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
Grant noticed Kelly's reluctance to look at the documents and frowned slightly before speaking in an indifferent tone. "You don't have to look at it if you don't want to. After all, it's your decision whether to accept it or not."He placed the file on the table, his tone calm and detached, as though this matter had nothing to do with him.However, Kelly was far from calm. She glared at him, her voice trembling with suppressed anger. "If that's the case, why did you bring it here? Why did you agree? Why…"Her voice grew louder as she yelled at Grant, her emotions spiraling out of control. The noise startled Seth, who was sleeping in the other room.Hearing Seth's cries, Kelly immediately pushed past Grant and rushed into the room to scoop him into her arms. "Seth, don't cry. Mommy's here!""Mommy!" Seth clung tightly to her, his little hands grasping at her clothes."Yes, Mommy's here," Kelly murmured, cradling him as she gently patted his back. She hummed a soothing tune into hi
Kelly's feelings toward Grant were complicated. Growing up, her impression of him was not strong, and they certainly could not be described as having a close sibling bond.Later, Grant left the Andersons, disappearing to places unknown. When he finally returned, Kelly did not stay in Capiton for long before coming to Brookville.After that came the incident that changed everything, ultimately sending her abroad."Aren't you going to invite me in?" Grant glanced inside.Kelly frowned slightly. Although she seemed reluctant, she did not refuse and stepped aside to make way. "Come in. But I don't have much here, so I'm afraid I might not be the best host.""No problem."Grant noticed how much colder Kelly's demeanor had become. As he stepped into the modest apartment, he casually observed its simple layout.It was hard to reconcile this Kelly, living in such a sparse place, with the pampered young woman who once never lifted a finger.Feeling somewhat uneasy, Kelly closed the door
Kelly had been spending the past few days with Seth, whose health had improved significantly. After the recent incident, Kelly stayed in Brookville for a while, using the time to reflect deeply. One of the reasons she had not left Brookville was because of Seth's biological father.It had been almost four years. Not too long, yet not short either.Kelly thought she had let it go, but the DNA report comparing Seth with Maxwell made her hesitate once again.She always knew Seth was not Charles' child. She was fully aware of who the father was, yet his true identity remained a mystery.During those months four years ago, that man had stayed by her side, sharing a deeply unforgettable time with her. It was so unforgettable that she had pushed aside questions about his identity or purpose, choosing instead to immerse herself in the moment with him.Yet she was nothing more than a pawn for him to use against the Hoffmans in the end.Strangely, Charles had been absent from Brookville du
Grant's expression turned ice-cold in an instant. "What are you planning to do?""Kelly is Noelle's biological sister. Sean said only enzymes extracted from close relatives' blood might save Noelle. Whether it works or not, I have to try," Charles replied. His gaze was intense in a way Grant had never seen before.Grant had not expected to ever witness such an expression on Charles' face. He frowned deeply but eventually nodded. "I'll try, but she still doesn't know she's part of the Smith family.""You didn't tell her?" Charles was visibly surprised. He had assumed Grant would have already told Kelly the truth.Now, hearing that Kelly had no idea about her connection to Noelle or the Smith family, Charles was taken aback."I'll bring her over as soon as I can. Give me some time.""Fine, but don't take too long. Nelly can't wait," Charles said firmly. He understood that revealing the truth to Kelly and convincing her to help Noelle would not be easy. However, since Grant had ag
Sean emerged with a somber expression. "Margaret has confirmed that there's a fresh needle mark on Noelle's arm. That shadow from earlier must have injected something into her, which likely triggered her immediate symptoms."Charles clenched his fists, the sound of his knuckles cracking filling the tense air. "What's the plan?""Before the virus spreads too deeply, we could try using blood from Noelle's close relatives to extract certain components that might counteract it," Sean explained.Charles narrowed his eyes. "Be clearer. What are you suggesting?""This idea isn't fully tested. I only came across it in medical literature, and there's no guarantee it will work. If the virus hasn't invaded her bone marrow, we might still have a chance."Charles' expression eased slightly, but a hint of apprehension lingered. He glanced at Sean, who hesitated before continuing. "We need to call in Uncle Harrison and Shirley. Ideally, we should also bring Kelly here.""Fine!"Harrison arrive
"Make sure to cooperate well with Dr. Ellison, alright?"Charles leaned down, planting a soft kiss on Noelle's forehead before stepping out with Sean. "What's going on?"Outside, Peter, Tania, and Brandon were waiting. Brandon kept peeking into the room, and his curious eyes were wide with concern. "Uncle Charles, what's wrong with Aunt Noelle?"Charles' expression softened immediately. He reached out to tousle Brandon's hair gently. "Aunt Noelle is fine. She's just feeling a little sick.""Oh, then Bran will give Aunt Noelle some candy. If Auntie eats candy, she won't hurt anymore," Brandon said with childlike earnestness, pulling a few candies from his small bag and handing them to Charles."Uncle Charles, give these to Aunt Noelle!""Alright."Charles accepted the candies, his gaze drifting back to the room. He watched through the window as Noelle cooperated with Margaret's examination. His chest felt unbearably tight with worry."Have you figured out what to do yet?""Wh
"Mm, you didn't cry," Noelle said with a faint smile.Her face was still pale, but it was clear she had passed the peak of her pain.She placed her hands gently on Charles' face, slowly pulling herself up. After finding a comfortable position, she leaned into him, her head nuzzling against his chest like a mother soothing her child.Her delicate fingers traced the contours of his face. "You didn't cry."Charles could not help but tremble slightly. Lowering his gaze, he found Noelle looking up at him. She cupped his face with both hands, her body leaning closer, and her forehead was lightly pressing against his.She rubbed against him gently. "You were just worried about me," she said softly. Then, she placed a gentle kiss at the corner of his mouth."Our Charlie is the best, the strongest. How could he cry? Crying is my job."Noelle's smile was so tender and warm that it seemed to melt the storm brewing in Charles' heart.He carefully wrapped her in his arms, brushing his face
"She has the virus too?" Tania gasped sharply. She had never experienced an outbreak herself, so she did not realize how excruciating it could be. Seeing Noelle in such pain now, Tania froze. "Then, we...""Peter, take Tania and Bran outside!" Charles shot Peter a look. Peter nodded and led Tania out of the room.Charles took a deep breath, then grabbed Sean forcefully by the collar. "What do we do now?""Charles, calm down. Just calm down. I don't know the right treatment yet. I can only...""What did you just say? You don't know how to treat her?" Charles' voice was a growl, his eyes blazing with fury."Do you realize how much pain Nelly is in right now? You're a doctor, and you're telling me you don't know how to help her?"He lifted Sean off the ground by his collar, his entire body trembling with rage. "Look carefully! The person lying there is Nelly. She's your cousin. And you're telling me there's nothing you can do?"Charles' bloodshot eyes reflected his desperation as
"Yes, and coincidentally, the registered name is Yves Hoffman!"Charles' expression instantly darkened. "What did you just say?""The hospital keeps these records confidential, but I managed to pull some strings. Yves is someone from the Hoffman family!"Charles' gaze turned cold and sharp, locking onto the name. His tone was steely. "There's no one by that name in the Hoffmans."If such a capable person existed within the family, he would have known by now.Although the Hoffmans were a vast family, Charles was familiar with anyone who had notable skills or influence.The existence of this Yves puzzled him. If someone like this was truly from the Hoffmans, there was no way he would not have known.Peter's face grew serious. "If Kelly was indeed abducted and later gave birth to Seth, then this man could very well be Seth's biological father."If he's connected to the Hoffmans, it explains why Seth's DNA matches someone from your family."Charles nodded. "That was my theory as w