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Chapter 2

Penulis: Chweety
Noelle bolted from the hotel, her previously defiant face now streaked with tears.

Out of nowhere, a black Cayenne screeched to a halt, its tires screaming against the pavement. Caught off guard, she tumbled to the ground.

The driver gulped, his eyes darting to the man in the back seat, "Sir... Sir?"

The man in the back, unfazed by the nearby accident, merely glanced at the passenger seat beside him. "Ronald, go see what happened."

"Right away, sir." Ronald was out of the car in a flash, checking the front for any damage.

About six feet ahead of the car, a woman sat on the ground with her eyes wide open, looking totally freaked out. Her cheeks were streaked with tears, and she had obviously been crying. "Miss? Are you okay? Do you need a ride to the hospital?"

Noelle was scared out of her wits. She just gazed at Ronald, lost in shock, until she finally managed to pull herself together and stand up. Without a word, she tried to sidestep him, eager to get away.

Ronald was puzzled by her reaction. "Are you sure you're alright? Do you need any..."

"I... I'm fine, really, I'm okay." Noelle's eyes darted to the black Cayenne. She could not shake off the feeling that someone was watching her, and it sent shivers down her spine. She scowled, hating the feeling, and hobbled away as fast as she could.

Ronald watched her go, confused. He wanted to stop her, but she was dodging him like he was bad news, leaving him speechless.

Back in the car, Ronald noticed the man in the backseat craning his neck to watch the woman through the window. "Sir, we're at the hotel. Do you want to head straight in, or would you like to get out here?"

The man, Charles Hoffman, did not say a word, and Ronald did not dare to make a move.

Watching the petite figure disappear into the distance, Charles let out a slight smirk and tapped his finger against his knee in a steady beat. "Let's head back!"

Ronald was taken aback. "But sir, isn't today..."

Before he could finish, Charles cut him off with a piercing look. "The show's over. There's nothing left to see," Charles said, his words heavy with implication. "Ronald, you seem to be losing your touch."

The Majestic Lounge was Brookville's hotspot, its lights blazing and music pumping every night. Noelle's friend, Rowena Smith, always said it was the prime spot for a wild time after dark.

Noelle was not one for these scenes, but tonight, she was hunched over the bar, downing drinks as if there was no tomorrow. She peered at the sea of unfamiliar faces swirling around her through half-closed eyes.

"Hey there. Did you come here alone?"

A hand clamped onto Noelle's shoulder, the stranger's touch lingering a bit too long. Noelle jerked away, revulsion coursing through her. "Back off."

The guy shot a knowing look at his buddy and smirked at Noelle. "Feisty, aren't you? Back off? Ladies like you just play hard to get, secretly hoping for some attention."

He moved in as if to plant a kiss on her, but Noelle shoved him back and stood up, her stance unsteady and her heart racing. She shook her head, trying to clear the fog. "I said back off! Is that so hard to understand?"

She stumbled, nearly toppling over, but the man caught her, his arm snaking around her waist. "See, you’re saying no, but your body's telling a different story."
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  • The Cherished Wife   Chapter 3

    Trapped in the man's grip, Noelle struggled to break free, her body refusing to cooperate. Her vision was blurry as she glared at him. "What are you trying to do?""Just having a bit of fun..." He chuckled, his voice dripping with sleaze as he steadied her. "Let's go somewhere more entertaining, shall we?"Noelle might have been out of it, but she could still sense the danger in the man's tone. However, her whole body ached, and she knew she was no match for them. She scanned the area for anyone who could help her, but she was invisible to the passersby.She spotted a figure approaching through her haze. Acting instinctively, she shoved the two men aside and bolted, slamming right into the newcomer. "Save me!" she gasped.Her fingers dug into the fabric of the man's shirt, and she inhaled a sharp, clean scent. "Please, save me," she pleaded.Charles squinted, taking in the woman who had just collided with him. There was a flicker of something sharp in his gaze.Noelle did not let

  • The Cherished Wife   Chapter 4

    At the top of The Majestic Lounge was a room that belonged to Charles alone. He swung the door open and carried Noelle in. She was feeling so awful that she hung onto Charles like she was trying to meld into him, her limbs all over the place with nary a hint of elegance.He managed to detach Noelle from himself with a bit of a struggle and gently placed her in the bathroom. Taking a deep breath, he dialed Ronald’s number. "I need ice, and make it quick."Once he ended the call, he saw Noelle trying to get out of the tub. He gently but firmly pushed her back down and turned on the cold tap. "Stay still!"His voice was firm and grew even more intense as he noticed how the water in the tub accentuated her figure. His gaze sharpened.Ronald was fast, arriving shortly with two buckets of ice. "Here's the ice, sir.""Hold on," Charles instructed Ronald. "Just set them down and leave, thanks." His tone was cool and detached.Ronald raised an eyebrow at Charles's unusual sternness. Howev

  • The Cherished Wife   Chapter 5

    "It doesn't matter who I am. What matters is that I’m here to help." Charles tapped his cufflink, his gaze steady and serene as he watched Noelle.A wave of alarm washed over her. Something about this guy screamed that he was more complicated than he was making himself out to be. "I don't need your help.""Really? Then why were you here last night, trying to drink away your troubles? Your boyfriend is now your brother-in-law, your parents don't trust you, and now, you're the town's favorite punching bag. Did you miss the front page of the news?""That’s none of your business." Noelle's jaw tightened. "You helped me out yesterday, and yes, I'm thankful for that." She swung her legs out of bed and started searching for her clothes, but they were nowhere in sight. "Hey, mister!""Charles." He leaned against the wall with an easy grace, watching Noelle's panicked search. "That's my name."Hearing the name 'Charles' made her eyebrows twitch. It rang a bell. "Are you related to Xavier?"

  • The Cherished Wife   Chapter 6

    He must have completely lost it! This guy must be out of his mind!"Charles..." Noelle was on the verge of exploding. "Are you even listening? I don't want to marry you. I don't know you, and I definitely don't love you.""Who loves you, then? Xavier? He's your sister's husband now," Charles said, slicing through the truth with a cruel edge. "You're not still pining for Xavier, are you?" He teased her chin with a taunting finger. "Hmm?"Noelle swatted Charles's hand away. "What is it to you? Why are you so set on marrying me? Can't you find someone else?""You're the first woman who doesn't make my skin crawl.""What?" Noelle was taken aback.Charles's lips tightened, and he let go of Noelle. She quickly stepped back, putting a safe distance between them.Charles watched her with a light chuckle. "It's quite simple. You ran into my arms last night, and I didn't mind it one bit."He squinted thoughtfully. "How about we strike a deal?"Noelle stayed silent, and Charles settled h

  • The Cherished Wife   Chapter 7

    After leaving The Majestic Lounge, Noelle hailed a cab to get home. She had moved out of her childhood home a long time ago because of her messy relationship with her family and because it made it easier for her to go to and come back from work.When Noelle got out of the cab, she stood and stared dazedly at the neighborhood she lived in. Xavier had helped her move out back then, and they even had plans to get engaged and then married when the time was right. She never imagined the entire thing to be nothing more than a joke and to be later reduced to nothing more than the ‘instigator’.She felt like everything that happened yesterday was just a bad nightmare.“Are you home, Noelle?” When Noelle walked out of the elevator, she saw Winter standing by her front door with a worried look on her face. Her brows knitted themselves together instinctively, and she was about to turn and walk away when someone grabbed her arm. “Noelle.” Noelle froze and tried shaking her arm free of Xavie

  • The Cherished Wife   Chapter 8

    “Look at how kind Winter is to you, Noelle. How could you…” “F*ck off. I don’t want to see you two.” It was only then that Noelle finally knew what Xavier thought of her.“Don’t do this, Noelle. No matter what happens, we’re still family. Do you know how angry Grandpa was when he learned about what happened? He… He wouldn’t want bad blood between us sisters over something as minor as this.” Winter grabbed Noelle’s arm, tears streaming down her face as she said passionately, “You know just how much Grandpa loves you, Noelle. What happened is all my fault. Please come home with me! Grandpa would be so upset if you didn’t!” Noelle's sadness only intensified when she heard those words leaving Winter’s mouth. “Grandpa? So, you know how disappointed Grandpa would be as well. If you knew that, you should never have done what you did in the first place. Why didn’t you think about how sad Grandpa would be when you did all this despite knowing Xavier was my boyfriend?” “Noelle, don’t yo

  • The Cherished Wife   Chapter 9

    Noelle could not stop herself from raising her voice, and tears streamed down her face without warning. She reached out and pried Xavier’s fingers off the handle one by one before shoving him away forcefully. “If both you and Winter aren’t to blame, does that mean that I’m the one to be blamed? If you had been even the slightest bit considerate of my feelings, you wouldn’t need to be doing all this today. Xavier Harris, you could have told me you didn’t like me, and we could have broken up. I’m not the type of girl who’d give you trouble over it. As for you, Winter Shaw, you say time and time again that we’re sisters, but what have you ever done for me? You could have told me you had feelings for Xavier, and I would have given you two my blessings when I realized he liked you too. After all, I would not have survived till today if it wasn’t for what you did all those years ago. But does that mean I’ll forever be indebted to you? Huh?” Tears were flowing freely down Noelle’s face when

  • The Cherished Wife   Chapter 10

    Noelle slept through the night, but she was not in very high spirits when she awoke. As she gazed at her pale face and puffy eyes reflected in the mirror, she vehemently splashed water at her eyes until some color returned to her cheeks. Then, she propped her hands against the sink dispiritedly and gazed at herself sadly. “Wake up, Noelle! There aren’t any hardships that you can’t get past!” After preparing herself mentally, she began putting on makeup. She heaved a sigh of relief when all signs of disheveledness could no longer be seen on her face. However, she frowned when she saw her grandfather, Sebastian, her maternal grandfather, calling her. She hurriedly answered, “Hello, Grandpa? What’s the matter?” “You haven’t forgotten that I asked you to come home today, have you?” Sebastian’s voice rang out. He might be getting on in age, but his voice was filled with as much vim and vigor as it had during his younger years. He had his many years of delivering lectures to students t

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  • The Cherished Wife   Chapter 2012

    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

  • The Cherished Wife   Chapter 2011

    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

  • The Cherished Wife   Chapter 2010

    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

  • The Cherished Wife   Chapter 2009

    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

  • The Cherished Wife   Chapter 2008

    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

  • The Cherished Wife   Chapter 2007

    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

  • The Cherished Wife   Chapter 2006

    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

  • The Cherished Wife   Chapter 2005

    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 Cherished Wife   Chapter 2004

    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

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