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
Julian was surprised, but he knew today was a special day and that he should act appropriately. He remembered that Charles had brought a gift for Sir Shaw's birthday back then and had just mentioned playing chess with him, so they must have met in private.After thinking it over, Julian guessed that his father must know Charles, even though he had never mentioned it. His father did seem to enjoy going out more recently.Julian looked Charles over and said, "My father is inside, having a rest. Does Mr. Hoffman want to go in and talk to him?"Charles gave a quick nod. "I must be going now!"This whole time, Charles had not even bothered to say hello to Joseph. He just glanced at Ronald and walked away. Ronald quickly passed the present he was holding to Julian. "This is a gift from Mr. Hoffman to Ms. Shaw and Mr. Harris.""Thanks a lot, Mr. Hoffman!" Julian winked, and someone hurried over to take the gift.Joseph watched Charles and Ronald leave, his face turning a stormy shade of
Sebastian's head shot up when he heard that, and he looked upset. "Noelle is acting out, and you're just going along with it? When do you plan to stop putting off the wedding? Don't tell me it's all Noelle's choice. Could Noelle still act this way if you didn't agree?"Sebastian was still feeling upset from seeing Xavier and Winter earlier. Winter, his granddaughter, had always had everything she could ever want, including plenty of love. She did not need anything from him, but Noelle was different. She had always been treated differently, and that made Sebastian feel even more unhappy with the Shaw family and his own daughter, Jade.Charles was not upset by Sebastian's words. He just nodded. "You're right, Grandpa. I haven't handled things well. But Noelle is worried that if people find out about our marriage, they'll start causing trouble for me," Charles explained calmly. "You know I don't care about that stuff, or else I wouldn't have chosen to marry Noelle. But I think she needs
"I thought you just weren't taking things seriously with me, but now I see you don't care about anything at all. You promised to marry Winter, yet here you are telling me you want to back out? Xavier, you're not acting like a man who stands by his word!"Noelle's eyes were icy as she spoke. "I'm done talking to you. Today is supposed to be you and Winter's big day. You should be at the wedding, not here blocking my way! Step aside!"Xavier would not budge, and Noelle was at her wit's end. Right then, her phone rang. She stepped back, dug through her purse, and saw it was Charles calling. She hesitated but answered, "Hello!""Where are you?""In the bathroom!" Noelle replied. "What's up?""I'm with Grandpa and Granddad. They want to see you," Charles said. "Is someone with you?"Noelle, realizing how perceptive Charles was, glanced at Xavier, who was still standing there. She felt a wave of annoyance. "Yeah, my brother-in-law."Charles's mood seemed to turn icy instantly. "Stay t
Charles squinted, but he kept looking at Noelle as if he did not even notice Xavier standing there. Xavier felt awkward but did not know what to say.Noelle felt the tension in the air. "Mr. Hoffman, what brings you here?"Charles gave her a small smile. "I was just talking to Sir Shaw, and he mentioned you." He did not exactly answer her question, but Noelle got the hint. "You're friends with my Grandpa? He just called me to come over.""Really? Shall we go together?" Charles asked. Noelle nodded eagerly. "Yes, let's go!"As Noelle was about to leave, Xavier could not hide his disappointment. "Noelle!" he called out. "You said you'd talk to me!"Noelle's brow furrowed. She could not believe that even with Charles there, Xavier still would not back down.Charles's eyebrows pinched together a bit. He had a way of commanding the room without even changing his expression. When he heard what was going on, he looked straight at Xavier and said in an icy voice, "If I'm not mistaken, is
Noelle glanced at where Charles was holding her, then up at his slightly smiling face. "Feeling good?" Charles raised an eyebrow and looked down at her hand. Noelle thought to herself that Charles could be so weird sometimes. He had more mood swings than a girl!"Come on, Grandpa and Granddad must be waiting!" Charles said, taking Noelle by the hand and leading her to Samuel's room. He held her hand the whole way there. Noelle tried to pull away a few times, but he would not let go. "Nobody's going to see us here!"He gently touched Noelle's forehead. "What's there to worry about?"Noelle sighed, realizing she could not get away, and let Charles lead on.When they got to Samuel's room, Sebastian and Samuel were in the middle of a playful argument, neither backing down.Noelle laughed, and Sebastian and Samuel paused, looking a bit sheepish at the doorway where she and Charles stood.Seeing Grandpa and Granddad being so silly made Noelle secretly happy, though she tried not to s
Charles was Sebastian's student, and Sebastian trusted him completely. However, when it came to Noelle's happiness, he had to think about everything. "Sir Shaw is right," he said. "Until you two have your wedding, us old folks won't be able to relax!"Noelle shook her head, looking at Charles for help. However, Charles just looked back at her, his eyes asking for an answer. Noelle bit her lip, feeling overwhelmed."Grandpa, Granddad," Noelle had tried to explain this before. "Charles and I don't really need a big wedding. We...""Grandpa, Granddad!" Charles finally spoke up, not wanting to see Noelle struggle. He gently placed his hands over hers and said, "Noelle and I will have our wedding soon, and we'll make sure everyone knows she's my wife. However, before that, Noelle has some things to sort out. I'll help her with what I can, but there are some things she has to do on her own."Charles spoke with confidence, not too humble or too proud, even though he was talking to his eld
Winter had just gone to the restroom, and as it turned out, so had Xavier. She ended up seeing everything that happened there. The sight of Xavier still hung up on Noelle made Winter's heart ache, and she was about to confront him when someone grabbed her hand. Winter spun around, surprised to see Annie. "What are you doing, grabbing me like that?"Annie pulled Winter into a corner. Even though she had touched up her makeup, the scars on her face were still peeking through. Winter could not help but feel a shiver run down his spine.Annie saw the look on Winter's face and thought to herself that Winter was being silly, but she said, "What good will it do if you go up there now?" She glanced over again and saw Charles heading over. She took Winter's hand and led her away. "Today's your wedding to Xavier. If you cause a fuss now, you might end up becoming a laughingstock. You've just married Xavier. If you make a scene, it won't look good for the Harris family, will it?"Winter listen
"The boy is named Ice, like a diamond. The girl is Glitter, which shines brightly. Do you like it?" Noelle's eyes sparkled as they fixed intently on Charles.A soft light appeared in Charles' deep gaze. It slowly turned more intense as he looked at Noelle. He reached out, tilted her chin, and leaned in closer, his eyes locking on her flushed, rosy cheeks. "Mhm… I like them."Just like Noelle herself, always so glittery and radiant, as dazzling as a diamond."I think they sound great too!" Noelle beamed, reaching up to touch Charles' face. "Then what do you think their full names should be?""I've already thought of them.""Really?" Noelle was surprised. "That fast?""Yes."Before she could react, Charles lifted her into his arms. Instinctively, she wrapped her arms around his neck, her legs clinging to his waist. "Charlie, am I too heavy?""Not at all. You're light."Though she had gained some weight since giving birth, Charles thought it was perfect. She was softer now, mor
Noelle let out a startled yelp and instinctively wrapped her arms around Charles' neck. "What are you doing? You nearly scared me to death!"Charles only chuckled, his lips curling into a faint smile. He held her waist and gave it a gentle squeeze. "How could I ever bear to do that?"Noelle huffed, "Smooth talker!"Though she pretended to be annoyed, a blush still crept onto her cheeks. "I was asking you something serious. Was it really you?""Yeah."Charles did not deny it. "What about it?"Noelle shook her head. "I just didn't expect you to go after the Bakers so suddenly."She had thought that because Clarisse was part of the Bakers, Charles might show some restraint toward Milo. But clearly, he had not.Charles remained silent for a moment before speaking. "You might be willing to let them go, but they refuse to let themselves go. That's not my fault."His tone was cold, devoid of any emotion. The moment Noelle heard it, she knew that either Milo or Janet must have pushed
"Diamond?" Noelle's eyes sparkled. "Kelly, how about we call the boy Ice and the girl Glitter? What do you think?"She held her son's tiny hand. "Ice. That's your name now. You're Mommy's little diamond!"Just as she finished speaking, the baby girl in Liliana's arms suddenly let out a loud cry. Her voice was strong and clear, making Noelle turn toward her in concern. "What's wrong?"Liliana chuckled. "She's probably jealous!"Noelle was momentarily stunned before she found herself laughing too. "She's already learning to be jealous at this age?"Even as she spoke, she reached out to take her daughter from Liliana's arms. "Glitter, Mommy's little darling. Are you upset because I called your brother first?"As soon as Noelle held her, Glitter immediately stopped crying. She blinked up at her mother, her bright eyes twinkling like tiny gems.Noelle's heart melted. "Babies grow so fast. They change every day!"She had not even been out of the hospital for long, yet the twins alrea
The shocking news spread like wildfire. Milo, the head of the Baker Group, had an illicit relationship with his adopted daughter, Janet, four years ago.Not only had they engaged in a secret affair, but they had also given birth to a child, only to cruelly abandon it.The scandal did not stop there. People quickly dug up an old case from years ago when Janet accused Charles of assaulting her.With the two incidents placed side by side, the public began speculating that the real perpetrator back then was not Charles, but Milo.Though this was only a theory, sometimes speculation carried more weight than the truth. The explosive news did not just shake Capiton, even Brookville was in an uproar.…Noelle had been brought back to Phoenix Tree Residence to recover. Under everyone's careful care, she was already in good health. Her daily routine now mostly consisted of eating, drinking, and occasionally exercising.Since her pregnancy had caused her weight to skyrocket, she was now ac
Charles could not help but laugh. "Alright. We'll decide together after the doctor checks on you. How about that?""No!" Noelle tightened her grip on his hand. "Charlie, I had a dream… I feel like I've been asleep for so long. Don't go!""Alright, I won't go!" Charles' voice sounded choked with emotion as he held Noelle's hand tightly. "I won't leave, not ever!"He immediately picked up his phone and called Sean. "Come over right now! Nelly is awake!"Within a minute, the news of Noelle waking up had already spread to everyone. Sean arrived quickly, bringing Margaret along.After a thorough check-up, Sean finally said, "She's fine now. Just make sure she gets plenty of rest and proper care."Both he and Margaret let out a breath of relief.Linda soon arrived with Saxon. After examining Noelle, Saxon handed Charles a small bottle of medicine. "Once she finishes this, the toxins in her body should be completely eliminated.""Thank you." Charles took the medicine, opened it, and g
Jace was telling the truth, but Milo still looked at him suspiciously. "Really?""What else? But Father, someone just made a good point. Isn't Janet supposedly cured? Why did she suddenly have another episode?"Milo's expression remained grim. "How would I know? Let's wait for the doctor."The doctor arrived quickly but could not determine what had caused Janet's sudden outburst. "Based on her condition, as long as she isn't provoked, she shouldn't relapse. Did anyone agitate her?""No. She just lost control around 6:00 am," Jace replied, eyeing the doctor. "Are you sure there's nothing wrong?""Nothing at all." The doctor, who had years of experience, genuinely could not find any abnormalities. "What about the medication I prescribed?""Here." Milo handed over the bottle that had been placed on the nightstand. The doctor examined it briefly. "The medicine is fine. The real question is—has she been taking it regularly?""Of course. She takes it every day," Milo said firmly, frow
Janet lost her mind again, this time without any resistance. Early the next morning, a piercing scream shattered the quiet dawn before the sun had even risen. It came from Janet's room.Since Jace's room was also on the third floor, he was the first to arrive while the rest of the Bakers were still deep in sleep.The woman who had appeared composed and elegant just yesterday now looked completely deranged. Janet shrieked hysterically as her face twisted with madness. It was more terrifying than any of her previous episodes.Jace was surprised by the methods of the young man who had claimed to be a doctor. He had not expected that just a few needles would be enough to push Janet over the edge.He did not approach her. He simply stood there, watching with cold detachment.Soon, the servants arrived, and Milo followed shortly after. It was not long before nearly all the Bakers had gathered. Seeing Janet's crazed state, they did not seem particularly shocked, but their frustration was
Liliana never expected to run into Sean when she visited the babies. She nearly turned on her heel and left, but Sean was not about to let her walk away that easily.The moment he spotted her, Sean reached out and clasped her wrist. "Liliana!"Liliana froze, her eyes darting to Sean's hand on her arm. "Let go!" she demanded through clenched teeth.Sean's hand tensed, and he looked a bit embarrassed. "I... Did you come to see the babies too?" He was at a loss for words and blurted out the first thing that came to mind.Liliana's face went white, but she held back her feelings. "What? I'm not allowed to visit?""No, that's not it, Liliana. You know I didn't mean that. I just..." He wanted to talk to her.Liliana seemed distant as if she were a thousand miles away. Sean struggled to find the right words. “Charles mentioned that you know Saxon?”Hearing that, Liliana turned back around, her icy gaze fixed on Sean. A faint, indifferent smile adorned her lips. "Why do you care?""Lil
"Ms. Holt, Mr. Hoffman and Mrs. Hoffman are at the hospital," a servant informed them."The hospital? What happened?" Linda stood up quickly, but Saxon's piercing gaze made her sit back down. "They're having babies," Saxon said simply and started his meal.Linda was about to say something, but she noticed Saxon did not seem to care. So, she kept quiet.She wondered if something had gone wrong with Noelle's delivery. Remembering what was in that package before, Linda's eyes grew distant. Someone was still trying to hurt Noelle.Linda chewed thoughtfully on a pie as she stared at Saxon. "Did you save Noelle?" she asked.Saxon just gave her a quick look and stayed quiet. Linda figured Noelle was okay then and started to eat her meal with relief.Sean was not feeling so calm. He rushed to the hospital as soon as his plane landed. After learning about Noelle, he visited her first. She had not woken up yet, but Charles assured him that the poison was gone and the babies were born safe