Ronald sighed internally.Noelle made it to Collosus Group in the nick of time. She had barely taken her seat when Brian emerged from his office. Noelle shot up. "Mr. Parker!"Brian nodded, giving Noelle a quick once-over. "You're late."Noelle blinked in surprise. "I'm not late, Mr. Parker!" She rushed to explain, but Brian cut her off with a dismissive wave. "The project team should be here ten minutes early. You're new, so you didn't know, but don't let it happen again.""Understood, Mr. Parker!" Noelle nodded, making a mental note."Look, it doesn't matter who you are or what you've been through today. The company's rules are set in stone, and there are no excuses. Got it?""Got it." Noelle promised she would be on time from now on, which seemed to satisfy Brian. "Alright. Come with me to my office."Noelle straightened her clothes and followed Brian.Once they were in the office, Brian motioned for her to take a seat. "Yesterday, I showed you around West City, so you've go
Noelle glanced up, a bit taken aback. "Sure. Just a minute!"She hung up and stepped outside, spotting Ronald with a breakfast bag in hand. She raised an eyebrow. "Mr. Wells, did you need something?""Madam, this is the breakfast Mr. Hoffman sent me to deliver to you!" Ronald tried to hand it over, but Noelle did not take it. "Mr. Wells, you've been told to call me Noelle at work. And don’t you know most places have a policy that you can’t eat during work hours? Please take it back. I'm not interested.""Madam—sorry, Ms. Shaw!—you're putting me in a tough spot here!" Ronald's face was the picture of despair. "Mr. Hoffman made it crystal clear this morning that I had to get you breakfast. But when I got here, I found him pacing the sidewalk, and you were nowhere. He was livid and threatened to cut my bonus. If I don't make sure you get this breakfast, he's going to slash my year-end bonus too. Ms. Shaw, I'm begging you! Have a heart. I've got my folks and kids counting on me..."Noe
The day flew by in a blur of busyness and satisfaction. Noelle liked the atmosphere at Collosus Group. It was no wonder they were a top dog in Brookville. Frotconn could not hold a candle to them.After tidying up the paperwork Brian had handed off, Noelle was ready to head home when her phone buzzed. It was Charles. "Done for the day?"She was just slipping her stuff into her bag and nodded at the phone. "Yep.""Meet you in the parking lot!" Charles sounded like he was also wrapping up. "How about dinner out and maybe a movie?""Sure thing!" Noelle grinned. "I'll head down and wait for you!" She ended the call just as Arya strolled by, catching the tail end of Noelle's cheerful chat. Curiosity piqued, Arya sidled up. "Was that your boyfriend?"The smile slipped from Noelle's face as she squinted slightly. "Just a friend."Arya's lips quirked in a half-smile. "You're no fun, Noelle. We're all on the same team here. It’s just a little friendly curiosity. No need to be so secretive
Arya was petrified, too scared to utter a word. Brian just scoffed and breezed right past her.Noelle made her way down to the underground garage and spotted Charles waiting. She hurried over, breathless. "Sorry. Did I keep you waiting?""Not a bit!" Charles smiled, taking her bag with a smooth gesture. "Weren't you supposed to be down here before me?""I got a little sidetracked, but we're all set now!""How about barbecue? Ronald told me about this new place downtown. Does that sound good?" Charles suggested, just as Ronald's voice came through on the phone. "Mr. Hoffman, all set for tonight." He paused, then added, "I ran into a bit of trouble at the project department earlier. Someone was hassling Noelle."Charles's eyes took on a sharp glint. "Got it."He ended the call and turned to Noelle, who was grinning at him. "What's with the stare?""Barbecue, huh?" Charles noticed Noelle had not buckled up properly, so he leaned in to click the seatbelt into place. Noelle's cheeks
Noelle made a face. "I'm still full from dinner, and the movie hasn't even started. Why snack now?" She set the snacks aside and then turned to Charles with a curious tilt of her head. "They're saying you're a big star. But anyway, what movie are we watching today?"Noelle was in the dark about the evening's film since she had not caught a glimpse of the ticket. Charles pulled it out and handed it to her with a grin. "Ronald's pick. He said it's the kind of movie you girls love. Was he right?"Noelle glanced down at the movie poster and could not help but smile. It was exactly the kind of flick that would draw a crowd of giggling girls. It was no surprise that the theater was packed with them. "Well, it's not every girl's cup of tea, but it should be fun!" she chuckled.She was way past her teen drama phase, so the whole idea of watching this to relive her high school years seemed a bit of a stretch.The film was all about high school shenanigans, and it was very loud and lively. I
By the time they got home, it was late. Noelle, having already snoozed at the cinema, was wide awake and decided to use Charles's study to get some work done.She was new to the company, and Brian had not given her much to do yet, but Noelle knew she had to be on the ball now. Brian wanted her to get involved with the West City project, which was a golden opportunity. She was determined to get up to speed fast and make a smooth transition into her new role.Charles strolled back into the house and decided to let Noelle have the study to herself. He plopped down in the living room to catch up on the latest stock market drama, while Arnold snuggled close to his feet. Every so often, Arnold would shoot him the most heart-wrenching puppy dog eyes. With a quick side-eye, Charles reminded him. "Mom's busy working, buddy. No going upstairs to bug her, okay?"Arnold let out a soft "Woof!" and gave Charles a nod that seemed to say he got the message.Technically, Arnold was Charles's dog, b
"No way!" Noelle grinned, waving the documents at Charles but not actually handing them over. She flipped through them with a flourish. "Mr. Parker gave these to me. He said to give them a look when I can. The West City project is kicking off, and he’s letting me shadow him. It's an awesome chance, and I'm not about to mess it up!""You won't mess up," Charles said with an easy laugh, glancing at the papers in Noelle's grasp. He was pleasantly surprised by Brian's generosity. "Brian's got skills. Stick with him, and you'll pick up a lot in no time!""I know, right?" Noelle chuckled, snapping the file shut. She had just woken up from a power nap and felt rejuvenated, though she knew better than to rush her work. "I've hijacked your study. I hope I'm not taking up your space.""Not at all!" Charles said, his laugh light as he playfully tousled Noelle's hair. "Done with the paperwork?"Noelle nodded, massaging her stiff neck. "Done for now."Charles was not having it, though. He gent
Charles's eyes narrowed in a quick flash. "Go on.""You were the one controlling that order, weren't you? I thought you'd just cut it off, but now it's back to business as usual." Noelle was trying to figure out Charles's game plan, but she figured he must have his reasons for doing things this way.Now Noelle understood why Joseph was so keen on pushing Xavier away from her and toward Winter. Being with Winter meant getting a hold of Winter's shares, and by extension, a piece of the Shaw family's company, City Ring Corp.. If Winter ever had a brain lapse and handed those shares over to Xavier, then Xavier would carve out his own place in City Ring Corp.. And then, it would be anyone's guess whether the Shaw or the Harris family would lead City Ring Corp..Joseph was a man of big ambitions, never shy about reaching for what he wanted."He once saved my second uncle's daughter's life," Charles revealed. Noelle's head shot up, not expecting this twist. "Your second uncle?""Yeah!" C
"What's the matter? Is looking at me enough to fill you up?"Yves turned to Kelly, pulling out a chair and sitting beside her. His long fingers picked up the silverware and served her the meal. "Eat up. Isn't this your favorite?"Her favorite?Kelly stared back at Yves, her gaze frosty. "Do you even know what I like?"Yves put his hands down and gazed at Kelly. "What's wrong? Don't you like the food?" Without waiting for her answer, he quickly summoned the two servants from earlier. "Madam doesn't like the food. You know I don't keep anything around that isn't useful.""Please, madam, have mercy! Sir, have mercy!" The servants' faces turned ghostly white as they stood stiffly on the marble floor, apologizing repeatedly. Kelly's heart raced with fear. "Stop, please. I'll eat, okay? Isn't that enough?"She bowed her head and started gobbling up the food, scared that Yves, who she thought was crazy, might do something unpredictable if he got upset.Kelly could not see the slight
Kelly felt a chill run through her. "Yves, you're just too scary."Kelly did not know much about the Lennon family, but she remembered how Peter had single-handedly brought down Lennon Group six months ago. What if they had not fallen? What about Peter's uncle..."Scary? What I've done is nothing compared to the Hoffman family. They're the real filth. Once you get involved with them, you're tainted too. Don't you think so?" Yves's eyes burned with undisguised hatred as he mentioned the Hoffman family."It's getting late, and you must be hungry by now!"Yves ignored Kelly's protests, bent down, and scooped her up in his arms.Kelly tried to wriggle free, but Yves held her tight. "Unless you fancy going hungry!"Realizing she was getting nowhere, Kelly stopped struggling. She had used up a lot of energy arguing and messing around with Yves, and then she felt drained.Once Kelly was calm, Yves carried her down to the restaurant on the ground floor.Several people stood guard in th
"What did you say?"Just a second ago, Yves might have looked totally calm and unbothered, but then he was like a scary fighter from the darkest night. He grabbed Kelly's hand, his frosty stare locking onto her. When he squeezed just a little, Kelly was trapped, unable to move at all.It hurt so much, like her heart was being drilled into.Kelly's face went white as she looked at Yves, whose face was hidden behind a mask.Somehow, even though she could not see his face, she could tell from his icy, sharp eyes that he was surprised, shocked, and hurting.He held onto Kelly's wrist so tight. His eyes looked like they could eat her up. "Say that again!" he said through clenched teeth, like he was so mad he could gobble her up.Kelly had never seen Yves look so ruthless and fierce, like a messenger from the underworld. She shivered, totally scared, but Yves kept his gaze right on her. "How could you, how dare you!"Was this woman out of her mind? She actually dared to inject herself
Yves just laughed when he heard her. "You've lost respect for me?" He towered over Kelly, who was sitting on the bed. He reached out and gently lifted her chin with his finger, gazing intently into her eyes. "There's no such thing as an innocent person in this world, right?""Let me go!" Kelly jerked her head away. "That's just your dark heart talking. Noelle never hurt you, and neither did Tania or Bran. I can't figure out why you're after them. Sure, you have issues with Charles and the Hoffmans, but go after them, not innocent people!"Yves squinted, then let go of her chin and looked at his finger. "Going after the Hoffmans, huh? Just wait and see what happens.""Yves, are you out of your mind? What did the Hoffmans ever do to you? Aren't you a Hoffman too?"Kelly was confused about Yves's motives, so she tried to get him to spill the beans. However, Yves took her words the wrong way, thinking she meant something else."Do you feel bad for Charles?" "I don't know what you're
Kelly trembled from head to toe when she heard Yves's words. She tried to push him away, but Yves was too strong, and she could not get free. "Let me go, Yves! You're crazy, a creep, let me go!" Kelly kept struggling. She tried to slap him, but Yves caught her other hand.Yves pulled Kelly close, and his chilly breath wrapped around her. She shivered, but Yves just hugged her tighter. "After all these years, you haven't changed a bit!"Kelly felt a chill all over her body. She wanted to push him away, but she could not muster the strength.Yves held Kelly in his arms. His firm chin was visible outside his mask, and his cool lips brushed against Kelly's cheek as he softly laughed. "Kelly, I've missed you too!"Kelly suddenly looked up, her surprised eyes meeting Yves's deep ones.His eyes were different from Charles's. Charles's gaze was icy and emotionless, like chunks of ice.However, Yves's eyes were different. They were just as deep but had a touch of warmth. His eyes were lik
Jethro saw Kelly wake up, her eyes sharply staring at him, showing no sign of recognition, as if she had never met him. If it were not for the icy hate in her eyes, he might have thought Kelly did not know him at all."Kelly!""Be quiet!" Kelly yelled, cutting him off, "You can't call me by my name."Jethro's brow creased, his gaze from behind the mask still fixed on Kelly.He had to admit Noelle and Kelly could almost be twins. The last time he saw Noelle, he thought she was Kelly. If Noelle had not acted so differently from Kelly, he might have mixed them up for real.Noelle was super relaxed, just like someone else he knew. Kelly was not like that. Although she was older than Noelle, she did not stay composed like her. Even when Noelle was scared, she kept her composure around him.That's how he knew Noelle was not Kelly. Kelly acted shy sometimes, which did not really fit who she was.He watched Kelly and could not help but reach out, but she smacked my hand away. She gave h
"Ha!" Kelly gave a dismissive laugh and brushed off the man's words. "You think I'd believe you?" She would not believe it for a second. "If he really cared about me, would he have let me wander alone for years? Stop the car. I don't want to see him.""Sorry, but my job is to take you back home, Ms. Anderson!" The man would not listen to Kelly. "Ms. Anderson, just hold on. We'll be there soon."Kelly stopped struggling because she knew that this man would not let her go no matter what she said.Kelly did not know what was happening, but after a bit, she felt weak, and her head spun. Before she knew it, she was fast asleep. The man in the front seat peeked back, took the cloth from her face, and saw Kelly sleeping peacefully. He started the car and drove off.Ronald was hiding outside the hospital. He saw Kelly get into the car and quickly called Charles. "Mr. Hoffman, it happened just like you said. That guy couldn't wait and pretended to be me to take Ms. Anderson."Charles was b
After hopping into the car, Kelly noticed that Ronald was unusually silent, not uttering a single word.Kelly did not know Ronald super well, but she knew enough to sense that something was off. "Mr. Wells, where's the toy Charles told you to pick up for me? Seth's been waiting for his Transformers set!"The man in front jerked in surprise, then said, "Oh, I'm terribly sorry. I was so focused on picking you up that I forgot. How about I get it tomorrow?"The man who was supposed to be Ronald eyed Kelly cautiously, and she did the same to him. When he finally answered her question, Kelly's forehead creased with worry. "Mr. Wells, could you pull over at..." She scanned the surroundings. "There's a mall right across the street. Let's stop there so I can grab a present for Seth. I haven't seen him all day, and I bet he'll be upset if I come back empty-handed!"Kelly's request made sense, but the man hesitated for quite a while. "You know things aren't safe right now. We still don't hav
"Aren't you just being careless?" Kelly helped Noelle into her room, her voice full of concern. "You're young and look healthy now, but when you get older, you'll see that your body can't handle the way you've been treating it!"Noelle laughed. "You talk like you're so experienced, but you're only a year older than me, right?"Kelly blushed a little, feeling awkward. "I'm still your older sister.""Yes." Noelle did not want to bicker with Kelly. "Anyway, where's Seth?"Kelly was at the Hoffmans', where Seth was having a blast playing with Bran. Her face lit up as she talked about Seth. It was clear Kelly adored him. "Seth hardly ever finds friends his own age, but he and Bran get along great!"Kelly always had more to say about Seth. "Tania's done an amazing job raising Bran on her own.""Yeah!" Noelle agreed, giving a nod. "Tania really went through a lot at first." She reached out and held Kelly's hand. "It's been tough for you too, raising Seth by yourself, hasn't it?"Kelly