"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 police officer noticed something was off. “Could you have made a mistake?” “What do you mean, a mistake? Noelle is my girlfriend!” Xavier tried to make another call as he spoke, but the police officer took the phone away. “You’re a funny one. Your girlfriend called the police and got you arrested for disruption? I think she might not even be your girlfriend! Or did you guys break up? I’ve seen plenty of scenarios like this. Also, what’s a man like you doing at a young girl’s house this late at night?” “It was just a small misunderstanding. We didn’t break up, officer. Please give me the phone so I can make another call!” The officer said exasperatedly, “I can give you the phone, but I don’t think you should be calling your girlfriend. Call your parents instead!” Xavier took the phone and dialed Noelle’s number once again. The phone rang twice before someone picked up. “Hello?” This time, it was Noelle who answered. “Who’s speaking?” “It’s me, Noelle!” Xavier forced himsel
“Married? That’s impossible!” Xavier shot to his feet. “That’s impossible… Noelle may hate me, but she would never get married to another man just to get back at me. She’s still in love with me. She…”“That’s enough. I don’t have time for your convoluted dating history. Ms. Shaw has already claimed to have nothing to do with you, and you should stop harassing her late at night. I think you should just call either of your parents or your fiancee and have them drop by. It’s getting late.” Xavier dropped back onto the bench, a dazed look on his face. Several minutes passed before he dialed Emilia’s number, his movements robotic.By the time Emilia and Joseph rushed over, Xavier was still sitting on the bench inside the station, seemingly in some sort of trance. Emilia flew into a panic when she saw Xavier sitting dazedly on the bench. “Xavier! Xavier, are you alright?! Don’t scare me!” “Mom!” Xavier looked up woodenly at Emilia. “Mom, she’s abandoned me. Mom, she really doesn’t want
Noelle did not feel like going back to bed after hanging up the phone, so she grabbed a towel to begin drying Charles’ hair. “Why didn’t you wake me up just now?” When she thought about how she had somehow managed to fall asleep despite how sticky her body was, she added, “Didn’t you say you would help me clean up?” “You were fast asleep!” Charles said, the look in his eyes gentle as he reached up to take Noelle’s hand. “I can do it myself!” However, Noelle shook her head. "Let me help you!” Then, she added, “Xavier probably got himself into some trouble, so he used another person’s phone to call me,” she said ruefully, “How did I never notice the kind of person he was?!”Charles smirked, and he chuckled when he heard the obvious displeasure in Noelle’s voice. “What kind of person is he?” “I don’t feel like talking about him,” Noelle said, feeling frustrated. “I just don’t understand why he keeps coming back to rile me up when he’s already decided to get together with Winter i
Joseph Harris had always been a crafty, calculating man. He had been planning this for so long, and there was no way he would allow things to fail in the final stages. Charles smirked. “So, Joseph must be thinking about how he can get Xavier and Winter to get married as soon as possible. He won’t have anything to worry about once they’re married.” Charles patted Noelle’s hand as he said, “Xavier’s smart, but he’s not very charismatic, and would never dare go against Joseph. So, he’ll inevitably go down that path.” “You thought of everything." Noelle sighed, thinking to herself how exhausting all this thinking must be. Charles noticed the change in Noelle’s mood and took her hand in his as he lowered his head so their foreheads were touching. “We can’t control what others do, but we can at least live our lives the way we want to. Don’t you think so?” Noelle chuckled as she nodded. "Yes, I know that. Don’t worry. I’ve set clear boundaries with them, and I know what I should do mo
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