Noelle continued talking to Samuel, but he soon fell asleep because of his frail health. She pulled a blanket over him and gazed at him for a while before taking her purse and leaving the room. Both Julian and Jade were still outside when she left the room. Upon seeing her, Jade hurried over and asked, “What did your grandfather tell you? Did you talk to him about the shares?” Jade grabbed Noelle by the arm and shook it violently. “Come on! Say something. Has he agreed to transfer ownership of the stocks to your sister?” “Let me go!” If Noelle had harbored any hope for Jade to eventually start treating her better, she could admit now that she had been a blind fool. Jade’s intentions were obvious. She could not care less about Noelle or about Grandpa’s health. All she wanted was the shares. “Grandpa is still unwell, yet all you care about are those shares and not his health.” Noelle gritted her teeth. “I’ve already told you that I won’t help you with that. It’s up to Grandpa h
Noelle began laughing all of a sudden. She gazed coldly at Jade as she said, “You guys should just give up. I’ll never let you guys have ownership over these shares!” “Does that mean you really do own them now?” Winter caught the point Noelle was trying to make, and a sinister look settled across her features as her hatred intensified. She had not expected that old geezer to actually give Noelle, that b*tch, ownership over those shares. How could that be allowed? If Noelle owned shares in City Ring Corp., it would mean she had a voice within the organization. If that were the case, Noelle would take away everything that rightfully belonged to her.Winter glanced at Xavier, who had remained silent all this while, as she gritted her teeth and curled her hands into fists. However, she soon drew in a deep breath and smiled as she turned to Noelle and said, “Noelle, I don’t think you have much use for those shares anyway, right? How about I buy them from you? What do you think?”
Noelle gritted her teeth and glanced at the arm Julian was gripping before she looked up. "What do you think, Dad?” “Did you really give them to Joshua? Have you gone mad? Your grandfather adopted him as a child, and he’s not even an actual Shaw! How could you transfer ownership of those shares to an outsider? Do you know just how many shares your grandfather owns? If you’ve really given them to Joshua, City Ring Corp. will have to undergo an entire structural change!” “I don’t think it’s that serious!” Noelle chuckled, placing a hand on Julian’s before shoving it away with great force. “Uncle Joshua has lived with Grandpa for many years, and Grandpa is genuinely fond of him. He’s long treated Uncle Joshua like a member of the Shaw family! Dad, are you denying that he’s part of the family when not even Grandpa is doing that?” “What do you know? At the end of the day, he’s not related to the family by blood. Your grandfather might be nice to him, but who knows what’s actually goin
“Noelle, wait!” Noelle was already at the hospital’s main entrance when Xavier’s voice rang out from behind her. She paused and watched as he made his way toward her. Xavier hurried over to stand before Noelle. He smiled at her. "Noelle, was everything you said true?” Noelle narrowed her eyes and gave Xavier a wary look. “What are you referring to?” Based on the look in Xavier’s eyes, she had already figured out what he was talking about. Sure enough, he asked, “Did Grandpa Shaw really give those shares to you? You were lying when you said you’d given ownership of them to someone else, weren’t you?” Noelle’s eyes remained narrowed as she burst into laughter. “Do you think I was lying or telling the truth?” She chose to answer his question with another question, and that visibly stunned Xavier. He frowned, seemingly displeased by her attitude. “I asked you first.” Noelle pursed her lips, a sudden wave of annoyance toward Xavier washing over her. She wondered how she had such
Noelle turned away without hesitating and drove off. She had never imagined Xavier would go this far and pull such disgusting moves. How dare he come buttering her up now that he knew she was a shareholder of City Ring Corp? Did he really think she was an idiot he could summon as he pleased?She had not reached the point where she had that little self-respect!Winter stood in a corner and watched the exchange between Xavier and Noelle. Her hands were gripping the wall tightly as she gritted her teeth and glared at Noelle until she finally left. For a moment, Winter wished to herself that the wall in her grasp was actually Noelle so that she could strangle her to death. Why? Why were both her paternal and maternal grandfathers so nice to that bitch? Her paternal grandfather had even transferred ownership of his shares to Noelle! As for Xavier… Well, she had always known he had only gotten together with her because he had his eyes set on the shares she owned. However, she did
What did Noelle have that would make them equals? She was nothing more than a mere employee at Frotconn. “Oh, that’s right, Xavier,” Winter said as she chewed on her lip. “Given how tense my relationship with Noelle is, do you think it’ll bring any harm to Frotconn if she continues working there?” An odd look appeared on Xavier’s face. He had not even considered this problem. However, it seemed tough to have Noelle fired from Frotconn when she had not done anything wrong. “What are you thinking about, Xavier?” Winter asked as she shook Xavier’s shoulder lightly. “Do you think I’m being too harsh on Noelle?” “No, don’t overthink things!” Xavier began thinking about what Winter had just brought up. An ugly look settled across his features when he realized Frotconn seemed to be experiencing a decline in orders recently. “You’re right. I must discuss this with my father. Given how much Noelle hates me, I don’t think it would be good for Frotconn if she continues working there!”
Noelle saw Charles standing in front of the closet with a look that signaled he was deep in thought. She bit down on her lip as she walked over hesitantly. “I… I was thinking that since we’ve… So, I decided to bring your clothes over. Are you mad?” Noelle snuck a careful look at Charles’ face, observing the changes in his expression. She was worried Charles might get mad at what she had done. Charles grinned, a warm and fuzzy feeling washing over him as he gazed at Noelle. He reached out to ruffle her hair before he pulled her into his arms. “Silly girl, why would I be mad? I’m absolutely delighted!”He had not expected her to have that sort of self-awareness and had never imagined she would be this proactive. How could he get mad at that?Upon hearing what Charles said, Noelle relaxed and rested her head against his chest. “Why are you back home this early today?” “I missed you!” His low voice rang out as he reached up to ruffle Noelle’s soft hair. There was a sparkle in the d
“What do you plan on doing?” Charles asked, a slight frown creeping across his face. “Do you need my help?” “Not yet,” Noelle said as she shook her head. She did not want to sit back and do nothing while Charles took care of everything for her. “I’ve already told them that I won’t pose a threat to them as long as they don’t do anything funny with the shares they now hold. If they try getting up to any funny business, I’ll use the power I hold from the shares I currently own to assert dominance over them!” Charles pursed his lips together as Noelle gazed at him nervously. “What’s wrong? Have I said something wrong?” “No, no. You’re doing things right.” He just did not want Noelle to get involved so soon. The Shaw family did not pose a massive threat, but at the end of the day, they were Noelle’s parents, and he wanted to delay the ruthless treatment for as long as possible. “But the shares you own now aren’t enough for you to assert dominance over them yet. It'll merely allo
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