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
Noelle nestled herself against Charles’ back as if she were a kitten. “I’ll take good care of you, and I’ll always be on your side!” Charles grinned. There was a warm and loving look in the depths of his eyes that Noelle could not see. “Alright. I’ll always be on your side too. But, Mrs. Hoffman, I don’t think I’ll be able to finish washing these dishes by tonight if you continue hugging me!” Charles said teasingly with a grin on his face. Noelle immediately let go of him and jumped away from him upon hearing that. She maintained a distance between them. A blush crept across her face as she said, “Alright, go ahead and clean up, then. I’ll go watch some TV!” Noelle hurried into the living room. Charles grinned when he turned and saw her escaping the kitchen. Noelle’s heart was racing. It was her first time making the first move, and she was still in disbelief. After all, she had never been the one to make the first move in the years she and Charles had known each other.As f
His kiss was gentle, carrying a tender affection that left Noelle bewildered. She gazed at him through half-closed eyes, her hands cradling his cheeks while her fingers combed through his hair. She began to kiss him back. He took the lead, guiding her deeper into the embrace and drawing her further into the moment.They kissed passionately, losing track of time until Charles finally pulled away. Noelle exhaled slowly, trying to catch her breath. Charles lifted her gently and held her close, his forehead resting against hers. "Does it still hurt?" he asked softly.Noelle was taken aback, and it took her a moment to respond. She then shook her head shyly. "No, it doesn't hurt anymore."He was very gentle last night. She recalled Rowena telling her that a woman's first time could be very painful, but for her, the pain had only been brief. Very soon, she was lost in the sensations he brought her.Just thinking about it now made Noelle blush. She tugged at his shirt. "Why did you even
Linda's big, sparkling eyes glimmered with mischief as she smiled at Jeremy.Jeremy suddenly felt a chill run down his spine. His gut told him this little girl was full of schemes. "No way. Mr. Lennon specifically said I can't untie you!""But I'm still a minor! I'm just a little kid! You've tied me up too tightly. Look at my wrists, they're red and bruised!" Linda blinked her eyes pitifully. Her expression was almost heartbreakingly innocent as she stared at Jeremy.Jeremy, however, was completely unfazed. He was like a blind man ignoring her performance. "Nope. Without Mr. Lennon's orders, you're staying tied up like this."Linda quickly changed her approach. "Oh, big guy, don't be like that!"Seeing Jeremy about to leave, she tried to lunge at him. However, with her hands tied, she could not grab onto him. Jeremy instinctively stepped aside, and Linda ended up falling flat onto the ground with a loud thud."Oh, my chest! My flat chest is going to cave in!" Linda shouted, glari
Jeremy's laughter froze on his face, and his head started to throb as he stared at the girl before him. "You're so young. Why do you have to say such mean things?""If you don't like it, just cover your ears. I didn't ask you to listen!" Linda rolled her eyes. "Hey, what do you want with me anyway? I'm not worth your trouble. If you want my brother, go find him. Leave me out of it!"Linda yelled at Peter, but he ignored her and went into the room, giving Jeremy a knowing look. Linda's eyes bulged in disbelief as Peter left her there, shouting and finally bursting into tears. Still, Peter did not come back out.Jeremy massaged his forehead. He would not have let Linda be if he had not heard Peter call her Ms. Holt and guessed she might be connected to the Holt family, especially since she mentioned her brother. He sighed and looked at her. "Listen, young lady, Mr. Lennon isn't going to bother with you.""Mr. Lennon? Who cares about Mr. Lennon? Pah!" Linda was too angry to care. "Jus
"If you won't lead me to Saxon, then you're coming with me!"With that, Peter grabbed Linda, restrained her, and tied her up in the vehicle.Linda felt like crying, but no tears came. On the other hand, Peter did not seem to care about being gentle or kind. He gave Linda a quick look, then grabbed the cloth bag she was holding and tossed it to the ground."Hey! That's everything to me! You... You..."Before Linda could say more, Peter covered her mouth. "Ms. Holt, if you won't lead me to Mr. Holt, then you'll just have to come with me.""Go?" Where were they going?Linda's mouth was covered, and she could barely make a sound.Peter tied Linda up good and tight, then casually picked up a cigarette and held it between his fingers, looking at Linda with interest. "The Holt family just lost a daughter. What do you think they'll do?"Linda's eyes went wide. She could not believe this man could be so low and vile.Peter saw the look in her eyes. He tapped his finger on the window si
Linda had that idea to study the same thing as Saxon and prove she was just as good, if not better. However, things did not go as planned. She had been waiting for a group of people, and when they finally showed up, they were all killed.Stuck with no other choice, Linda started to examine the bodies. What she did not expect was that someone would notice her so quickly. She had worked so hard on her disguise. How could that man see through it right away?Linda felt like crying but had no tears left. "Listen, mister, there are so many people you could catch, why are you after me?"She scratched her head, on the brink of a meltdown. "I can't let my brother find out I'm here, or I'm dead!"There was no way she could bring Peter to Saxon, she would be in big trouble if she did.Peter had finally found someone connected to Saxon, and he was not about to let her slip away that easily. "Do you know how to heal?"Linda eyed Peter warily, unsure of his intentions. Peter was amused by her
The kid shivered when he saw Peter's piercing eyes. "I don't know where he is!""You're lying!" Peter said, spinning a scalpel in his hand with a smile that did not reach his cold eyes. "If you don't take me, let's see if you can run faster than my knife can fly!"Peter pretended to throw the knife at the kid, who shook with fear and quickly gave in. "I'll take you!"Peter raised an eyebrow and put the knife away. "Move it!"The kid did not know who Peter was, but after seeing what he could do, he did not dare say no. "Not just anyone can meet Mr. Holt!""Oh, really?""Yes!""Where are you from, sir?" the kid asked Peter in Spanyric."Zyphonia!" Peter answered, then looked at the kid and said, "You've been hiding behind that mask for a long time. Isn't it time to take it off?"Surprised, the kid did not react fast enough, and Peter quickly pulled off the mask, revealing a young and innocent face underneath.She had a soft and detailed face, like that of a girl around fifteen
Peter covered his mouth with a handkerchief, crouched down, and with his trusty military knife, he flipped over a body to take a closer look. To his surprise, he found some strange marks on the body, like a secret code.He squinted his eyes and checked the other bodies. They all had the same mysterious marks.With a chill in his gaze, Peter stood up, cleaned off his knife, and hopped into his car. He followed the path the kid had taken just moments before.Bodies were everywhere, and only a few people were still alive. Most were in shock, and some were rescue workers.However, Peter's sharp eyes quickly spotted a group of people and zeroed in on the kid. Something told Peter that the kid was in trouble. He got out of the car fast and followed the kid's tracks.That kid was no regular Joe. He knew he was being followed after just a few hundred feet and started dodging through the town littered with bodies.Peter's smile grew. He was getting more and more curious about that little
"I know, but Noelle, I had no other way. He put a virus in you. Do you understand what that means?" Charles's piercing eyes softened a bit. "You know I couldn't just do nothing. I couldn't stand to see you in pain!""But my sister is innocent too!" Noelle inhaled deeply. "What if that man didn't care about my sister? Isn't doing this like throwing her into a fire?" Noelle could barely imagine what had become of Kelly then.Noelle had seen that man before, and she knew just how harsh and mean he could be. They had only talked for a little bit, and she did not really get to know him, but she could tell he was the type of person who would do anything to get what he wanted.He was the kind of guy who would put a virus in people like Tania and Bran, and even in women and kids like her. Noelle was scared to think about what he might do to her sister, Kelly."Noelle, you've got to believe me!" Charles pleaded.However, Noelle shook her head. "It's not that I don't believe you. It's just.
Kelly was gone. The day after she vanished, little Seth cried his heart out because he could not see her. Tania and Nancy tried everything to calm him down, but nothing worked. They had no choice but to tell Charles about the situation.Noelle and Kelly could have been twins. They were so alike. That was why everyone thought it would be a good idea for Seth to meet Noelle. However, Charles was dead set against it, and nobody had ever seen him so stubborn.Nancy and Clarisse were in the dark about the whole thing, but Tania knew the score. There had not been a peep from Peter lately, and Tania was getting worried that something bad had happened.That day, Tania and Bran headed to the hospital. Charles had moved all his work there, and Ronald was dealing with everything, big and small, right in the hospital.Charles kept Noelle out of the loop, though. She figured she was just there because they had not gotten her sickness under control yet. She knew she had a virus, so she went alon
"What's the matter? Is looking at me enough to fill you up?"Yves turned to Kelly, pulling out a chair and sitting beside her. His long fingers picked up the silverware and served her the meal. "Eat up. Isn't this your favorite?"Her favorite?Kelly stared back at Yves, her gaze frosty. "Do you even know what I like?"Yves put his hands down and gazed at Kelly. "What's wrong? Don't you like the food?" Without waiting for her answer, he quickly summoned the two servants from earlier. "Madam doesn't like the food. You know I don't keep anything around that isn't useful.""Please, madam, have mercy! Sir, have mercy!" The servants' faces turned ghostly white as they stood stiffly on the marble floor, apologizing repeatedly. Kelly's heart raced with fear. "Stop, please. I'll eat, okay? Isn't that enough?"She bowed her head and started gobbling up the food, scared that Yves, who she thought was crazy, might do something unpredictable if he got upset.Kelly could not see the slight