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
"Why are you in such a hurry? Has Mom ever broken a promise to you?" Jade asked. "Is something bothering you?""I..." Winter angrily told her about what had just happened outside the bathroom, but she left out the part about Charles showing up. Jade's eyes sparkled with anger, and she clenched her fists. "That mean girl Noelle! She's too daring. We really need to show her who’s boss!""Yes, Mom, I agree. If we don't, Xavier will keep thinking about her now that she's single. Can you believe what Xavier said? He told me he'd cancel our wedding and marry Noelle if she agreed. Mom, they're not taking me seriously, nor you or the entire Shaw family.""Don't worry. I'll handle this quickly. For now, just focus on getting ready. No one can ruin your wedding." She was determined not to let that mean girl Noelle spoil her daughter's happiness.Jade had just stepped out of Winter's lounge when she grabbed her phone and made a call. "Hey, Yitty, has he arrived?"He's here, and that's wonder
"Come in and sit down!" Liliana said, already aware of the virus Tania and Bran were dealing with. "Are you and Bran okay?"Tania nodded. "The doctor downstairs, Ms. Holt, is really good!"Hearing that, Liliana felt relieved. "That's great to hear!""Liliana," Tania said, reaching out to hold her hand. "It's been so many years. Can't you let it go?"Liliana froze, her fingers twitching, trying to slip away, but Tania held on. "Liliana, we're friends, remember?"Liliana gave a shy smile, but she seemed a bit stuck. "I know, I actually knew why you came up here, but Tania, I'm not like you and Peter. Some things just can't be helped. You two have love and your little one, but Sean and I, we have nothing, not even hard feelings—I don't feel anything for him anymore!"Tania could not help but glance at Liliana and her calm face. It looked like she did not care one bit.Tania tried to see if Liliana's face would tell her anything, but Liliana just looked back at her. After a while, T
The living room was bustling with people. Even though Liliana was a bit surprised to see Sean there, she kept her cool, just like Charles said she would. She was not the type to make a scene in front of a crowd, but she was not about to go out of her way to please them either.Tania watched and felt a pang of sympathy.She shot Noelle a knowing look, and Noelle sighed. They both wanted to help, but it was not really their place. It was up to Liliana."I'm going to head upstairs," Liliana announced, not keen on sticking around. "I'm feeling pretty tired!""Liliana!" Tania called out, a bit frustrated by her friend's retreat. As Liliana climbed the stairs, Tania got up too. "You all keep talking. I'm going to see how Liliana is doing. We're friends, practically sisters."Tania glanced at Sean as she spoke. His face was dark with a mix of emotions, clearly upset by Liliana's reaction.Peter approached and gave Sean a reassuring pat on the shoulder. "There's always tomorrow, right?"
Tania was thrilled to see Liliana after so long. She grabbed her hand, and they started gabbing. "You look thinner. And why are you home so late?""The office has been crazy busy, so I’ve had lots of late nights!" Liliana was much calmer those days than she had been years before.Tania could tell that Liliana had changed a lot since they were younger. She knew about the issues between Liliana and Sean too. However, back in those days, Tania had her own problems to deal with, so she did not really know what happened to Liliana.Then, looking at Liliana, Tania could not help but feel sad.Sean's eyes grew darker. He was about to shut the door when someone else came in. "Mr. Fischer? What brings you here?"Steven stared at Sean like he was looking at someone who did not make sense. "Why can't I be here?"Sean, already in a sour mood, raised an eyebrow. "Of course, you can come. This is Charles's place, after all. You can do as you like!"Steven was taken aback. He did not get why S
Noelle had been sitting on the couch with her big belly, barely moving. Her eyes were tenderly fixed on the two little boys playing.Kelly, seeing that, chuckled. "At first, I thought having a child was just a big hassle. However, after all Seth and I have been through, I see him as a precious gift."Kelly's eyes twinkled as she spoke. Noelle nodded. "Seth and Bran are both so adorable.""Yes!" Tania chimed in. "However, you're doing much better now. My brother is always by your side, no matter where you are, he just can't stand to be away from you." Tania glanced at Kelly. "I've been in a similar boat before. Raising a child on your own is tough."The conversation was light and full of laughter until Tania's words made Peter come to a halt.He turned his head, a complex look in his eyes as he looked towards Tania.Charles and Sean stopped in their tracks. They had sharp eyes and ears from years of living in a challenging environment, so they overheard Tania and Kelly's conversat
Because Seth came to visit, Kelly felt a huge relief. It was like a heavy stone that had been sitting on her heart was finally gone, and now she was really relaxed.Holding Seth, she walked up to Charles and Noelle with a big smile. "Looks like Seth and I will be staying here for a while.""Of course," Noelle said with a gentle smile. She reached out to touch Seth's soft cheek, which she really liked. “Seth, do you remember who I am?""Aunt!" Seth blinked his big, cute eyes at Noelle. She felt her heart just melt. "Yes, Seth. You're such a good boy. So, you'll live here with Mommy at my house, okay?""Okay!" Seth gave her a shy smile. "I like aunt too!" Then he glanced at Charles, a bit puzzled.Noelle laughed again. "This is my husband. You can call him Uncle Charles."Seth nodded, not quite sure what that meant, but he tried anyway. "Uncle Charles!""Right!"Charles nodded back. "Good job, Seth!""Oh, Kelly, he's so adorable! Can I hold him?"Linda was still a kid herself,
Kelly had come back before, but she was covered in scars. She was worried that Seth would be scared if he saw them, so she had been holding back, trying not to think about her son. However, Seth was her child. How could she not think about him?Charles reassured her, "There's plenty of room here, so don't worry!"Kelly let out a relieved breath. "Thank you so much, brother-in-law!""Kelly, we're family. There's no need for thanks!" Noelle chimed in. She knew Kelly might still be a bit worried about old issues, but Noelle thought that since everything was out in the open then, Kelly did not have to feel that way. "What are you scared of? He's not a monster. If he ever tries to bother you, I'll show him the door!"Charles quirked an eyebrow. "Oh?"His eyes twinkled with mischief, but Noelle just tilted her head up, boldly staring back at Charles. "Did I say something wrong?"Charles let out a resigned chuckle and gently patted Noelle's head. "No, you're absolutely right."Noelle b
"I got it!" Noelle said, trying to grab the orange from Charles. However, he just signaled for her to open her mouth and fed her another piece."Wow, they're like a dream couple," Linda said. She pulled out her phone, took a picture of Charles and Noelle, and sent it to their Messenger group.Linda had joined their group chat before and fit right in. As soon as she posted the picture, everyone started commenting.Sean wrote: [Not again. You're making us all jealous!]Peter added: [That's just showing off!]Steven just sent: [...]Tania jumped in, too: [Honey, let's get them back!]Bran complained: [Why are you being so mean to a kid?]Noelle saw Charles's phone light up with notifications. She picked it up, unlocked it, and widened her eyes in surprise.Noelle gave Charles a quick side-eye, and he looked back at her, confused. "What's up?"She hesitated for a moment, then handed her phone over to Charles.Charles barely glanced at the screen before he chucked the phone aside
Kelly followed the housekeeper up the stairs to her room, which was already neat and tidy, with every daily necessity in place. There was nothing missing. Still, the housekeeper could not help but ask, "Ms. Anderson, is there anything else you need? I can go get it right away.""No, thank you."Kelly opened the wardrobe door and found it filled with clothes—all brand new, with the tags still attached.The servant quickly explained, "Mr. Hoffman and Mrs. Hoffman decided to return on short notice, so things here haven't been fully organized yet. These clothes were delivered from the store at the last minute and tailored to your size, Ms. Anderson. If you don't like them, we can have them exchanged!""There's no need. I love them!" Kelly glanced at the clothes. They were almost all from brands under the Collosus Group, each one a custom design. Those were the kind of pieces most people might not even be able to buy, and then her entire wardrobe was full of them. Naturally, Kelly had n
Sean and the others were trailing behind and could not believe how openly Charles and Noelle were showing their love for each other. They had just gotten home, and there they were, making everyone feel like extras in their romance movie. Sean definitely was not happy about it.Charles squinted his eyes. "Not a fan, are you?"If you don't like it, there's the door!" Charles pointed towards the exit."Seriously, Charles, you're ditching us after we helped you?" Charles raised an eyebrow and curled his lips into a smirk. "As long as you know!""You..." Sean was taken aback, his face turning sour. "I'm not going to sink to your level," he said, trying to look innocent as he turned to Noelle. "You must be tired, Noelle. Take a seat!"Sean smiled and moved to sit by Noelle, but Charles stepped in and pushed Sean aside. "Go sit over there!"Sean shot Charles a fierce glare but stomped away heavily. "Charles, I'm your so-called brother-in-law, you know. Is this really how you're going