Noelle instinctively wanted to refuse when she heard this. To her surprise, however, Charles agreed without hesitation, "Sure, get Noelle to drive you all back later."As he said this, he turned the car around and headed to the largest nearby mall to do some shopping.Rowena hung up the phone and looked at Teresa with a sly smile. "See? Charles is so easygoing!"Teresa shook her head disapprovingly. She felt Rowena's actions might not be appropriate. "This is the first meeting. We should make a good impression since he's Noelle's husband.""It's fine. We can also check out Noelle and Charles' home and see how well Charles treats her!" Rowena's intention was clear. She was not concerned about a meal but wanted to ensure Noelle was well taken care of.With Xavier as a precedent, Rowena was now cautious of everyone. Despite Charles' good impression the previous night, Rowena wanted to see for herself how Noelle was doing.Even if Noelle did not say it, Rowena could tell that Noelle
Noelle bit her lip, unsure of how to explain. "It was a coincidence. I was drugged twice, and he saved me both times. Later, I found out he was my grandfather's student. "Do you remember my grandfather's favorite student? The prodigy who finished all university courses at a young age and then went abroad?""That's Charles? No way!" Rowena exclaimed, glancing at Noelle in astonishment. "You two are really fated! So, you married Charles because he was your grandfather's student?"Noelle shook her head. "You know my situation. Besides my grandfather, the rest of the Shaws treat me terribly." Noelle then told Rowena and Teresa the gist of what had happened.Rowena's eyes widened. "So, that's why you married Charles? This sounds so unreal. But the Shaw family members are truly awful. You're also a part of the family. How could they treat you like that?""That's not the main point. But is this truly what you want, Noelle?" Teresa was more concerned about Noelle's feelings. "I understan
Noelle could not help but glance at Teresa a few more times. "I see you've been corrupted by Rowena!""What do you mean corrupted? I'm perfectly fine!" Rowena protested with a huff, "Teresa and I just can't stand seeing people bully you. They only pick on you because you're their relative. If it were me, I'd hang them up and give them a beating!""Oh, come on!" Noelle smiled wryly. "I know you too well. You're all bark and no bite!"The three of them chatted and laughed in the car. Noelle drove steadily and at a slow pace. Suddenly, a speeding car zoomed past them. The driver rolled down the window to make a mocking gesture."Who the hell is that? So annoying!" Rowena's temper flared immediately. "Noelle, overtake them."Noelle pressed her lips together and shook her head. "I'm not that skilled a driver. And why get into a fight with a stranger? Besides, we're almost there."Her calm demeanor made Rowena fume. "Didn't you see how that guy looked down on us?"Noelle laughed softl
Not only Sean but even Rowena and Teresa noticed something different about Charles.Noelle smiled. "Yes, I'm back.""Hi, Charles. Remember me? We met last night." Rowena waved. "I'm Noelle's friend, Rowena. And this is Teresa.""Yes, hello!" Charles greeted them with a smile. Rowena's friendly greeting put him in an exceptionally good mood."Hey, hey, hey, Charles Hoffman. Is this how you treat your friends?" Sean could not stand Charles showing favoritism right in front of him."Do you have a problem with that? Why are you here this time?" Charles glanced at Sean. He had not invited him over.Sean pursed his lips. "Can't I just visit you after not seeing you for a while?" Sean had seen people burn bridges before, but not quite like this. His charming eyes, though smiling, gave off a menacing vibe.Charles narrowed his eyes, not bothering to respond to Sean. Instead, he walked over to relieve Noelle of her things, taking them in his hands. "Are you tired? Go rest with your frien
Charles took the paper and glanced at it, his brows furrowing together. "Are you sure?"Sean replied, "Don't you trust me? I tested it myself. So, you need to be careful, and keep an eye on your wife.""Yes. I understand," Charles nodded, putting away the test results. "Since you're here, stay for dinner.""Of course."The two friends went downstairs together, and they could hear the pleasant laughter of the three women in the living room. Charles' lips curled into a warm smile.Sean glanced at Charles and chuckled. "You're definitely smitten."Charles shot him a look. "Don't want dinner anymore?"Sean shrugged helplessly. "I'm just joking. No need to be so serious!"Noelle and Rowena were reminiscing about their school days, sharing embarrassing stories from when they were classmates and dorm mates. They knew each other inside out."What are you lovely ladies talking about?" Sean walked over, smiling harmlessly.Noelle stopped laughing and greeted him, "Mr. Smith.""No need
Noelle entered the kitchen and saw Charles busy cooking. She stood at the door for a while. Sensing her presence, Charles paused and asked, "Why aren't you sitting with them?""We're all just sitting around while you're busy by yourself. Can you manage everything?" Noelle observed Charles for a bit, noticing his methodical approach to cooking. She watched for a while before asking, "Do you need any help?"Charles' movements hesitated slightly and then he nodded. "Check on the stew. I had it on high heat earlier. You can turn it down to a simmer now.""Okay!" Noelle walked over and took a sniff. "It smells great. What kind of stew is it?""Lamb stew," Charles replied after a moment. "You were drugged yesterday. There's probably still some residue in your system. Eating some stew will be good for you."Noelle smiled and nodded. "Alright. But what kind of drug did I take? I don't remember anything. And about Winter..." Noelle suddenly realized something had been bothering her all d
So, after several rounds, Rowena's face was covered with sticky notes while Teresa's and Sean's faces remained clean."Ugh, I don't want to play anymore! You're cheating!" Rowena threw her battered cards onto the table. "Why do I always lose? My cards were so good."Rowena glared at Sean, convinced he was cheating. Otherwise, how could she lose every round while Sean and Teresa never lost once? Teresa, who usually played just to make up the numbers in their dorm, was somehow playing better than her today.Rowena could not believe Teresa had suddenly become so skilled, so the only explanation was that Sean was using some trick to make her lose.Sean raised an eyebrow and smiled innocently at Rowena. "Ms. Rowena, that's an unfair accusation. I played fair and square. If your card skills aren't up to par, you can't blame me.""You..." Rowena gritted her teeth. "I'm done playing." She tore the sticky notes off her face. "I'm not playing anymore, okay?""Fine. A gentleman doesn't figh
Noelle took the phone with suspicion. After just one glance, her eyes widened in surprise. She read through it again, not quite believing it. "When did this happen?"It was no wonder Winter had not caused her any trouble today. She was dealing with her own mess."Just today," Rowena replied, shaking her head. "The entertainment industry is really wild. Scandals blow up in no time. Look, in just a few hours, Winter is plastered all over the front pages and is trending on Facebook and other platforms."Rowena sighed. "I didn't think Winter would get worse than we imagined.""Who leaked this?" Noelle asked, still shocked at the turn of events."I don't know. A lot of people on YouTube are talking about it. They say Winter offended a lot of people over roles and even sabotaged others. The entertainment world is so murky. Maybe it's one of those stars she wronged getting revenge," Rowena speculated, not really caring who was behind it as long as Winter got what was coming to her.Noel
The woman with Joanna gushed, "You're so lucky! Your boyfriend Sean is so handsome and rich, and your future mother-in-law adores you too!""Please, you're making me blush. Sean and I aren't even official yet." Joanna laughed off the compliment."It's only a matter of time. Everyone at the hospital knows you two are an item. And your future mother-in-law is so generous, showering you with gifts. You wouldn't believe how many people are green with envy!""You're making it sound too good to be true!"As Liliana overheard Joanna and the woman's conversation about Sean, she felt like a creep for eavesdropping.Yes, Sean had been with Joanna for a while. Where did that leave Liliana?She had been with Sean, which explained why he was so cold that day. He must have really disliked her, or else it would not have made sense.Liliana squeezed her hands together, trying hard not to eavesdrop on Joanna and the other woman's chat. However, their words floated to her ears, every single one c
Adalee had braced herself for tough negotiations, but to her surprise, they were ready to shake hands on the deal he moment she stepped into the other company's office. The previous unreasonable demands were gone. They were going to work together just like they had before.Even though Adalee thought it was odd, she was just glad there were no hiccups in the partnership. She signed the contract and decided to give Liliana some time off, hoping it would help her shake off the blues from that unhappy evening.Ever since Liliana came back from Cascade City, she had been quiet. Her life was work, work, and nothing but work. She did not go out, not even when Tania tried to coax her into hanging out.Tania could tell something was off with Liliana, but Liliana clammed up whenever she asked, saying she was swamped with work and had no spare time.Liliana had even forgotten about the date with Keith she had planned to arrange after her business trip.Her routine was simple: she would work
Adalee had just stepped out of her room when she ran into Sean. Sean's face was stormy as he walked past, not even noticing Adalee."Mister..." Adalee called, but Sean did not even look back.Adalee's brows knitted together in worry. She rushed to Liliana's door and called, "Liliana? Liliana?"Adalee did not hear Liliana answer, so she knocked again. "Liliana, are you in there?"After Sean left, Liliana could not stop the tears from coming. However, she did not let herself cry loudly. It was just a quiet, steady sob.When she heard the knock at the door, Liliana quickly stopped crying.She bit her lip, hurried to put on her clothes, and dried her eyes.Adalee waited outside, not leaving before she heard from Liliana. Liliana had no choice but to open the door.As soon as Adalee saw her, she noticed her red, puffy eyes and the marks on her face and neck. "Liliana, what's wrong?"Remembering the drink Liliana had taken for her sake the previous night, Adalee gasped and grabbed h
Disgust—that was it.She remembered a similar desperate moment from years ago. However, Sean had not given her a chance to explain back then.He was disappointed and disgusted with her."Sean, only you and I know about today. If we keep it to ourselves, no one else will find out. I know I was wrong… but I was set up. I'm truly sorry."I promise I won't bother you again. I'm not the same as I was before. I used to have feelings for you, but now I really just see you as a brother. I wouldn't fall for my own brother."And I have a boyfriend whom I really love… I wouldn't ever ruin your happiness, Sean. I promise you that."Liliana was trying to explain, but her words were all jumbled up. She did not even understand what she was saying herself. All she knew was that she did not want to see that look of disgust in Sean's eyes, so she kept explaining, hoping Sean would not hate her.Liliana was so busy trying to clarify things that she did not notice the icy look in Sean's eyes when s
Liliana woke up feeling utterly spent, as if she had been run over.For a moment, her mind was totally blank. She could not remember a thing. She opened her eyes and stared at the ceiling for what felt like forever. Slowly, her senses started to come back.The warm breath and steady breathing from beside her made her eyes pop open wide.The moment she saw Sean lying next to her and shirtless, she could not stay calm any longer. "Ahh!"Her scream woke Sean up.He cracked his eyes open, still groggy, but then suddenly, his eyes snapped wide open, and his piercing gaze landed on Liliana.Her mind was a whirlwind, the memories of last night rushing back. She remembered being drugged, Sean bringing her home, and then, despite trying so hard to hold back, she ended up crossing a line with Sean.The thought made her heart ache, almost drowning her as she met Sean's icy stare.She wrapped her arms around herself, clutching the blanket tightly. She was shaking all over, and her eyes wer
Liliana was crying so hard that she could not think of anything else. All she knew was that she felt awful, and Sean was the man she loved more than anyone else in her life. She hugged Sean tightly, tears streaming down her face. "Liliana, please stop," Sean said gently. He tried to move her hands away, but she held on even tighter. "Sean, I feel so sad… I really like you, Sean," she said through her tears. Sean pried Liliana's hands off him, but she clung to him again. "Sean, I feel awful… I… I like you, Sean."She bit his lips, her hands desperately roaming over his body.Sean was a man, after all. The moment Liliana started touching him so recklessly, his body responded.However, he had always been a man of strong self-control. He pushed her away countless times, but Liliana crawled back each time, whimpering as she restlessly clung to him.Sean's expression darkened. It was not because of Liliana—it was because of himself.He could not believe it. He was actually having
Liliana's mind was a whirlwind. She found her key card fast, but just as she was about to shut the door, a big hand stopped it.She was not strong enough to close the door against Sean, who pushed it open.Liliana took a shaky step back, looking at Sean with a bit of fear. "Sean, it's late. I need to sleep."Sean just kept looking at her. "Liliana, what... what's wrong with your mouth?" he asked as he reached out, his fingers lightly touching the corner of Liliana's mouth. Liliana felt a rush of heat through her body, making her shake all over.In a swift motion, she knocked Sean's hand away. "Leave me alone."With his inscrutable eyes, Sean noticed the blood on his thumb and Liliana's unusual red cheeks. A flicker of surprise showed in his eyes. "Liliana, did..."However, Liliana was already clenching her fists, all pretense gone. She was shaking and crouching on the ground, her tears filling her eyes. "Sean, please. I'm begging you, just go, okay?"Sean's brow furrowed. His
Liliana could not make out what Sean was saying anymore. She felt awful and shut her eyes tight, not wanting Sean to notice.Sean thought Liliana had dozed off from drinking too much and had a headache, so he stopped talking.The car pulled up to Liliana's hotel, and Sean gently shook her. "Liliana, time to wake up. We're here."Liliana slowly opened her eyes and saw Sean's face close to hers. Her heart, which was already fluttering, started racing.She turned her head away, swallowing hard. "Are we here already?"Once she saw they were outside the hotel, Liliana quickly got out of the car and opened the back door to help Adalee. "Ms. Cobb, can you walk?"Adalee nodded. "Yes, I can."With a sigh of relief, Liliana told Sean, "Sean, we've made it. Ms. Cobb and I will head up now."Liliana rushed off, scared that any delay might make her lose her composure. She could not let herself fall apart in front of Sean again—not after what happened years ago.Sean noticed Liliana rushing
The moment everyone in the private room saw Bob, they were scared out of their wits.It was Andy, the favorite son of the Jones family in Cascade City! Even though he was the second child, he was the one everyone knew would run the company one day.Everyone felt a wave of relief, glad they had not messed with Liliana earlier. They knew that if they had, they would not just be outcasts in Cascade City, but probably everywhere else too.Sean gently put Adalee in the back seat of the car and then helped Liliana into the front seat. Noticing Liliana's pale face, he asked, "Did you have too much to drink?"When Sean touched her forehead, Liliana felt a wave of heat rush through her, like she was on fire. Sean's hand was cool, and the moment it touched her, she could not help but sigh in relief."Maybe," she said.Sean shook his head. "Where's your hangover pill? Take it now. Where do you live?"After Liliana told him the address, she saw that Adalee was already fast asleep.Sean tur