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Chapter 1
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The Cherished Wife Chapter 2
Noelle bolted from the hotel, her previously defiant face now streaked with tears.Out of nowhere, a black Cayenne screeched to a halt, its tires screaming against the pavement. Caught off guard, she tumbled to the ground.The driver gulped, his eyes darting to the man in the back seat, "Sir... Sir?"The man in the back, unfazed by the nearby accident, merely glanced at the passenger seat beside him. "Ronald, go see what happened.""Right away, sir." Ronald was out of the car in a flash, checking the front for any damage.About six feet ahead of the car, a woman sat on the ground with her eyes wide open, looking totally freaked out. Her cheeks were streaked with tears, and she had obviously been crying. "Miss? Are you okay? Do you need a ride to the hospital?"Noelle was scared out of her wits. She just gazed at Ronald, lost in shock, until she finally managed to pull herself together and stand up. Without a word, she tried to sidestep him, eager to get away.Ronald was puzzled
The Cherished Wife Chapter 3
Trapped in the man's grip, Noelle struggled to break free, her body refusing to cooperate. Her vision was blurry as she glared at him. "What are you trying to do?""Just having a bit of fun..." He chuckled, his voice dripping with sleaze as he steadied her. "Let's go somewhere more entertaining, shall we?"Noelle might have been out of it, but she could still sense the danger in the man's tone. However, her whole body ached, and she knew she was no match for them. She scanned the area for anyone who could help her, but she was invisible to the passersby.She spotted a figure approaching through her haze. Acting instinctively, she shoved the two men aside and bolted, slamming right into the newcomer. "Save me!" she gasped.Her fingers dug into the fabric of the man's shirt, and she inhaled a sharp, clean scent. "Please, save me," she pleaded.Charles squinted, taking in the woman who had just collided with him. There was a flicker of something sharp in his gaze.Noelle did not let
The Cherished Wife Chapter 4
At the top of The Majestic Lounge was a room that belonged to Charles alone. He swung the door open and carried Noelle in. She was feeling so awful that she hung onto Charles like she was trying to meld into him, her limbs all over the place with nary a hint of elegance.He managed to detach Noelle from himself with a bit of a struggle and gently placed her in the bathroom. Taking a deep breath, he dialed Ronald’s number. "I need ice, and make it quick."Once he ended the call, he saw Noelle trying to get out of the tub. He gently but firmly pushed her back down and turned on the cold tap. "Stay still!"His voice was firm and grew even more intense as he noticed how the water in the tub accentuated her figure. His gaze sharpened.Ronald was fast, arriving shortly with two buckets of ice. "Here's the ice, sir.""Hold on," Charles instructed Ronald. "Just set them down and leave, thanks." His tone was cool and detached.Ronald raised an eyebrow at Charles's unusual sternness. Howev
The Cherished Wife Chapter 5
"It doesn't matter who I am. What matters is that I’m here to help." Charles tapped his cufflink, his gaze steady and serene as he watched Noelle.A wave of alarm washed over her. Something about this guy screamed that he was more complicated than he was making himself out to be. "I don't need your help.""Really? Then why were you here last night, trying to drink away your troubles? Your boyfriend is now your brother-in-law, your parents don't trust you, and now, you're the town's favorite punching bag. Did you miss the front page of the news?""That’s none of your business." Noelle's jaw tightened. "You helped me out yesterday, and yes, I'm thankful for that." She swung her legs out of bed and started searching for her clothes, but they were nowhere in sight. "Hey, mister!""Charles." He leaned against the wall with an easy grace, watching Noelle's panicked search. "That's my name."Hearing the name 'Charles' made her eyebrows twitch. It rang a bell. "Are you related to Xavier?"
The Cherished Wife Chapter 6
He must have completely lost it! This guy must be out of his mind!"Charles..." Noelle was on the verge of exploding. "Are you even listening? I don't want to marry you. I don't know you, and I definitely don't love you.""Who loves you, then? Xavier? He's your sister's husband now," Charles said, slicing through the truth with a cruel edge. "You're not still pining for Xavier, are you?" He teased her chin with a taunting finger. "Hmm?"Noelle swatted Charles's hand away. "What is it to you? Why are you so set on marrying me? Can't you find someone else?""You're the first woman who doesn't make my skin crawl.""What?" Noelle was taken aback.Charles's lips tightened, and he let go of Noelle. She quickly stepped back, putting a safe distance between them.Charles watched her with a light chuckle. "It's quite simple. You ran into my arms last night, and I didn't mind it one bit."He squinted thoughtfully. "How about we strike a deal?"Noelle stayed silent, and Charles settled h
The Cherished Wife Chapter 7
After leaving The Majestic Lounge, Noelle hailed a cab to get home. She had moved out of her childhood home a long time ago because of her messy relationship with her family and because it made it easier for her to go to and come back from work.When Noelle got out of the cab, she stood and stared dazedly at the neighborhood she lived in. Xavier had helped her move out back then, and they even had plans to get engaged and then married when the time was right. She never imagined the entire thing to be nothing more than a joke and to be later reduced to nothing more than the ‘instigator’.She felt like everything that happened yesterday was just a bad nightmare.“Are you home, Noelle?” When Noelle walked out of the elevator, she saw Winter standing by her front door with a worried look on her face. Her brows knitted themselves together instinctively, and she was about to turn and walk away when someone grabbed her arm. “Noelle.” Noelle froze and tried shaking her arm free of Xavie
The Cherished Wife Chapter 8
“Look at how kind Winter is to you, Noelle. How could you…” “F*ck off. I don’t want to see you two.” It was only then that Noelle finally knew what Xavier thought of her.“Don’t do this, Noelle. No matter what happens, we’re still family. Do you know how angry Grandpa was when he learned about what happened? He… He wouldn’t want bad blood between us sisters over something as minor as this.” Winter grabbed Noelle’s arm, tears streaming down her face as she said passionately, “You know just how much Grandpa loves you, Noelle. What happened is all my fault. Please come home with me! Grandpa would be so upset if you didn’t!” Noelle's sadness only intensified when she heard those words leaving Winter’s mouth. “Grandpa? So, you know how disappointed Grandpa would be as well. If you knew that, you should never have done what you did in the first place. Why didn’t you think about how sad Grandpa would be when you did all this despite knowing Xavier was my boyfriend?” “Noelle, don’t yo
The Cherished Wife Chapter 9
Noelle could not stop herself from raising her voice, and tears streamed down her face without warning. She reached out and pried Xavier’s fingers off the handle one by one before shoving him away forcefully. “If both you and Winter aren’t to blame, does that mean that I’m the one to be blamed? If you had been even the slightest bit considerate of my feelings, you wouldn’t need to be doing all this today. Xavier Harris, you could have told me you didn’t like me, and we could have broken up. I’m not the type of girl who’d give you trouble over it. As for you, Winter Shaw, you say time and time again that we’re sisters, but what have you ever done for me? You could have told me you had feelings for Xavier, and I would have given you two my blessings when I realized he liked you too. After all, I would not have survived till today if it wasn’t for what you did all those years ago. But does that mean I’ll forever be indebted to you? Huh?” Tears were flowing freely down Noelle’s face when
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The Cherished Wife Chapter 1860
Once Charles left, he called Ronald and instructed him to find Liliana a better school without all the drama.Ronald could not figure out why his boss suddenly cared so much about Liliana's problems. However, when he thought about how sad the young girl's situation was, he could not help but feel concerned too.Sean was surprised to get a call from Charles. "Hey, what's got Mr. Busy so free to ring me up?" he joked.The two were buddies. Even though Charles was a couple of years older, it did not get in the way of their friendship.Charles gave him a look. "You're not the type to poke your nose into other people's business!"Sean was stunned for a second, then laughed out loud. "What's that supposed to mean? Do I seem so standoffish? Let's just say I was being nice for once!" Sean explained, "But really, what's going on? That girl looked so helpless. She was getting picked on and too scared to stand up for herself. If I hadn't decided to skip the front gate and hop over the fence
The Cherished Wife Chapter 1859
"If you won't step up, then I'll look after her!" Charles declared, striding past Mateo. "We can't let the Hoffmans be pushed around without even realizing it!"“What do you mean by that?"Liliana had no idea that she had become the Hoffman family’s center of attention. By the next day, James had her room fixed up beautifully with every amenity she could ever want. She did not lack anything that Layla had, be it in her wardrobe or jewelry box.The servants escorted Liliana to her new room, and James handed her a card. "Miss, this is from Mr. Hoffman. He said you can buy whatever your heart desires with it!"Liliana could not believe it. She had no idea why Charles was being so nice or what he was up to. She did not even know that he had taken care of all the people who had bullied her before.All Liliana knew was that she felt nervous sitting in her room, waiting for Charles to come back.When Charles returned and saw Liliana waiting, he asked, "Were you looking for me?""Sir, y
The Cherished Wife Chapter 1858
Liliana stayed silent."Where's your room?"Charles felt a rare sense of defeat when Liliana would not answer. "Change your clothes. I'll take you to the hospital!""No, there's no need for that!" Liliana quickly gestured with her hands. She had already been to the hospital once today and could not possibly go again. "I have medicine!"Charles was not convinced. "What really happened?"Liliana fidgeted with her hands. "I was just clumsy. I've already bought some medicine, so there's really no need for this!"Clumsiness was a ridiculous excuse for how she looked right now.Charles was too clever not to notice what was going on. However, when he saw how scared Liliana looked, he did not push her any further. "You can put the ointment on yourself. Just remember that you're part of the Hoffman family. From today onward, don't let anyone push you around. If they do, they're messing with my reputation too!"Liliana nodded quickly, too scared to say much, and scampered off.With a fr
The Cherished Wife Chapter 1857
Liliana was scared of Charles. She did not know what he was up to, but she had not stolen anything or damaged Layla's necklace.She stood up from the floor and faced Charles with earnest eyes. "I didn't steal anything, and I didn't break her necklace. I really didn't!""You're lying! If it wasn't you, then why is my necklace broken?" Layla refused to let Liliana off the hook. She was convinced that Charles would not take Liliana's side. After all, who would side with an illegitimate daughter?Liliana's mom had caused a lot of trouble for Charles's family, and Layla was determined to set things straight with Liliana today. She thought of Liliana as nothing but trouble.Charles looked at Layla with an icy stare. "Are you saying that my sister, Liliana, would need to steal your necklace?" His voice was steady, but it made Layla tremble with fear. "I... She's not really your sister. She...""She's not?" Charles let out a grim laugh but did not look at Layla again. Instead, he turned
The Cherished Wife Chapter 1856
Liliana was on the ground, getting hit and kicked by Layla. She wanted to hit back for a second, but thinking of her mom made her stop."You think you can hit me?" Layla sneered. "You're nothing but a nobody, yet you think you're one of us?""I didn't do it! I didn't ruin your necklace! I was just cleaning!" Liliana cried."Yeah, right," Layla mocked. "Like I'd believe that. You're just a thief!""What's going on here?"A sharp voice cut through the air, and both girls froze.Layla quickly let go and ran to Charles. "Charles..." However, he stepped away before she could touch him.Layla's hand hung awkwardly in the air, but she quickly smiled. "Charles, this girl stole my stuff and broke my necklace!" Layla complained, holding up the necklace. "It was my birthday present from Dad!"Charles might have been only twenty-one, but he was already the vice president of Collosus Group.In the small town of Brookville, he was something of a legend. He had gone overseas when he was just
The Cherished Wife Chapter 1855
If the servants caught her in those clothes, they would definitely give her an earful.After tidying up, Liliana stepped out to join the bustle of the household. The servants were all busy, and she pitched in to help clean and prepare dinner. With her hair pulled back, her bruised face was visible. She glanced at the big bag of ointment on her bed and felt tears well up again. She whispered his name in her heart, "Sean, Sean!"Liliana whispered the name to herself repeatedly, as if she was etching it deep into her rib bones, right over her heart, so it would never fade away.When Liliana stepped out, the maid took one look at her and gasped. "You look like a ghost! Are you trying to give someone a heart attack?"Liliana looked down, murmuring a quiet, "Sorry.""Well, don't just stand there. Come and help with the chores. You're not some fancy lady of the Hoffman family!" The maid was used to it. She knew that even though Liliana had the last name Hoffman, nobody in the Hoffman f
The Cherished Wife Chapter 1854
Liliana gazed into Sean's eyes, not looking away for even a second.Sean felt a jolt in his chest as if something had struck him, and a flurry of thoughts burst through his mind.He grimaced as if snapping out of a trance. "Is that why you pulled away from me?"Liliana looked down, silent.Feeling a mix of frustration and amusement, Sean asked, "Do you think I would think less of you because of that?"Liliana did not answer, and Sean chuckled lightly. "If I really thought less of you, do you think I'd have saved you? Would I have helped you?"Liliana suddenly lifted her head. "But I...""Nobody gets to choose where they come from, Liliana. It's not your fault," Sean said, looking into her eyes, which seemed to be on the verge of tears. Despite her delicate appearance, she had strength within her. She held back her tears, and her gaze stirred a sense of compassion in Sean.Liliana's heart skipped a beat. All her life, she had lived in the shadows. She thought everyone looked at
The Cherished Wife Chapter 1853
"Have you eaten yet?”Sean checked the time and realized it was getting late. It was way past dinner time.Liliana was still silent, her head bowed."I'm hungry!" Sean announced.Liliana glanced up, then quickly looked away. "Then you should go home and eat!""Don't you want to eat too?" Sean asked, reaching out and gently taking Liliana's hand.Liliana jerked her hand away as if she had been burned, leaving Sean's hand hanging in the air. He stared at her, surprised and a little hurt.Liliana felt bad about her reaction. "I'm sorry, Sean!"Sean scrunched his eyebrows. "Sorry for what? I told you, you've done nothing wrong. Why do you look so sad?"Sean did not usually have that much patience for people he barely knew, but he told himself that this was his good deed for the day. Besides, Liliana looked as sad as a puppy left out in the rain, and he could not help wanting to cheer her up. "Come on. Look at me," he said gently. "What's got you so scared?"Liliana did not know w
The Cherished Wife Chapter 1852
Sean was really pleased with the principal's promise. "You've got to keep your word, Principal. I may not be here, but the school is still in Brookville, and so is my family, the Smiths!" "Absolutely!" With his mission accomplished, Sean left with Liliana."Oh, and since Liliana is hurt right now..." "Of course, the school will give her some time off. Don't worry about your studies, Liliana. If you run into any issues, just come to me or the head of teaching. Your grades will be just fine!" Satisfied, Sean walked away. Liliana tagged along behind Sean. With his long arms and legs, Sean towered over her. Even though he was only eighteen, he was already much taller than Liliana by more than a head.Liliana stood by Sean, looking as tiny and frail as a malnourished child. Sean moved quickly, and Liliana had to trot to keep up with his long strides.The lawyer trailed behind them, a small smirk playing on his lips as he watched the scene unfold with amusement.After Sean dismisse
