"Be a good girl and accompany me for some shopping. You were always so busy before and never had time to spend with me!" Cindy patted Annie's hand gently. Annie looked around uneasily, saying, "But my face!""To me, you've always been the most beautiful girl," Cindy reassured."But..." Annie was about to say more when she spotted a familiar figure not far away. She quickly recognized Winter and Suzy, chatting and laughing as they shopped.Annie clenched her fists, her eyes turning bloodshot as she stared at their backs. She wanted to rush over, but Cindy grabbed her just in time. "Annie, what are you trying to do? You promised your father and brother that you wouldn't associate yourself with them anymore!""I..." As she was held back by Cindy, Annie reluctantly turned to walk the other way.Annie's resentment still lingered. She touched her face. Thinking about the information Cody had given her, her hatred intensified.She had always considered Winter and Suzy her best friends
Noelle agreed, "Alright then, but I don't have much time. I have something to do later."She remembered she had plans with Rowena and Teresa, who would be arriving soon. "My friends will be here shortly.""Let's find a place to sit," Annie suggested, turning to Cindy. "Mom, I need to talk with Noelle. Why don't you head back first?"Cindy gave Noelle a complicated look, recalling how her son had warned Annie not to offend Noelle. Though she did not see anything particularly threatening about Noelle, as Annie's mother, she instinctively wanted to protect her daughter.She feared Noelle might bully her."Mom, it's okay. If you're worried, you can wait for me in the car. I'll be right there."After reassuring Cindy, Annie glanced at Noelle. "Let's go to that café over there.""Alright."Noelle was not sure what Annie wanted to discuss, but she was curious about what had happened that night. Charles had not told her much, and Rowena and Teresa had not shared all the details either.
Annie paused, silenced by Noelle's words.She had never considered this perspective before. She used to see Noelle as arrogant, seemingly caring about no one. During those times, she often saw Winter looking pitiful while Noelle appeared to treat Winter poorly.Thinking back now, it seemed like it was always Winter who approached Noelle, saying ambiguous things. Then, Noelle would seem uninterested in engaging with Winter, and Winter would end up apologizing to Noelle in a hurt manner.Annie's face was somewhat flushed. She had always viewed things from Winter's perspective, thinking that Winter was humble while Noelle did not seem to care about her at all."But you're sisters, why do you—""Why don't we get along?" Noelle interrupted, shaking her head with a smile. "I also wonder why everyone thinks we don't get along."Annie was completely stunned. "So, you and Winter don't have any issues?"Noelle shook her head. "No, we do have issues." She chuckled."Do you think Winter co
Annie looked at Noelle in surprise, not expecting Noelle to figure it out. Noelle smiled. "Since we've put our differences aside, let me tell you something else."Annie looked at Noelle. "What is it?""When we were in school, did you receive a love letter? You thought it was from Yevgen, but later, Yevgen told you it was meant for me."Annie's face showed signs of irritation. Although she had decided to make peace with Noelle, bringing up this incident was like a slap in her face.Seeing Annie's irritated expression, Noelle smirked slightly. "I never bothered to explain before, but since it has always bothered you, I should tell you."That letter was indeed written for me, but I never saw it. Yevgen later explained that he gave it to Winter to pass on to me. As for why it ended up on your desk… Well, Annie, you're smart. You must've figured it out by now."Seeing that Annie was standing there in a daze, Noelle shook her head slightly and turned to leave.Annie called out to her,
Noelle nodded heavily. "It seems something happened between her and Winter. Her attitude towards Winter has changed.""Of course, it has. You didn't see what happened last time. After you passed out and Charles took you away, he found out it was Annie and her friends."He had her taken away, and Winter didn't say a word the whole time. She just turned away and pretended not to know Annie, watching as she was taken away. But speaking of Annie's face…" Rowena said, exchanging a glance with Teresa.Teresa fell silent for a moment. The eerie quiet between the two made Noelle suspicious. "You're saying that after I passed out, Annie was taken away? And that night... Whatever happened to Annie's face was because of Charles?"Rowena looked up, pretending to be busy. "Wow! The mall is really crowded today, Isn't it, Teresa?""Yes, yes. It's the weekend, so it's bound to be crowded," Teresa quickly agreed. "So, should we keep shopping?"Noelle sighed. Seeing their blatant attempt to chang
Afterward, Charles carried Noelle into the bathroom to bathe. Once out, Noelle had no energy left to ask about Annie. She fell asleep almost immediately.With a smile in his eyes, Charles gently laid Noelle on the bed and then went to his study.Ronald had sent updates punctually, reporting that there was little activity from Kerlsberg lately. Charles rubbed his chin, instructing Ronald to pull their people back and relax their vigilance toward Kerlsberg for the time being.Finally, he added an afterthought to his instructions.When Noelle woke up the next day, she felt entirely off. Her whole body ached as if she had been disassembled, lacking any energy.The sunlight streamed in, fully waking her brain. She opened her eyes wide, thinking for a moment before getting up."Awake?"Charles' voice came from the doorway. Noelle blinked and then threw off the covers. "Why didn’t you wake me up!" She glanced at the time—it was already past eight. "Aren't you going to work today?""No
Noelle nodded. "That's fine."Charles had his own plans. Letting Noelle gain experience in the project department would be beneficial. For Noelle to be accepted by the Hoffman family, she needed to put in more effort. Charles did not necessarily need Noelle to do this. With his personality, he would not care if the Hoffman family disapproved. Nonetheless, he appreciated Noelle's sincerity in their relationship, especially since she had introduced him to Samuel and Sebastian.He wanted to show equal sincerity in return.Moreover, placing Noelle in the project department served another purpose. The department had been under Robert's control, and although Robert had been removed, his influence remained.Charles had recently introduced new personnel to replace him, but a strong leader was still needed.Charles glanced at Noelle, who was already busy with her own preparations. She was a capable and determined woman. Previously, her potential had been wasted at Frotconn, but he recogn
Noelle raised her eyebrows slightly. "That simple?""What did you think? Collosus values talent. It's not as difficult as the rumors suggest," Charles replied, tapping his fingers on the steering wheel as he drove into Collosus' underground parking lot.The lot had a dedicated parking space for Charles, different from the regular employees. The access route was also different.When Charles got out of the car, Noelle hesitated. "Won't someone see us?"Charles smirked. "Afraid of being seen?" He leaned against the car door, looking at her with amusement.Noelle bit her lip. "I told you, I want to do this on my own!""Alright, I won't tease you. This parking spot is private, so no one usually comes here. Follow me upstairs, then Ronald will take you to the interview," Charles said. He walked over to Noelle, taking her hand.Noelle tried to pull away, but Charles held her hand firmly. She could not break free, so she let him lead her. "I'm not even worried. Why are you so nervous?"
Kelly was a bit surprised initially, but then she got what Sean was asking and nodded. "Sure. We can do it anytime!""Great. Come with me for a bit!"When Sean whispered something to Kelly and she started to leave, Noelle stopped them. "What's happening?""Oh, I'm just taking Kelly to the lab to check on something. Don't worry," Sean explained to Noelle. "Kelly is your real sister, and her blood type is a perfect match for yours."Noelle looked at Kelly with mixed feelings. "Kelly, the truth is...""Don't worry. Charles, can you please watch Seth for a little while? I'll be back in no time!" Kelly said as she gently caressed Seth's cheek. "Seth, I'm going to run some errands with your uncle, okay? You stay here and have fun with your aunt and uncle Charles, alright?""Mommy, where are you going?""Just to the hospital. I'll return before you know it!" Kelly gave Seth's cheek a soft squeeze. "I've got my phone with me. If you miss me, just give me a call!""Alright!"Once Seth
"What are you two chatting about?"Sean was the first to push the door open and walk in. He saw Noelle and Kelly talking, and the sisters seemed to be in a good mood.Charles followed with a plate of pumpkin pie. When he saw the child in Noelle's arms, his expression softened.Noelle was softly touching Seth's cheek. When she saw Charles and Sean enter, she smiled and said, "Oh, it's just girl talk. That's not something for you guys to worry about.""Okay!" Charles nodded and walked over with the pumpkin pie. He cut a couple of slices and handed them to Noelle. "Margaret said this was okay for you to eat!" Then he gave the rest to Seth.At first, Seth was shy around Charles and seemed too nervous to speak. However, after seeing Noelle and Kelly's encouraging glances, he reached out, took a slice, and popped it into his mouth.The pie must have been delicious because after Seth finished one slice, he could not resist reaching for another, though he still looked at Charles cautious
Noelle gently pulled Seth into her arms, her fingers softly caressing his cheek and little head. "Kelly, about Seth's father…"Kelly paused for a moment before replying, "I don't know who he is."Noelle nodded and, with a perceptive sense of tact, decided not to press the matter further.The two sisters chatted about anything and everything the entire morning. Their topics ranged from mundane to absurd, yet with each exchange, their bond seemed to deepen, drawing them closer than before.Meanwhile, in the adjacent hospital room, Charles and Sean silently watched the two women and the child through a monitor. Their mutual silence, rare for the pair, was charged with unspoken tension.Sean held a detailed analysis report of Noelle's medical condition in one hand, alongside Harrison's blood sample results."Shirley hasn't shown up. It seems we can't count on her. Harrison's blood analysis shows no immediate issues, but you know as well as I do that his body can't—""I know," Charle
That would mean Charles had met her before she saved him, which explained why he looked so shocked when he woke up that day.Though Charles never said anything, his behavior toward her during that period was exceptionally kind. Whatever Kelly asked for, Charles would agree to it.Kelly stared at Noelle, who appeared just as puzzled. From what she remembered, she had met Charles only after Xavier's betrayal. Before that, Charles did not exist in her world—at least not in her memory.Given how extraordinary Charles was, Noelle did not believe her memory could be so bad as to forget someone like him. She could not fathom not remembering their first meeting.Noelle pressed her lips together, looking troubled.Seeing her expression, Kelly quickly interjected, "If you don't want to talk about it, that's fine. I was just curious. It's not something I'm fixated on."Noelle shook her head. "There's nothing I can't share; it's just strange. I can't seem to recall when we first met. Accordi
Kelly felt a bit startled by Charles' sudden attentiveness. Even at the height of their relationship, Charles had never shown such consideration toward her.His polite and gentle demeanor now seemed almost surreal, making her feel like she was seeing a completely different person.However, Kelly quickly realized that this shift was likely due to Noelle. She nodded and replied, "Yes, we've already eaten. What about you and Noelle?"Charles nodded as well. "We've eaten."Yet the atmosphere remained somewhat strained, likely because of his presence. Kelly harbored complicated feelings toward Charles—she no longer loved him, but having once been obsessively infatuated with him, she could not help but feel awkward.Charles, perceptive as ever, glanced at Noelle. She smiled and said, "Charlie, I've been craving something sweet, especially those pumpkin pies from Celia's Bakery. Could you go buy some for me?"Charles looked deeply into her eyes, his expression softening. Feeling a littl
"Of course. You're so adorable. Aunt Noelle will definitely like you," Kelly said, crouching down to Seth's level and gently pinching his nose."When you meet Aunt Noelle, remember to greet her properly, okay?""Okay! If Aunt Noelle likes me, I'll like Aunt Noelle too!""Mischief-maker!" Kelly chuckled. As they arrived at Noelle's hospital room, Kelly hesitated briefly before knocking on the door and pushing it open.Noelle was awake, and she was quietly reading a book. In the corner of the room, Charles sat on the sofa, engrossed in work on his laptop. Though neither spoke, the atmosphere between them felt harmonious.Kelly could not help but feel a pang of envy as she observed the scene. They looked so at ease together.Even while working, Charles seemed relaxed, a stark contrast to the cold and detached demeanor he often displayed around her.Kelly pressed her lips together, holding Seth's hand as they walked inside.Noelle set down her book and looked up, slightly surprised
In her dream, the man had seemed so real. He had called her Kelly in such a tender way.Kelly.She suddenly smiled.Throughout her life, no one had ever called her that name in such a way. People either addressed her as "Ms. Kelly" or simply "Ms. Anderson".Even during her closest moments with Charles, he had only ever called her Kelly in passing. That name, spoken with such familiarity, had only ever come from that man.Kelly raised a hand to her forehead and closed her eyes for a moment.After all these years, she rarely thought about what had happened four years ago, when she had been abducted.She had buried the memories of those months, refusing to revisit the pain and confusion. But ever since her meeting with Noelle the day before, ever since learning the truth about the man's watchful presence in her life, those unresolved emotions had come rushing back, leaving her overwhelmed and disoriented."Mommy!"Seth's small hand tugged at hers as his other hand rubbed his slee
Kelly did not sleep well all night. Her mind felt muddled, as if someone had stuffed it with incomprehensible thoughts.She kept ruminating about her origins and her relationships with Noelle, Harrison, and the others.In her dream, the connections between people were unclear. She did not even know what she was trying to accomplish, yet every face appeared vividly.She saw Noelle, Grant, Harrison, and Shirley. Their images flickered in and out of her dream like fleeting shadows, disappearing as quickly as they had come.She tried desperately to follow in their footsteps, but no matter how fast she ran, they moved too quickly. Watching their figures grow more distant, Kelly felt as though she was trapped in a dense fog, unable to escape.Then, as she ran faster, she saw Seth. He stood shyly in the mist, waving at her and calling out softly, "Mommy."Her heart swelled with joy, and she ran toward him. However, as she drew closer, Seth disappeared, and in his place stood a tall, imp
Kelly's fists clenched and loosened repeatedly, the process repeating several times. The silence in the hospital room was so oppressive it seemed to echo in her ears.After a long pause, she finally took a deep breath and said, "It's too late today, but I'll come to the hospital tomorrow morning for the blood tests.""Alright."Charles' expression softened slightly."But you need to promise me one condition."Kelly seemed to have thought deeply about it. After a long pause, she finally said, "Seth is my life.""Alright."Kelly laughed. In the quiet hospital room, her laughter was not loud, but it was enough to make Charles turn and look at her.Kelly looked back at Charles, her lips trembling slightly. "Sometimes, I really envy Noelle. She has a man who loves her so deeply. But Charles, does she know the side of you with blood on your hands?"Charles narrowed his eyes. "She doesn't, and she doesn't need to."Kelly laughed again, lowering her head to hide the loneliness in her