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
"Grandpa's in the hospital. I have to go see him!" Noelle said, grabbing her car keys and heading for the door. However, Charles grabbed her hand. "Hold on. I'll come with you!""There's no need." Noelle pulled away. "If you show up now, the Shaw family might get the wrong idea. They're the ones who upset Grandpa so much that he ended up in the hospital. It’s because of this whole mess with the shares. I have to sort this out!" The thought of her grandpa being in the hospital because of her made Noelle's heart ache.Charles's eyes sparkled with concern, yet he held her hand tighter. "That's exactly why I should be there.""But..." Noelle had her reasons for not wanting Charles to come. She was afraid he would get caught up in the family drama, just like Simon did before. The Shaws would latch onto Charles, and he would never hear the end of it.Noelle knew her parents all too well. They were definitely the type to stir up trouble."No more 'buts'. I'm coming with you. I'll just wa
"You..." Jade stumbled, nearly falling, but Xavier was quick to catch her. "Madam Shaw, are you okay?"Xavier shot a worried look at Jade, then glared at Noelle. "Noelle, that was too much. Apologize to Madam Shaw now!""Apologize?" Noelle's mouth twisted into a half-smile. "Is this really the time? Grandpa's still in surgery, and you're all blaming me? We'll see who's really at fault when Grandpa wakes up."Noelle did not want to deal with them, so she quietly walked to the other side.Winter bit her lip and gently pulled on Jade's hand. "Mom, Noelle's worried about Grandpa too. Please don't be mad. And Xavier, Noelle didn't mean to do that." Winter walked up to Noelle and asked, "Noelle, are you okay?" Noelle squinted her eyes. She had to admit that Winter was pretty bold. This was why Charles always said she could not beat Winter—Winter was a much better actor. When Noelle did not respond, Winter reached out and tugged at Noelle's hand with a sad look. "I know you're still u
Noelle glanced back and saw Winter holding her hand. "Noelle, can we please talk?"Noelle pulled her hand away, feeling a bit annoyed. "There's nothing to talk about. I can't stay with Grandpa tonight, so I'm heading home. I'll visit Grandpa tomorrow!"Noelle tried to leave, but Jade wouldn't have it. "Noelle, stop right there!"Noelle hesitated, then kept walking without looking back. Jade, who was in a huff, yanked Noelle's hand so hard she nearly stumbled. Noelle braced herself against the wall and looked at her with a frown. "What do you want now?""We're going to clear this up today, or you're not going anywhere!" Jade was fuming. Feeling ignored by Noelle, she remembered the upsetting things Samuel had said that evening again. Her anger flared up. "Spill it! Did you trick Grandpa into giving you City Ring Corp.’s shares?"Noelle squinted her eyes. "Trick?" She thought Jade was being ridiculous. "What are you trying to say, Mom?""What do you think I'm trying to say? Grandpa
"Jerk! Noelle, you...""That's enough!" Julian shot Jade a fierce look. "Aren't you embarrassed enough? I sure am!" Julian clenched his fists. "Break it up, everyone. We'll come back tomorrow to check on Grandpa."Xavier kept his gaze on where Noelle had vanished, his fists tightening at his sides.If Noelle really did have some of Samuel's shares, then... Could he still have a chance with her?"Xavier?"Winter shook Xavier's hand. "Time to go!"Xavier snapped out of it and gave Winter a reassuring smile. "Grandpa will be okay. Don't worry too much."Winter tried to smile, but she could not hide her sadness when she looked at Xavier. She knew he was not really paying attention to her. "I'm sure Grandpa will be okay," she said. "But why can't we talk things out? We're family. Grandpa gave all his shares to Noelle without telling anyone. No wonder Mom and Dad are upset. They think Noelle did something wrong, but she...""Don't worry," Xavier said, giving Winter's hand a gentle sq
The kiss lasted forever. Noelle had been nervous and careful, but Charles guided her, and in that moment, Noelle felt like she truly belonged in his arms. She wrapped her arms around Charles's neck, pressed her forehead against his, and took slow breaths.They kissed for quite a while. Afterward, Charles got out of the car and gently fixed Noelle's messy hair, smiling slightly as he pulled her close.She rested her hands on his chest, listening to his strong heartbeat. She felt her face warm up.Charles just held her, his arms making her feel safe and warm.He did not say anything and did not ask any questions. He just held her. After what seemed like forever, Noelle looked up at him. She noticed his lip was hurt and touched it gently. "Are you okay?"Charles looked at her with soft eyes and a small smile. He held her hand and shook his head. "I'm fine."Noelle gave him a small smile. "Why aren’t you asking me what happened?"He shook his head and hugged her again. "You'll tell
They had wanted to get that thirty million dollars from Simon by making her do something she did not want to, right? However, it did not work out, so...Noelle's hands balled into fists. "I always thought that if I just kept quiet, things would work out. But after today, I see it doesn't matter how much I back down. They'll never feel sorry. They'll just push harder!" Her grip was so tight that her knuckles turned white.She was shaking, feeling hopeless about her family. She had always kept a distance from them, not because she could not stand up for herself, but because they never seemed to care.Then, she felt a warm hand on hers. Charles was patting her hand gently. "What do you want to do?"Noelle bit her lip, her eyes showing her struggle. After a moment, she put her other hand on Charles's. "You said you'd help me, right?"Charles's eyes sparkled, and a smile spread across his face. "Yes.""I want to swap shares with you!"Charles's smile grew. "You can do whatever you wa
Charles shook his head. "It's yours, but it's not a trade for shares with you."Noelle bit her lip, a little lost. "What is it, then?""Remember that at dinner, I mentioned I had something for you?" Charles held the contract gently. "It turns out we were on the same page without even knowing it."Noelle felt a rush of feelings she could not name. She tried to speak, but the words just would not come out.Charles saw Noelle looking troubled and pulled her into a hug, gently ruffling her hair. "Silly girl. We've been married for quite a while, and I've never given you a proper wedding gift. These shares, twenty percent of them, are for you.""But this... it's too much," she said, shaking her head. "You really don't have to give me anything. I won't even use it!""Nothing is too much when it comes to you!" Charles replied, shaking his head. "Your grandpa was right. Money might be something we have outside of ourselves, but we still need it. I can't let you be unhappy because you mar
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
Sean nodded. "It's all done."He glanced at Adalee, who was next to Liliana, and said, "Hi, I'm Liliana's brother."Adalee, seeing a man of such stature had arrived, did not bother to question if he was truly Liliana's brother. Her main concern was to get out of there, so she nodded. "I'm sorry to trouble you.""It’s no trouble at all. Looks like you really enjoyed your meal!" With that, Sean took over supporting Adalee from Liliana.He was a big guy, so he steadied Adalee with no trouble at all. He turned to Liliana and said, "Liliana, grab Ms. Cobb's bag. We're leaving."Sean acted as if he did not even notice the other people there. He just finished speaking and started to walk away with Liliana and Adalee.However, the other guys were not just going to stand there. Even though Sean looked pretty cool, they had not seen anyone like him around Cascade City before.They thought they had these two women in the bag, but then this guy had come along and messed it up. "Mister, sinc
The others did not buy Liliana's story for a second.Adalee and Liliana were both from Brookville, and they were strangers in Cascade City. The idea of her brother suddenly showing up seemed far-fetched, so they did not really pay much attention to Liliana's claim.However, they had made a mistake because the brother Liliana mentioned was real, and his name was Sean.As soon as she felt things were going south, she had already reached into her purse and dialed Sean's number.Liliana was not sure if Sean would arrive immediately, but she was certain he would not leave her hanging.Seeing how Liliana acted, one of them smirked. "Do you have family here in Cascade City?"Liliana shook her head. "No, not really. But my brother came with me a few days ago for an academic conference. He's actually here having dinner too, and we planned to head back together."Liliana pulled out her phone with a small, nervous smile and waved it at everyone. She tried to keep her cool, always smiling.
As Liliana walked by Sean, he gently grabbed her arm, making her pause. "What's up, Sean?" she asked, puzzled."Don't drink too much," he advised, handing her a pill to help with the alcohol. Liliana looked at it, surprised. "What's this for? Don't you need it?""Nope, it's all yours!" Sean replied, a hint of concern in his furrowed brow. "Just remember to take it easy on the drinks, and give me a call when you head home, alright?"Liliana felt warmth radiating from where Sean had held her arm, mirroring the heat rising in her cheeks. Sean's expression remained unchanged.She wrapped her fingers around the pill, holding it tight in her hand, and nodded. "Okay."Back in the private room, Liliana found Adalee had been drinking heavily. Her face was paler than before. She waved her over and whispered, "I'll pretend I'm not feeling well in a bit, and you can help me get out of here."Adalee's voice was faint, and though Liliana did not know what was going on, she could tell she looke
After speaking, Liliana supported herself against the wall and headed to the restroom. Bob, still holding the bottle of hangover remedy, stood in place with a glimmer in his deep-set eyes.He smirked faintly, then chuckled and shook his head. Casually, he stuffed the remedy into his pants pocket and lingered there a while longer, lighting a cigarette before finally returning to the private room.Sean was inside drinking with a few others. They were all people brought in by Bob and were prominent figures in the pharmaceutical and medical industries.Truth be told, the entire dinner was simply Bob paving the way for Sean. Although these individuals were leaders in their fields, they still had to curry favor. The man they aimed to please was Bob—better known as Andy Jones, the second son of Jones Group.Though Bob was technically the second son, everyone in Cascade City knew he was the legitimate heir to the Jones family and, eventually, the Smiths as well. That made him a powerful fi
Liliana had not wanted to drink, but the other party insisted on making a toast. Under such circumstances, she could not exactly refuse. It was clear they would not even continue discussing the partnership unless she played along.She glanced at Adalee, whose expression was far from pleasant. However, given that they still had to maintain a working relationship with the client, Adalee subtly signaled Liliana to go along with it. Liliana understood—she could not say no.Hence, round after round, Liliana did her best to hold her own. She even tried to fake it occasionally, but she still ended up drinking quite a bit."Excuse me, I need to use the restroom," she said eventually, unable to take any more. Her head felt light, and her steps wobbled slightly as she walked.Though her alcohol tolerance was not exactly terrible, the combination of red and white wine tonight was rough. Even someone with a decent tolerance would struggle.She had not even reached the restroom when she stum
After finishing dinner, Liliana and Adalee went to pay the bill, only to be told it had already been paid for.Liliana instinctively suspected Sean, but Adalee, unaware, asked the cashier, "Who paid for it?""Are you Ms. Hoffman?" the cashier asked.Adalee shook her head and pointed at Liliana. "She is."The cashier smiled. "That's right. A Mr. Smith said to put the bill under his account."Liliana nodded. "Got it. Thank you."Adalee gave Liliana a curious glance. Judging by her reaction, she clearly knew the person. "Didn't you say you had never been to Cascade City before? How do you know someone here?"It was not until they got into the car that Liliana explained, "He's also from Brookville—a distant relative. I ran into him just now when I went to the restroom."Adalee nodded. Though she suspected things were not that simple, she did not press further.During their business trip in Cascade City, Adalee kept Liliana incredibly busy. Every day was packed to the brim, making