Noelle sat quietly, listening to the conversation between the two men. When she heard Charles' suggestion about Annie continuing to associate with Winter, she showed a look of surprise on her face."Why are you asking Annie to stay close to Winter? That woman…" Noelle bit her lip. She could see that Annie had gained some clarity after her recent ordeal, and Noelle did not want Annie to stay involved with Winter, whom she understood too well."Mr. Adams, what do you think?" Charles asked, looking up at Cody.Cody hesitated for a moment, trying to comprehend Charles' intention.He quickly realized that Charles wanted Annie to act as a pawn, staying close to Winter so that if Winter planned anything against Noelle, Annie would be aware of it.Charles' plan was meticulous and showed how much he cared for Noelle, but it was not necessarily good for others involved.Annie was already mentally shaken by her recent ordeal. Now, Charles was asking her to maintain her friendship with Winte
"How's everything in the back?" Joseph asked Emilia. Busy with greeting guests, Emilia suddenly remembered. "Oh no, I haven't checked on Winter. I don't even know how she looks after getting ready.""I'll go look, Emilia!" Jade, who was overjoyed that her daughter was finally marrying Xavier, volunteered eagerly.She was especially delighted that her daughter had triumphed over that other woman's child.Seeing Jade's enthusiasm, Emilia nodded. "Alright. That makes more sense. You're Winter's mother and probably know her best."Jade exchanged a few words with Julian before going to the back.Winter had already finished her makeup and was adjusting her dress when she saw Jade come in. "Mom, have all the guests arrived?""Not yet, but you have no idea! All the prominent people of Brookville who could come are here!" Jade could not hide her joy. "Winter, my darling daughter, I want everyone in Brookville to know that my daughter is the happiest woman in the world.""Mom!" Winter lau
Annie had been eavesdropping for a bit and overheard Winter and Jade talking. With every word, she saw Winter in a new light. She could hardly believe that Winter, whom she had once helped to plot against Noelle, could be so cruel. The thought made her feel angry and trapped.Back in the day, Annie might have been bossy, but she never wanted to hurt anyone. She would never do something as mean as setting loose poisonous snakes. She had believed everything Winter said about Noelle, but listening to Winter and Jade now, she felt a cold shiver run through her.Annie had a pretty great life with loving parents and a caring older brother. She never had to worry about anything. It was tough for her to picture someone like Noelle being tricked by her own sister and mother. They had even taken Noelle's boyfriend and given her to Simon against her will.Her brother Cody had filled her in on all the details about Winter last night. Annie had doubts before, but she knew her brother was telling
Holding Winter's hand, Annie said, "Winter, I hope you and Xavier stay together forever and never ever grow apart.""Thank you!" Winter felt something was off about Annie but could not quite figure it out. Maybe it was just her frightening face. "Annie, I'm really sorry about what happened. Noelle is my sister, but I never thought she'd do something like this to you. I don't expect you to forgive her, but today's my wedding day. If Noelle shows up, please don’t give her a hard time. I’m begging you!""Don’t worry!" Annie quickly reached out to Winter. "I promise I won't bother Noelle today. Don't let my problems come between you and your sister. I'm not that important.""Uh… You two can continue chatting. I'm going to welcome the guests." Jade could not stand being there any longer. Annie might be Winter's friend, but her face was so frightening to look at.Winter felt the same way. She never expected Annie to show up looking so terrifying.Once Jade was gone, Winter went to fix h
Some people commanded attention without even trying, and Noelle was definitely one of those people.Charles's eyes were dark and sparkling as he watched her, and he found himself breathing a little harder. Noelle felt someone watching her and turned to see him at the coatroom door, his gaze intense and focused on her.Feeling her heart flutter, she nervously checked her outfit and asked, "What's up? Is there something wrong with what I'm wearing? What doesn't look good?"She glanced at herself in the mirror again and twirled. Charles thought she looked like a magical fairy, and his breath stopped again. His gaze deepened, but he smiled, walked over to Noelle, and said, "You look great!"He really meant it.Noelle let out a relieved breath but still gave him a playful scowl. "You had me worried for a second there. I thought something was wrong with me!""There is something wrong," he said, his voice a bit deeper. It was a subtle sign he was trying to keep his cool.Noelle, who wa
Noelle giggled and gently pushed Charles away. "Okay, it's getting late." She checked the time. "But I'm not going with you!"Charles squinted. "Oh?""You forgot. Only Grandpa and a few others know we're married. If we arrive at Winter's wedding together, it'll raise eyebrows!" Noelle explained. Noticing Charles's frown, she knew he did not like the idea, so she stood on her tiptoes and gave him a quick kiss on the corner of his mouth.Charles's eyes grew more intense as he pulled Noelle closer and kissed her deeply before she could even catch her breath.Swept up in the moment, Noelle kissed him back. It was hard for them to let go of each other. After a moment, Noelle stepped back, her lips slightly pursed to catch her breath.Charles noticed her smudged lipstick, and his gaze grew even warmer.Noelle knew Charles well enough by now. She stepped back, playfully scolding, "We've got things to do today. Let's keep it professional!"She applied her lipstick once more and grabbed
"You sound happy. Did Bob take it easy on you yesterday?" Charles teased with an icy laugh.Sean felt a rush of frustration but held back his words when he saw who was at his door. He gulped, trying to look harmless under the man's sharp gaze. "Hey, bro. What brings you here?" he asked with a nervous grin.Bob, Sean's cousin, gave him a chilly look. "You don't need to know about my deal with Charles. All you need to know is that you've got to go to that party, or else..." Bob's lips twisted into a sly smile. "If I head back to Cascade City, you'll be stuck with the Smith family business, and you wouldn't like that, would you?"Sean's heart sank. "No, I wouldn't. I think you should stay in Brookville. You're too important to the Smith family!" Sean was ashamed of his own words. "But what does your mom want by sending you to the party? Does she know the Shaws?""That's not your concern," Bob said, his face hardening. "It's getting late," he reminded Sean.Sean snapped to attention.
Getting in good with Charles would set you up for life.Noelle had already checked in with Rowena and Teresa before she arrived. Knowing they got there first, she quickly looked around. Sure enough, she found them munching on snacks in a corner. She joined them, all smiles.Xavier was busy welcoming guests. He spotted Noelle and tried to head over, but the crowd was thick. He barely took a few steps before someone stopped him to chat, and he just could not get away.By then, Noelle was already chatting with Rowena and Teresa. "How did you two end up eating so early?""If we don't eat, what else can we do?" Rowena shrugged, nodding towards their classmates. "Look at them cozying up to the rich folks. Ugh!"Noelle laughed and shook her head, grabbing a pastry from Rowena's plate. "You've got a point.""Where's your husband? Why are you by yourself?""He'll be here any minute!" Noelle replied. "He's bound to show up at an event like this, but our relationship is kind of a secret, a
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