Noelle only realized she had walked right into a trap as she left the shop. She was here to buy a present, so how had she ended up buying Charles dinner? Besides, the present was not even in her possession yet!“What are you thinking about?” Charles, who was walking in front of her, paused in his tracks when he realized the woman behind him seemed distracted. His abrupt stop caught Noelle by surprise, and she nearly walked right into him. Still reeling from her shock, she shook her head and asked, “Where would you like to have dinner, Mr. Hoffman?” Charles narrowed his eyes, a hint of a smile tugging on his lips as he gazed at Noelle. “Since you’ll be buying me dinner, you get to decide where we eat, Ms. Shaw.”Noelle hesitated, “Alright, as long as you’re okay with it.” She and Charles Hoffman came from different worlds. He had been born into a rich and noble family, so he must always have had access to high-quality food and clothing. However, she was different. Although she
Noelle felt her heart start pounding rapidly. She did not like feeling lost for words. She forced herself to suppress those unfamiliar emotions and drew a long breath before forcibly changing the subject. “Did you ever visit the snack bars right outside the university when you were a student, Mr. Hoffman? I used to enjoy having supper there with my classmates.”Charles’ eyebrows raised slightly as he glanced at Noelle and asked, “You guys scaled the walls?” Noelle blushed, feeling like Charles had seen right through her. However, there was no way she would admit that, and her face turned even redder as she retorted, “No, of course not. We exited through the main gate!” She had answered so urgently that it made her seem even more like she was trying to cover something up, but Charles merely smiled without saying anything else. She also fell silent, thinking to herself that this man was a little different from the image she had formed of him previously. The shop Noelle was talking
The look on Charles’ face changed slightly. However, he merely shook his head and said, “Nothing!” before he continued standing beside her instead of taking a seat. Noelle gave Charles a long look and then turned to look at the stool before she accepted her fate and began wiping it down. When she was done, she said to him, “It’s clean now, Mr. Hoffman!” Charles gave Noelle a pointed look. Did she think he found the place dirty?His long stares made goosebumps rise on Noelle’s arms. “What’s the matter? Shall we eat somewhere else instead? I know there’s another restaurant nearby that’s got pretty good reviews. Should we go there instead?” She was starting to regret bringing Charles here. Upon hearing that, he immediately sat down, his lips curving ever so slightly into a smile as he said, “That’s alright. This place is fine!” Noelle heaved a sigh of relief and watched as the shop owner approached them. She was stunned when she saw Noelle. “It’s been so long since you last came
The stew was not particularly tasty. It was nothing compared to the delicacies someone as rich as Charles could enjoy in high-end restaurants. However, Noelle had never been a picky eater and would eat anything so long as it filled her stomach. Besides, she was only here for old times’ sake. It was almost time for classes to be let out, so Noelle was worried the crowd would grow larger. Thus, she hurriedly finished her beef stew and suggested they head back. “It’s getting late!” Charles nodded as his phone began ringing. It was from Ronald. “We’ve gotten things ready for Ms. Shaw, Mr. Hoffman!” “Alright. We’re at Vista University right now,” Charles said as he glanced at Noelle. “Do you have any more plans for the night, Ms. Shaw?” “I’m heading home,” Noelle answered. “It’s alright, I can stay here and wait for your assistant. You can take your leave first if you’re busy, Mr. Hoffman!” “No worries!” Charles said as he got to his feet to pay the bill. Noelle hurried after him
Ronald instinctively looked toward Charles, but the nonchalant look on his face made it evident he did not plan to say anything. He felt a headache forming, but he put on a bold face and said, “No, there’s no way it’s a mistake. Definitely not. This is the correct price!” “That can’t be right!” Noelle might not be an expert in the field, but she was no idiot either. There was no way something from Curio Corner could be purchased at that price. Besides, Charles had picked it out, and he would not have picked out something inexpensive. Noelle did not believe it one bit. Sweat pooled on Ronald’s forehead, and he could not help thinking to himself, ‘You’re right that it wasn’t cheap. It was so expensive!’ However, he did not dare say that aloud and merely laughed stupidly. “You probably don’t know this, Ms. Shaw, but Mr. Hoffman often purchases extremely valuable antiques from Curio Corner. The shopkeeper is a smart man, and he knows what discounts he can afford to offer. This pen isn’
“You’re right, but you know what happened the other day. Winter has already begged her multiple times, but she always returns sobbing, doesn’t she? That girl is so cruel. Is there really anything she won’t do?!” Jade said with gritted teeth, her disdain for Noelle evident. “Anyway, we can’t mess up today. Call Noelle and tell her she has to be here because Sir Shaw misses her!” Jade would not allow her precious daughter, Winter, to suffer the slightest. However, Sir Shaw flew into a terrible rage after learning about Noelle and Xavier’s relationship, which meant that he would not give his blessing to Winter and Xavier’s marriage unless Noelle agreed as well. That angered Jade so much that she nearly got into an argument with Sir Shaw. However, she knew what was going through his mind then and knew he was still calling the shots in the Shaw family. “Alright, alright. I know what to do!” Julian felt annoyed as well. The marriage arrangements had been going smoothly, but Noelle had
"Has Noelle arrived?"The Shaw family's long-time butler, Mr. Thompson, was the first to catch sight of Noelle. He had a welcoming grin on his face. "Come on in. Don't just stand there! It's not winter yet, but it’s still cold. Hurry inside and see Sir Joshua. He's been missing you!"Mr. Thompson had been by Samuel's side for ages, tending to him and dedicating his life to the Shaw family. He knew all the ins and outs, especially how much Sir Shaw doted on Noelle.Noelle’s eyes lit up, and her hand was comforted by Mr. Thompson's warm grip. "Okay, I'll go with you to see him! How has he been? Is he eating enough?""He's been eating great and full of energy!" Mr. Thompson chuckled. "You're the one he's been waiting for, Noelle. Sir Shaw has been over the moon knowing you would be back today."Mr. Thompson, knowing that Noelle preferred the quiet, steered her away from the bustling crowd, taking a shortcut through the backyard and straight upstairs to find Samuel.It was Samuel's b
When Noelle put it that way, Samuel could only let out a resigned sigh and gently pat her hand. "Don't you worry, kiddo. Your grandpa's got your back. And if you've got a thing for that Xavier, I'll see what I can do...""Grandpa!" Noelle cut him off, her head shaking just a bit. "Fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice, shame on me. I know that much. Besides, he's spoiled goods now. I'm done with him!""There, there! Our Noelle knows her worth!" Samuel was proud that Noelle was not letting it get to her. However, he was not letting Winter and Xavier get away with pulling a stunt like that."I'll get them to apologize to you and clear up the whole mess!"Hand in hand, Samuel led Noelle downstairs, where all the guests were buzzing with curiosity about the girl he was with.The recent scandal had not gone unnoticed. All this time, the Shaw family was known for Miss Winter, with no mention of a Miss Noelle. After the last bit of gossip hit the airwaves, people started whispering abo
"Hm?" Charles raised an eyebrow, his gaze landing on the file in Noelle's hand.With a swift motion, he took the file and saw it was a project proposal. His eyes shifted back to Noelle's face. "What's this?""Ah, I…" Noelle had been so focused on calming Charles down that she had not expected to get caught so quickly. Laughing nervously, she wrapped her arms around Charles' neck. "Hehe, I hadn't visited the project department in a while, so I went to take a look, and, uh…""And then you assigned yourself a major project?" Charles lifted the proposal, his gaze steady and fixed on her.Noelle bit her lip, her eyebrows knitting together. "Are you mad?""Do you even care if I'm mad or not?" Charles retorted, making Noelle feel even more conflicted. "Of course, I care!""Then why didn't you stay in the office like I told you to?""Charlie, I'm sorry!" Noelle stuck out her tongue, realizing Charles might actually be upset. She pressed her forehead against his, trying to appease him.
"Yeah!" Arya sighed in frustration. "I have no idea when Mr. Parker will be back!""Let me take this one!" Noelle said, pulling one of the files from Arya's desk. "If you trust me, that is.""Of course, of course. How could I not trust you? I know how good you are at this. But will Mr. Hoffman let you work on it?""It's fine. I'm just killing time anyway. Whether I do this or something else in his office, it's all the same!"Noelle glanced at her watch and realized it was getting late. She patted Arya on the shoulder. "I need to go now, or Charlie won't bring me along next time."Noelle took the proposal into the elevator, and just as the doors closed, her phone rang. It was Charles. "Where are you?""Oh, I got bored, so I wandered around downstairs. I'm heading back up now!" Noelle replied, watching the floor numbers tick upward. "A few more floors. Charlie, are you done with the meeting?""Mhmm," Charles responded, raising an eyebrow. He glanced around before settling back int
"Without a word?" Noelle blinked in surprise. "Didn't I tell Mr. Parker? Where is he?""Don't even mention him right now," Arya grumbled. "Mr. Parker is on a business trip, and guess what? He left me to clean up this mess!"She glanced around at Noelle with mock exasperation. "You don't seem like anything's wrong, yet the rumors about you at the company have been absolutely wild. Where have you been?""Don't worry about me. What's keeping you so busy?"Arya pointed at the pile of documents on the desk. "Look at all this!" She scratched her head in frustration. "Honestly, I feel like I'm drowning. Sure, Mr. Parker reassigned some people to help before he left, but it's still overwhelming. Now, I truly understand just how helpful you were."Noelle walked over, casually flipping through the files and noticing numerous project proposals. "Are these all for this year?""Yeah!" Arya sighed, visibly stressed. "I think our department is seriously understaffed, and then you just vanished
Noelle knew her question was a bit rude, especially since Grant was Kelly's brother. Asking something like that seemed strange, but she could not stop herself—it just naturally came out. Deep down, Noelle always felt that Grant and Kelly were too different to be siblings.…Meanwhile, Grant stared at the message Noelle had sent, his expression softening with a faint smile. His slender fingers brushed against the screen, lightly tracing over the words. The smile in his eyes deepened.Kresten, standing across from him, could not help but shiver at Grant's smile but dared not comment.[She's going back.] Grant then pocketed his phone and looked up at Kresten. "Is everything ready?""It's all prepared, sir, but Ms. Kelly still refuses to leave," Kresten replied cautiously, glancing at Grant. As expected, Grant's expression darkened."She refuses? In that case, take Seth and leave without her!""But…" Kresten hesitated. Seth was still so young, and it seemed heartless to do this.
"Alright, alright. I won't wander off!" Noelle felt Charles was being overly clingy. "Now, go already!"Charles finally turned to Ronald and said, "Let's go."Ronald, who had been covering his face after witnessing Charles kiss Noelle, felt Charles' gaze sweep over him. It sent an inexplicable chill down his spine. Straightening up immediately, he responded, "Yes, sir!"As they exited, Charles could not help but give another instruction, "Have Becky assign someone to stay nearby. If Nelly needs anything, it should be handled immediately.""Yes, sir!"After Charles left, Noelle began aimlessly wandering around his office. She roamed back and forth a few times before realizing how bored she was. With nothing better to do, she picked up her phone and started browsing the internet.Since it was a weekday, Rowena was too busy to chat with her. Apparently, Rowena was tracking some big celebrity, with her editor pushing her to land a major headline this month. After cheering Rowena on
Previously, Charles did not live at the Hoffman residence for extended periods, so Maxwell could ignore most of his behavior. Now, however, with everyone under the same roof, Charles' actions clearly showed he had little regard for Maxwell's authority, leaving the old man feeling stifled.Maxwell wanted to blow up and scold Charles, that cheeky brat. However, considering Noelle's pregnancy and the need to ensure her safety, he swallowed his anger and held it in.He grumbled to himself before turning to head upstairs, muttering under his breath about how infuriating it all was.James followed behind Maxwell, glancing at him before looking back at Charles and Noelle, his lips curving into a helpless smile.Perhaps Maxwell had not even realized it himself, but he was no longer as resistant to Noelle as he used to be. His current actions practically screamed acceptance, even if he would not admit it.After finishing breakfast, Charles and Noelle headed to the company. Since Noelle was
Noelle opened her eyes. She took a sip of water to rinse her mouth before spitting it out.Just as she reached for the toothbrush, Charles instructed, "Open your mouth!" Without waiting, he began brushing her teeth himself.The cool sensation in her mouth jolted Noelle awake. She blinked a few times and then took the toothbrush from Charles' hand. "I can do it myself. You should brush your teeth too!""Alright."Noelle then brushed her teeth, her legs swinging slightly as she sat on the bathroom counter. She even turned her head to watch Charles.The window by the bathroom was slightly ajar, allowing the crisp morning air to seep in, carrying with it a refreshing coolness. Although spring had passed and summer had arrived, the early mornings were still a bit chilly.Noelle squinted her eyes against the sunlight. When Charles handed her the rinsing cup, she quickly rinsed her mouth and placed the cup down.She hopped off the sink, but Charles immediately caught her hand. "Be care
Charles' deep, jet-black eyes sparkled, especially when they caught the mischievous glint in Noelle's gaze.He stepped closer to her, closing the gap with every step. That was until he grabbed her hands and raised them high above her head. Arching a brow, he asked, "You think I'm good to you now just because of the babies?"Noelle shook her head but then nodded hesitantly.Charles glared at her before lightly bumping his forehead against hers.Noelle cried out in pain and instinctively tried to rub her forehead, only to realize her hands were still pinned by Charles. Pouting, she made her best pitiful face. "I was wrong, Charlie!""You silly girl." Charles' heart softened completely. He sighed, finally releasing her hands and lightly tapping her nose. "I care about the babies because they're yours. You're their mom, and they're our children. Got it?""Got it!" Noelle nodded earnestly.Though her earlier words had been meant as a playful tease, hearing Charles say this still made
Apparently, Maxwell had also instructed the housekeeper to transform a room into a nursery. Now, Noelle…"Did Ronald tell you?"Noelle shook her head. "No! Mr. Wells wouldn't dare.""Hmm?"Charles raised an eyebrow, his long legs striding over. Before Noelle could react, he took her phone. His gaze fell on the WhatsApp interface displayed on the screen.He frowned slightly, a vague sense of foreboding creeping in. Sure enough, as Charles scrolled through the conversation, his sharp eyes started scanning the messages and landed on a video. Clicking it open, his expression deepened instantly, his eyes growing darker.Noelle's heart raced with alarm, but by the time she realized what had happened, it was already too late.Charles arched an eyebrow, his slender fingers lightly gripping the phone, making it seem weightless in his hands. His index finger tapped the screen as he flashed Noelle a smile that didn't reach his eyes. "Funny, huh?"Noelle pursed her lips and shook her hea