that Charles and the Hoffmans knew that you married him for who he is, not because of his background. You wanted it to be purely about love."Noelle nodded. "As time went on, things kept piling up, and Charlie and I grew even closer. After that, I didn't think about it anymore. Then I
Noelle only turned around to seriously study Kelly once Charles and Yves had walked away. "Kelly, you really scared us this time!"That day, when Kelly had said her godfather had invited her out, Noelle had felt that something was off. The timing had been too much of a coincidence. Fortunately, she had been extra cautious and stayed alert, or else she would have regretted it for the rest of her life.Seeing how genuinely worried Noelle was, Kelly reached out and held her hand. "Noelle, I'm fine now. There's no need to worry!"She met Noelle's eyes and reassured her, "I'm doing great!"However, Noelle's eyes turned red. "You're fine now, but what about before?""Noelle! Some things are just beyond our control." Kelly sighed and tried to comfort her. "I didn't let your husband tell you because I didn't want you to worry. And look at you now…"Crying too much isn't good for your health, and it's definitely not good for the baby!"In the past, Kelly could never have imagined having
Charles paused for a moment. "Technically speaking, you're also one of the Hoffmans."He then said while looking at Yves. "What are your thoughts on that?"Yves pressed his lips together slightly. "Honestly, the surname doesn't really matter to me. Since Grandma doesn't want me associated with the Hoffmans, I think staying with the York family is just fine."In the past, his vision had been clouded by hatred, but the truth was that he had never cared about the Hoffmans' wealth or inheritance.Charles could tell what Yves meant, but he still said, "Personally, I'd like you to come back and help at the Hoffmans."Yves was momentarily stunned. He narrowed his eyes slightly as if sizing up Charles.Charles smirked faintly. "Grandpa wants to know when you and Mrs. Elmore will have time to visit the Hoffmans."He paused before adding, "And what about Simon?"Yves fell silent for a moment before answering, "Let's wait until Kelly recovers. Then, if you still—""Kelly is Nelly's siste
"Gaining weight is good. It's actually better for the baby," Kelly reassured.The two women continued chatting intimately, completely disregarding the two men standing right there.Charles and Yves exchanged glances instinctively, though their thoughts could not have been more different.Charles was thinking about how painful childbirth must be. When it was time for Noelle to give birth, he was determined to stay by her side. He would endure every moment with her and welcome their children together.Once the babies were born, he would cherish Noelle even more than before—ten times, a hundred times, or even a thousand times more. He would give her nothing but the best in the world.Yves, however, was struck by remorse. When Kelly had endured all of this alone in a foreign country, where had he been? He was simply blinded by hatred.All these years, he had missed out on everything. Things like being by her side, and watching their child grow.Regret washed over him as he listened
Noelle bit her lip, looking confusedly at Charles, who tapped her on the head. "You don't think Kelly has feelings for Yves?"This time, Noelle took a serious look at what was happening and her brows knitted together in worry. "Yves hasn't sorted things out with the Hoffman family yet. I'm not comfortable trusting my sister to someone like that!"Charles gave Noelle an exasperated look. "Seriously, who's the older sister here and who's the younger one?"Noelle's cheeks flushed with a sudden warmth. "I'm just worried about my sister, you know? She's had a tough few years, and I've only just gotten to really know her. I want to spend more time with her, and then there's Seth...""Sigh!"Charles had definitely caught on to Noelle's little worries by then. Otherwise, he would not have brought her along today.Yves had heard the commotion outside, too. He turned his head to look at the doorway.Seeing Yves notice them, Charles did not hesitate. He opened the door wide, took Noelle's
Kelly might not have realized her voice was shaking. "Yves, if you can't do it, don't make promises so easily!" She was scared, really scared. Promises about a future that might not happen were the scariest kind.She had thought that with Fred's death, Yves's troubles with Charles and the Hoffman family would be over. However, Kelly did not really understand what this 'over' meant or what it implied.Kelly was scared that seeing him then might mean she would not see him again.Yves was taken aback by Kelly's words. He had been waiting for days, waiting for her to say something, but he had not expected her to say that.Kelly seemed to catch herself getting too emotional. She calmed down and looked away from Yves. "Where's Seth?""He's at Phoenix Tree Residence with Bran. They seem to really like each other!"When Yves talked about Seth, his eyes twinkled with a smile. Kelly glanced over and caught the happy look on Yves's face. She was a little surprised at first, but then it made
Kelly gazed up at Yves. "There are caregivers, doctors, and nurses here. Even the servants will come!" She had told Yves clearly that he was not needed there, that he had no role to play.Yves understood what Kelly meant, but he was not upset. He just smiled gently at her. "You're still sick, and I don't trust them to look after you!"Kelly was at a loss for words and turned her head away, too frustrated to look at Yves.A shadow of sadness passed through Yves' eyes, but he quickly shook it off. "Dear, once you're better, you can tell me to leave."Kelly faced him again. "Don't you have things to do? What about the Yorks? The Hoffmans? How will you explain to the Yorks? How will you deal with the Hoffmans?" She could not understand. Did Yves no longer care about the things he used to chase? "Fred was your real dad. He's gone. Don't you care at all? Haven't you ever wondered why he was so into Hoffman's wealth, and you're part of the Hoffmans too, you...""Are you worried about me?
Charles opened the car door and stepped out first. Andrew, who had been driving, just shook his head. He finally understood why Ronald was always grumbling about not wanting to hang out with Charles, who was notorious for making single guys feel left out with his over-the-top romantic gestures. Andrew, a straightforward guy, had not really grasped what Ronald meant until then.Charles was really laying it on thick, showing off so much that Andrew felt like the underdog being teased.Charles reached out a hand to Noelle. "Come on out!"Taking her time, Noelle reached back. Charles gently took her hand and helped her out of the car, telling her to watch her step as if she were the most precious thing in the world.Andrew thought that the strong and respected image Charles had in front of everyone had crumbled. He could never look at Charles's serious face the same way again. Charles, who was always so serious and never joked, and even seemed a bit scary and super strict, could not