Xavier immediately tried to establish a familial connection with Charles, attempting to close the distance between them. Even if Charles was displeased, he would not outright reject someone with such a familial tie in front of him.Charles knew exactly what Xavier was aiming for. However, Xavier was a proud person. If he was not in need, he would not have called him 'Uncle' so willingly.Charles raised an eyebrow and gestured for Xavier to sit. "What would you like to drink?""Black coffee," Xavier replied, having already learned about Charles' preferences. He knew that Charles had a fondness for simple beverages, especially coffee. Charles raised an eyebrow in response. "Ms. Coleman, two cups of coffee, please."While it was true that Charles liked coffee, he was not particularly fond of drinking it early in the morning. Clearly, Xavier had not done his homework thoroughly enough.Charles tidied up his desk and then stood up, walking over to a nearby seat next to Xavier.He cr
Charles held the cup by its handle, his slender fingers tapping lightly on its surface. "Say what you need to say," he urged.Xavier felt a bit awkward but had no choice but to continue, "Winter has been working in the entertainment industry, which is filled with all sorts of people. This recent incident has blown up, and Winter is the biggest victim. She… She's being attacked online.""And how does that concern me? Get to the point," Charles said, setting down his cup and rubbing his temples.Xavier could tell that Charles was growing impatient. "I know you own a film company, Uncle. I was hoping you could help Winter. She's being targeted right now, and her career might be over."Charles raised an eyebrow. "So, you want me to help? You should've said so earlier." He stood up and pressed the intercom button. "Ronald, come in."Ronald quickly responded to the summon, knocking and entering the room. "Mr. Hoffman, you needed something?" he asked, glancing at Xavier and giving a slig
Ronald noticed Xavier's hesitation and offered a solution. "Here's what we'll do. I'll have my assistant give you the script. You can take it back and discuss it with Ms. Shaw. But Mr. Harris, you should also know that Ms. Shaw probably offended someone high up, which is why everyone is attacking her. "From what I understand, her endorsements and projects have been canceled, and her current agency is giving her the cold shoulder. The only way to resolve this is for her to bounce back by taking on a TV show. "By staying in the public eye and producing new work, the previous issues will eventually fade away."Xavier's expression darkened. He knew the impact of Winter's situation. Despite his reluctance, he had come to Charles as Joseph had suggested. He understood that only Charles could help."Alright. I'll take the script back and discuss it with Winter. I'll get back to you as soon as possible.""I look forward to hearing good news from you, Mr. Harris," Ronald said, closing th
"What? The second female lead?" Winter's mood plummeted. "Why can’t I be the leading lady?"Winter was an ambitious woman and had been eagerly waiting for Xavier to bring her good news. However, the second female lead? That was not what she had in mind. "Didn't you tell me you were related to Charles? Why can't he help out just this once?"Upset, Winter spoke without thinking, almost ready to toss her script away in frustration.Xavier grabbed the script from her, annoyance written all over his face. "Be grateful! I don't have to prove my connection to Charles to you. Look at where you stand right now. You should be thankful they're even considering you for a role, and you're practically guaranteed to be the second female lead. What more could you want?"Xavier remembered Ronald's words about the complexities of showbiz and how rumors often had some truth to them. Charles had helped him even though he was not obliged to, which was a big favor to Xavier.Xavier did not understand t
Ronald knew Charles to be decisive and unforgiving, just like Steven. He never held back against his foes, which made his current actions all the more puzzling.Charles just smirked. "Seems like using Mr. Fischer's tricks once in a while isn't a bad idea!"Steven?Ronald's brow creased as he remembered a story about Steven. He had wanted to turn a woman into a top-notch agent. He supposedly threw her into a den of snakes and wolves, making her fight for survival among the beasts every single day.He kept the woman close, finding joy in breaking her spirit every day. Eventually, she turned into his most powerful ally. She served the heartless man as a tool for others and for herself.Ronald never understood why Steven liked to be so cruel, but Steven sure seemed to love it. Charles and Peter usually did not agree with Steven, but Charles was acting just like him now. Ronald felt sorry for Winter. She had made an enemy of the wrong guy."Just killing her would be too easy," Charles
"Really? What did you write in that note?" Charles asked with a light laugh, teasing her because he was in a good mood. "Tell me!""Uh, do I have to say it?" Noelle's cheeks turned pink as she thought about the name she had written down. It was one thing for her to look at it, but the idea of Charles seeing it made her squirm."If you won't say it, then you didn't write anything!" Charles said, sounding let down. "You don't even want to lie to me now?""I..." Noelle felt like crying, but no tears came. She had not expected Charles to be so difficult. "I really did write something down. Oh, please, can we drop this? Don't you have work to do? And... just because you're the boss, it doesn't mean you can slack off! How are you supposed to be a good role model for your employees like this?"Charles laughed. He could almost picture Noelle's flustered face, but he knew she got embarrassed easily, so he decided to let it go. "Okay, we won't talk about that anymore."Noelle let out a reli
Noelle had mentioned craving certain dishes, but she did not really intend to eat all those rich and heavy foods at once. They decided to shop for ingredients together at the supermarket. When they got back, Charles had some work to do, so Noelle volunteered to cook. Charles was happy with the arrangement and said just one or two dishes would be plenty.When Noelle finished cooking, she went to find Charles. However, he was not in his study. She was surprised to see some papers on his desk. She picked them up and looked at them, puzzled.Charles walked in just then and saw Noelle's concerned expression. He smiled and, seeing the papers in her hand, said, "Go ahead and ask me anything!""You're planning to sign Winter? I mean, did you invest in a movie company or something?" Noelle felt a bit confused. She thought she knew Charles pretty well after all this time.Charles took the papers from her and gently squeezed her wrist. "Did you come to tell me dinner's ready?"Noelle nodded
Now that she understood Charles's reasons, Noelle felt her frustration fade away.Charles then sat down beside her, gently holding her hand on his knee. He cupped her face in his hands, and they looked into each other's eyes, understanding each other without words.Noelle's heart raced a little. She looked away, but Charles gently turned her face back to him. "Trust me, okay?"She nodded. "I trust you!"Charles gave a small smile. "Time to eat!"They both enjoyed their meal. When it was over, Noelle got up to clear the dishes, but Charles stopped her. "I'll take care of it. We're in this together, right?"Feeling a warm glow, Noelle did not argue and stepped aside to watch Charles clean up the table and start washing the dishes.Then, her phone rang. It was Jade. "Noelle, you need to come to the hospital right now!"Noelle's brow furrowed. She did not want to deal with Jade, but she could not ignore family. Jade's mention of the hospital made her anxious. "What's wrong?""You
Liliana's arm throbbed where Sean had grabbed it, but she bit her lip, refusing to give in. "I didn't do it on purpose. I had no idea she invited you.""Oh, you didn't know? Isn't she supposed to be your best friend?" Sean's voice was edged with sarcasm. "Or maybe this was your plan all along?""I didn't!" Liliana felt a tightness in her chest at his accusation.She pulled her arm free from his grasp, her face twisted with both anger and shame. "I truly didn't know.""Who knows what the truth is?" Sean said with a light laugh, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "Tania doesn't know about us, and you think you're in the dark too? What if Tania found out who you really are? Would she...""Don't."Liliana's voice was loud and full of panic. "Please don't tell Tania." Deep down, she was being selfish. She did not want Tania to find out about her secrets.When she first became friends with Tania, all she wanted was a simple friendship. She did not want Tania to know about her embarrassi
The next few moments dragged on painfully for Liliana. She would have bolted if Tania, her best friend, had not been there.She felt that neither Sean nor Peter wanted to see her around.She did not want to be near them either.Peter was a mystery she did not dare to unravel, and as for Sean...Liliana snuck a peek at Sean when no one was looking. It had been over a month since she had last seen him, and despite herself, she was thrilled.She tried to bury her feelings in work every day, but she knew how hard it was to forget Sean completely.They had promised not to meet again, yet there they were. He could not possibly think she planned this encounter, could he?As Liliana watched Sean and lost herself in thought, she noticed him suddenly glance her way. She quickly turned away, dodging his gaze.Liliana felt like she was a thief caught red-handed when she unexpectedly ran into Sean.Upon laying eyes on Liliana, Sean could not quite figure out what he was feeling.They had
Tania's lips quivered, as if she wanted to say more, but seeing Liliana so determined, she held back.However, as Tania paid, she leaned in and whispered something to the cashier, then scribbled down an address. "Make sure it gets here, okay?"Tania settled the bill, grabbed the shopping bags, and linked arms with Liliana as they headed out. "Liliana, you're joining me for dinner tonight!"No backing out this time. You've canceled on me too many times already.""Okay, fine!"Liliana had no idea that Tania's dinner invitation also included Peter. If she had known, she would have stayed far away. When Liliana returned from the restroom, she found not just Tania and Peter, but also Sean sitting there. Her first instinct was to turn around and leave.She was about to do just that, her foot already inching backward, when Tania caught sight of her. "Liliana, where are you off to? We're right here!"Frozen in place, Liliana could not seem to move a muscle.Standing with her back to th
Seeing Joanna in a new light, her friend still tried to be supportive. "Joanna, don't listen to that lady's wild stories. You and Mr. Smith are the perfect pair. You’re both so smart and good-looking. Everyone at the hospital is jealous of you guys! I bet she doesn't even know Mr. Smith, and she probably doesn't have a rich boyfriend either!"As she spoke, Joanna's friend watched her closely. She saw Joanna's worry fade away after her words. Joanna replied with a hint of frustration, "I don't know why she said that. I wasn’t even in the same faculty as her, but we were involved in a school event together once. We were in a competition together back then. I never thought she cared about it that much!"Joanna mentioned the school beauty contest she and Tania were in, suggesting there might be some old rivalry between them.Joanna's friend knew exactly what was happening. She was getting to see all the drama for free but did not want to call Joanna out. After all, they were coworkers a
"Look, you’re my junior.” Joanna had not expected Tania to say something like that in front of her friend. It was impossible for her to maintain her dignity at this point.What would her friend think if she owned up to it? If she denied it, what was Tania going to do?Tania watched Joanna's face turn beet red, a smile playing on her lips the whole time.Truth be told, Tania did not have beef with Joanna. However, she was Peter's girlfriend, and she knew Sean, so she could not stand watching Joanna strut around, lying and using Sean's good name."Look, Joanna, I'm not trying to be mean or anything. I just think your friend isn’t really thinking about how you feel, you know? You say you're single, yet she's out here telling everyone you're taken. How's that going to help you find a real boyfriend, right?"Joanna's nails were digging into her skin, but she did not even notice. She was drowning in embarrassment, and it was all Tania's fault."I don't know what I did to make you mad,
Joanna looked a bit upset. She was used to being the star everywhere she went, with everyone always fussing over her.However, Tania and Liliana did not seem to notice her at all.Tania slipped out of her dress and had it neatly packaged. She strolled over to a quiet corner and began flipping through a magazine.Meanwhile, Joanna and her friend were browsing through racks of clothes, chatting about which ones were the prettiest. Joanna's friend could not stop mentioning Sean, insisting that Joanna would look stunning in certain outfits and that Sean would surely be impressed.Tania watched Joanna with a smirk and called out, "Hey, Joanna!"Joanna and her friend paused and turned to Tania. "What's going on?" Joanna asked."Oh, nothing, really. I’m just curious—Joanna, are you and Mr. Smith together now?" Tania asked with feigned innocence. "I thought Sean turned you down before!""You...""Turned her down? Don't make things up. Our Joanna and Mr. Smith are very much an item!" Jo
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