Xavier saw them too, and his face turned pale.Noelle squinted her eyes. While Xavier was not looking, she dashed away and hopped into her car, leaving him coughing in a cloud of exhaust.Xavier tried to follow, but the sight of the flashing cameras made him clench his teeth in frustration, and he walked away quickly. The photographers, realizing they had been spotted, scrambled off.Meanwhile, Winter was studying a script when a package arrived for her. The downstairs servant brought it up, and she opened it, puzzled. However, her confusion turned to fury when she saw the photos inside.She grabbed the photos and tore them to shreds. "Noelle... You snake!"Winter shook with anger. "Xavier is mine, all mine!"Noelle felt she was still being followed, so she called Charles. She was still feeling sick from her encounter with Xavier, and her voice was sharp with irritation.Charles was in a meeting when he heard Noelle's special ringtone. His eyes narrowed for a moment.The other
Noelle was not really worried, but she thought it was important to let Charles know what was going on. Charles's words made her feel better. "I wasn't worried. I just wanted to keep you in the loop. I have no idea why they're following me!""Hmm," Charles murmured as he got back to his office and opened up his documents. Sure enough, there was an email with photos of Noelle and Xavier. The pictures were taken from such an angle that anyone who did not know better might think there was something going on between them.Charles tapped his fingers on the desk, a sharp look in his eyes. "I'll sort this out. Are you on your way back now?"Noelle was feeling down, so she was just wandering around. "No, there's nothing for me to do back home. Are you busy?" It hit her then that she might be interrupting Charles's work. He was always so busy, yet she was calling him at the office. "You know what? You should go back to work. We can talk after you're off."“No need for that." Charles chuckled
"Mom!" Winter, on the verge of tears, clung to Jade. "What do I do? Xavier still loves Noelle..."Jade's eyes were icy. She despised Noelle deeply too. "You're overthinking it. You're engaged to Xavier. Why worry about Noelle?""But it's just an engagement, not a marriage. You know how Xavier is..." Winter's grip tightened in frustration. "I don't care. He has to be mine!"Even though she initially got close to Xavier to steal him from Noelle, she fell for him after spending so much time together. She was so happy with Xavier, and if Noelle was not in the way, Xavier would have surely fallen for her too."Mom, can you help me, please?" Winter put all her hope in Jade. "Noelle isn't with Xavier anymore, so why does she keep hanging on to him?"Jade saw the photo on the ground, her face turning stormy and fierce. The face from her memories and Noelle's face merged in her mind, and Jade clenched her teeth. "Winter, don't worry. I won't let you go through what I did back then. That wo
Emilia told Joseph about the conversation. He just raised an eyebrow. That night, Joseph seemed pretty happy about it in the study. "The Shaws are getting impatient, huh?""It looks like it. The lady called today. She was kind of feeling things out, and she invited me out for tea tomorrow," Emilia explained. "Looks like it might get decided soon." She paused, then asked, "What do you think?"Joseph let out a short, brisk laugh. "What do I think? Of course we’ll say yes."Emilia was not so sure. She was a woman of simple values and did not get the world of business. She had met Winter a few times. She was beautiful, sure, but she just did not click with her. However, she had liked Noelle, Winter's sisterHer son had talked fondly about Noelle before, and Emilia had high hopes for those two. She never saw his new relationship coming..."I get what's on your mind, but you've got to realize that kid's got no standing in the Shaw family. She can't do a thing for Xavier. Winter's a whol
"In the end, isn’t it all about the shares Winter has? " Xavier glared at his dad, Joseph. "Why can't anyone see why I'm with Winter? Don't you get it, Dad?" Xavier was upset. "Noelle and I were great together. We...""Enough!" Joseph cut him off. "You're being so ungrateful. Can't you see that I'm doing this for you? Marry Winter and get her shares. Someday, you’ll get the whole City Ring Corp. and the Shaw family. What's Noelle got to offer? If she was capable, would I care if you two were together?""Noelle..." Xavier tried to say something but stopped. He remembered Noelle's harsh words from earlier and felt like he had been slapped.He thought back to his school days when he was free-spirited and full of life, a star student with so much drive. However, working life had trapped him, making him overthink every move.Today, he really felt Noelle's scorn.Xavier's hands balled into fists, his veins popping out.He thought about Noelle saying she would sell her shares to anyone
Charles's fingers hit the decline button, but Xavier kept calling back. Charles's eyes swirled with an icy anger. He just let the phone keep ringing, holding it tightly.Noelle came out of the shower and saw Charles with her phone. "What's up?"Charles just lifted an eyebrow and handed her the phone. Noelle saw who it was, frowned, and declined without a second thought. She looked at Charles and started to say something, but the phone interrupted her, ringing again. Noelle's frown got deeper as she declined again. Before she could get a word out, Charles asked, "Didn't you think to grab a towel for your hair?"Noelle paused, watching Charles's tall silhouette head inside the bathroom. She bit her lip as he came back with a towel, signaling her to sit down.Noelle hesitated. "Um...""Come over here!" Charles called out, not even glancing at the buzzing phone that displayed Xavier's incoming call. Noelle felt a bit unsure about what Charles was thinking, but she walked over and sat
Noelle's smile turned playful. "Sure, but you'd only have one customer—me!"Charles chuckled and playfully tapped Noelle's nose. "You're such a tease!"Noelle blinked and stretched her neck, trying to reach Charles's face with her hand, but she was too far away. She pouted. "Come down a little!"Charles gave her a look, holding her wriggling hand still. "Settle down. Your hair isn't dry yet!""Hey, duck down a bit!" she exclaimed, trying to get up, but Charles gently pushed her back down. "No more playing around!" He did lower his head, though, and Noelle was delighted. She playfully rubbed and pinched Charles's smiling face, noticing his eyes seemed to sparkle even more.Noelle raised an eyebrow when she saw the look on Charles's face and quickly let go. "Come on, don't be lazy. Dry my hair already!"Charles gave her a soft look and then tenderly held Noelle's face, planting a kiss on the tip of her nose. Noelle giggled, feeling ticklish, and tried to push him away, but Charles
The landlord was fast on his feet, but the police were faster. When they saw Xavier looking like a mess, they did not hesitate to take him away.Xavier was pretty drunk, but he could still think straight. The sight of two cops made him a bit more alert. "I'm just looking for my girlfriend. What's going on? Let go of me!""Girlfriend? You're out here making a scene in the middle of the night. People say you've been hanging around here a lot. And hey, I recognize you! Didn't we just bring you in for questioning the other day?"One cop remembered Xavier right away after seeing him like this. The other cop glanced over and said, "Yep, it's you. Let's go. You're making too much noise, and it's late. You know that's not allowed, right?"The cops did not wait for an answer before they took Xavier with them. He did not want to go and kept yelling for Noelle, "Noelle, come out! Tell them I'm your boyfriend, Noelle!"After spending two hours at the police station, Xavier finally started to
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