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
Charles had never seen such hopeful eyes from Noelle before. He bit his lip, gently took her by the shoulders, and stepped back. Noelle was surprised. She did not understand why Charles was pulling away when she was being so open.She felt a little hurt and bit her lip, tasting the warmth from Charles and the slight tang of blood where she had bitten him. Noelle was confused and frowned, not understanding why Charles was saying no.Noelle's falling smile did not escape Charles's notice. He curled his lips into a smile, and before Noelle could even catch her breath, he gently lifted her chin. His eyes sparkled like stars in the night sky. "Are you sure?"Noelle felt a warm flutter in her heart. She wanted to say no, but she nodded instead. "Sure!" She took a deep breath, as if she had made a big decision, and held both his hands tightly, their fingers interlacing. She looked at Charles with all the seriousness in the world. "We're husband and wife, right?""Yes!" He frowned slightly
Her kiss was gentle and careful, like she was kissing the most precious treasure in the world. She might not have been in love with Charles yet, but she definitely liked him. She was ready to give her whole heart to him, hoping he would embrace every bit of her.Charles had been patient for so long, but he had reached his breaking point now. He had not touched her before not because he did not want to, but because he respected her. He did not want to force her into anything, and he could control himself no matter how hard it was. However, he did not want to hold back anymore. Seeing Noelle working so hard to make him feel good, his dark eyes grew more intense, and he gently took hold of her and led the way.Noelle's eyes sparkled with joy, and she let her body relax and respond to him.His hands wrapped around her from behind, taking away the last of her guardedness. There was no turning back then.Charles was very gentle as he explored Noelle's body. Every touch made her tremble.
Charles shook his head with a sigh and crawled into bed, feeling cozy and warm.Noelle must have felt him moving because she suddenly rolled over and hugged him tight.Charles froze for a second. He turned around to see Noelle sleeping peacefully, her lips moving slightly. The gentle glow in his eyes felt extra warm in the soft light.Noelle slept well but woke up feeling a little sore. It was not as bad as some tales had made it out to be, but it still hurt.She touched the warm spots on her body and smiled faintly at the light marks on her skin."Up already?"Hearing Charles's clear voice, Noelle looked down, feeling a bit shy. "Yeah. Y-you woke up really early!" she said, her cheeks turning pink. "About yesterday...""What's wrong?" Charles asked, noticing her shy expression. He thought she might feel awkward about something that happened last night. He sat down beside her on the bed. Noelle was wearing her nightgown, which had come a little undone.When Charles came closer
Noelle was supposed to visit Samuel in the hospital after they finished breakfast. Mr. Thompson had called with good news: Samuel was awake. Noelle was in a hurry to see him, but Charles gently pulled her back. "Hold on!"Confused, Noelle asked, "What is it?""Let's go upstairs first," Charles said, putting away the dishes. He led Noelle to his study and handed her the contract from the day before. "This is yours. Go ahead and sign it."Noelle hesitated. "Didn't I say I'd swap shares with you once mine were sorted?""Do you think you'll run into your parents on the way to see your grandpa?" Charles asked, getting right to the heart of the matter. Noelle's face tensed up a bit. She nodded, her smile tinged with a touch of sadness. "I suddenly feel like I'm not doing so great at this whole ‘life’ thing."Charles gave her a reassuring grin. "You're making a smart move right now. Go ahead and sign it!" He wanted to make sure she got the best, even if she did not seem to care much abou
Noelle's heart skipped a beat, and she felt a mix of embarrassment and happiness. She tried to push Charles away, but he just would not let go. His kiss was gentle, and he traced her lips slowly, deepening it further.It was the gentlest kiss Noelle had ever felt, and for the first time, she realized that kissing could be something truly amazing.It was like Charles was magical. He made her relax and start to kiss him back. Still, he was definitely leading the way. Noelle got lost in his sweet kisses, and it was a long while before they could bring themselves to stop.Noelle's face felt warm, and she held Charles's arms, her cheeks red as he nibbled on her lip.Charles looked down into her pretty eyes, hidden beneath her long lashes. He softly touched her cheek, lifted her chin, and gently bumped foreheads with her. "Nelly, what do we do now?""What?" Noelle was confused.Charles held her chin gently and kissed her again. This time, Noelle was a bit surprised, but she was ready.
"Oh, I'm not the best with these things. I guess you'll be responsible for tying my ties from now on!" Charles said.Noelle paused. Was there a hint of joy in his voice?The thought of tying his tie every day made her feel warm inside, so she did not object. "But I'll need a little something for my trouble!""How about I make you breakfast every morning to make up for it?" Charles suggested with a light laugh, enjoying their playful banter. He pulled her close and planted a kiss on the corner of her mouth. "See you tonight!""See you tonight!" Noelle almost added something more, but she then thought better of it. She decided to keep quiet and save the surprise for Charles when she saw him later that evening.They walked downstairs together, where Ronald was already outside waiting for them. When he saw Charles and Noelle, he quickly stood up straight and greeted them, "Good morning, Mr. Hoffman, Madam."Charles nodded and handed Ronald some papers they had signed. "Please take ca
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