"That's a relief! I was worried you might be stretched too thin. Oh, and your mom mentioned she's set up a marriage for you. You...""I'll make up my own mind about that. The girl's alright, but the Shaw family aren’t exactly ideal in-laws."Harrison nodded, understanding. "As long as you've got it figured out. Your mom... She's just worried about you.""I get it."Jade hung up the phone, seething with bitterness. She had not expected Noelle to be so stubborn and Bob to be such a tough nut to crack. She had hoped he would cut her some slack for old times' sake with Yitty, but the kid had a bigger backbone than she had anticipated.Jade was used to calling the shots in the Shaw household, and this was the first time she had been so openly disregarded. It left her feeling more than a little sour.Winter had just come home today. With Xavier chatting with her dad Julian in the study, Winter slipped into Jade's room and noticed her mom looked upset. "Mom? What's up?""It's that darn
"Don't worry. Even if you don't say it, I won't let her ruin your happiness!" Jade assured, her eyes flashing with determination. She was absolutely resolved not to let Noelle disrupt her happiness, just like that other woman once did.With Jade's promise, Winter finally felt relieved. She knew better than anyone how much her mother disliked Noelle—Jade downright hated her. Winter had been aware of this since she was a child, back when her relationship with Noelle had not yet soured.Back then, Winter was mischievous, and she would play hide and seek in Julian and Jade's room. She hid in the wardrobe and overheard a shocking secret—that Noelle was not her real sister but rather the child of a woman her mother deeply resented. From that moment, Winter's attitude toward Noelle began to change.Winter had never shared this secret with anyone, but she fully understood that her mother's willingness to help her was not just about supporting her; it was also about the deep-seated hatred
Winter shook her head, feigning a troubled expression. "It's nothing, really. It's just something my mom mentioned.""Hmm? What did she say?" Xavier slowed down the car a bit as he noticed that Winter's mood seemed off. "Tell me. If it's something really troublesome, maybe I can help share the burden."Winter bit her lip as she fiddled with her hands. "It's really nothing." She glanced at Xavier. "My mom's just worried that you might not want me anymore, saying that I'm always busy with acting and might not be taking care of you properly. "She suggested I should stop working, stay at home with you, and maybe even have a baby."Xavier's expression changed slightly, but then he said, "She's just concerned about you, but whether you keep working or not is entirely up to you."He reached over, took Winter's hand, and gave it a reassuring squeeze. "Is it because I haven't made you feel secure lately? If so, that's my fault. Winter, you need to know that I love you.""I know." Winter
Brian had previously misunderstood Noelle to some extent, but after spending time with her, he realized that Noelle was different from what he had initially thought.He was already aware of Noelle's background, yet she did not put on any airs around him. That surprised him a little.As the traffic slowly began to clear, Brian decided not to continue the conversation. However, Noelle hesitated before asking, "Mr. Parker, did you assign me to this project because of Charles?"Brian paused for a moment. "Yes." Since Noelle was being direct, he decided to be straightforward as well."Mr. Hoffman did suggest that I guide you. I admit, at first, I wasn't too keen on this arrangement. Nonetheless, since Mr. Hoffman had faith in you, I figured you must have some real potential."Noelle suddenly felt a bit embarrassed. "Actually, it's not that he has faith in me; he's just giving me special treatment."As Noelle said this, she noticed Brian smiling and shaking his head, seemingly unbother
Charles took the opportunity to pinch Noelle's cheek, then said with a serious tone, "You've definitely lost weight!"Noelle pinched her own cheek again and playfully swatted Charles' hand away. "I don't believe you. I've definitely gained weight recently."Smiling, she added, "I get it. You just want me to eat more so that you can later tease me about getting fat, right?""You cheeky girl!" Charles could not help but laugh softly. He gently patted Noelle's cheek and said, "Alright, let's go buy some groceries first.""Okay!" Noelle nodded, holding onto Charles' hand as they walked forward. "I'm still thinking about what we should eat. Charlie, do you have any suggestions?""Xavier, what do you want to eat tonight?" Winter asked as she held Xavier's hand. Xavier was pushing the shopping cart, and the two of them happened to be at Jenz Plaza as well.Since Winter was busy filming during the day, she wanted to spend more time with Xavier in the evening to strengthen their relations
Xavier suddenly brought up Noelle again. Could it be that he ran off earlier because he saw her?Winter looked around again, but she still did not see Noelle anywhere. Biting her lip, she hesitated and asked, "Xavier, are you still unable to let go of Noelle? I know it was my fault back then, but I—""It's not that!" Xavier interrupted Winter impatiently. "I already told you before, didn't I? Since I've married you, I won't divorce you, and I won't be with Noelle. I just suddenly thought of something."Didn't you say that your mom wants Noelle to marry Bob? If that happens, won't it mean that the Shaw and the Smith families will be connected?"Winter was relieved to hear that, but thinking about Noelle's attitude made her uneasy again. "My mom is worried about this too. Bob's mother, Yitty, is my mom's best friend. They were very close when they were younger."So, my mom suggested that they meet to see if they were compatible, and if they were, they could get together. But Bob doe
Noelle bit her lip. "When Winter found out that Xavier was somewhat related to you, she was already trying to take advantage of it. If they find out about our marriage, won't they keep pestering us?"Maybe you don't mind, but I do. I don't want anything to interfere with our relationship."She clasped Charles' hand tightly, as if afraid he might misunderstand. He then interlocked their fingers. "You have to trust me, trust in us, and most importantly, trust yourself. How could I be ashamed of someone as outstanding as you?"Charles smiled when he heard her explanation, his lips curling slightly. He glanced down at their tightly interlaced fingers, and there was amusement glinting in his eyes.He was not truly angry; he just did not like the idea of sneaking around. However, as he listened to Noelle, he realized she genuinely wanted to protect their relationship from unnecessary complications.Seeing that Charles' expression had softened, Noelle breathed a sigh of relief. "I've alr
Dinner was prepared by Charles that night. Since Noelle had been very busy lately, especially after starting to learn under Brian, she found herself constantly short on time.In contrast, Charles seemed much more relaxed, almost as if he had all the time in the world. It would make anyone who did not know better think he was just idling his days away.Noelle worked for over an hour before glancing at the time and finally heading downstairs. Charles had just emerged from the kitchen when he saw her massaging her neck as she descended the stairs.He waved her over and said, "Come on, wash your hands and let's eat!""It smells so good!" Noelle exclaimed as she caught a whiff of the food.As she got closer and saw the spread, she remarked, "This is a lot! Can the two of us even finish all this?" There was clearly enough food for several people. However, Charles simply glanced at her and said, "You've gotten too thin, especially with how busy you've been lately."Noelle pouted. "It'
Noelle was speechless.Could someone please tell her why there was such blatant favoritism between two children born to the same parents?The people nearby had also noticed the situation, and soon, muffled laughter spread through the crowd.Even Yves and Kelly could not help but chuckle. Charles was clearly a devoted husband and a doting father—but only to his daughter.As for his son… It seemed Connor now had the lowest rank in the family.Yves shook his head and glanced down at Connor, who had stopped crying. The little boy simply stared at Glitter as if watching her intently.Noelle sighed, feeling both exasperated and amused. Was Charles being biased? Connor was just as adorable!Meanwhile, on the other side of the hall, Clarisse had previously reached out to Liliana in private, hoping she would return to the family.At first, Liliana had remained noncommittal. Later, even Maxwell had personally approached her, expressing his desire for her to come back, admitting that the
"What else could it be?"Noelle did not even need to look to know exactly what Charles was up to. She sighed as she glanced at her sister, who was still oblivious.Meanwhile, Yves and Charles seemed to have reached an agreement on stage. The two men shook hands before stepping down together.Charles walked straight to Noelle's side and, without hesitation, took Nora from her arms. The moment Nora saw him, her bright eyes sparkled with excitement.She let out a series of delighted coos, clearly overjoyed to be in his arms. She was barely a month old, yet somehow, she was already showing favoritism.Noelle could not help but feel a little jealous. She had been holding Nora just moments ago, yet the little one had not shown this level of enthusiasm.Pouting, she reached out and gently pinched Nora's cheek. In response, Nora turned her head away, ignoring Noelle entirely. Instead, she snuggled into Charles' chest, continuing her happy babbling.Noelle scowled. "Hmph, ungrateful litt
Charles chuckled. "Are you sure?"Yves narrowed his eyes and leaned in close, lowering his voice so only the two of them could hear. "Charles, what the hell are you up to?"Charles smirked. "Nothing much. I just want to make sure you're certain about this."His gaze suddenly shifted toward Kelly. "Tell me, do you think my dear sister-in-law might find someone better?"A sharp glint flashed through Yves' narrowed eyes. "Charles, aren't you afraid I'll take over Collosus Group entirely?" His teeth clenched as frustration flickered across his face.Charles simply shrugged, utterly unbothered. "I'm just afraid you won't.""You—" Yves could feel the vein in his temple pulsing.He never expected Charles—renowned for his ruthless decisiveness—to be such a schemer! He was utterly devoid of a moral compass. "Where is your conscience?"Charles arched a brow. "Can't help it. I have a wife and kids to take care of. I don't have time to waste.""And I do?" Yves shot back, clearly irritated
Before Winter could even finish her sentence, a series of rapid knocks echoed from the front door of the Shaw residence.Within moments, the door was violently forced open as a group of uniformed police officers stormed inside."Mr. Shaw, Ms. Shaw, this is a search warrant," the leading officer declared as he held up a document. "And this is an arrest warrant. Ms. Shaw, you're under arrest for attempted murder. Take her away!"With a subtle nod from their leader, the officers moved swiftly. Winter was subdued before she could react.For a moment, she was too stunned to struggle. It was not until they had escorted her outside and shoved her into a police car that she finally snapped back to reality."You can't arrest me! Let go of me! I didn't kill anyone!" she screamed, her voice filled with desperation.However, it was no use. She was quickly taken away. Meanwhile, Julian was also arrested for harboring a fugitive.All of this unfolded within a single night. By the time most pe
Through Janet's eyes, Milo seemed to see her mother again. It was the same clarity in her gaze that had appeared the moment she took her own life years ago.A sharp pain shot through Milo's chest, but before he could react, Janet's knife had already plunged into him."Monster! You're a monster! It's because of you that Charlie doesn't want me anymore! He abandoned me!"No matter what she did, Charles would never take her back.At that moment, Janet was utterly consumed by despair. She watched as blood gushed from Milo's chest, staining his clothes in deep red. Then, suddenly, she burst into hysterical laughter."Let's go to hell together!""You…" Milo's eyes widened in shock. He stared at Janet in disbelief.Then, as she pulled the knife out, he collapsed."Milo!"Raphael stood frozen as he watched Milo fall. Blood spread rapidly around him, pooling onto the floor in an uncontrollable flood."Somebody! Somebody call an ambulance! Call an ambulance—now!"His panicked screams
"My child, where is my child? Where is the baby Charlie and I had? Give my child back to me!"Janet's eyes locked onto Milo, and she immediately rushed toward him. "Father, give me back my baby! Give them back!"She clutched at Milo with frantic desperation. Her long, untrimmed nails, sharp from neglect, scraped deep into his skin, leaving red, bloody gashes across the back of his hand. "Father, where is my child?""That's my child with Charlie… Where is Charlie? Why isn't Charlie coming to see me?"Milo sucked in a sharp breath, startled by Janet's unnatural strength. However, the moment Janet turned and spotted Raphael, her expression darkened even further, and her gaze turned menacing."You… You old bastard! Give me back my son! Give him back!"She lunged at Raphael, gripping his arm and yanking at him violently.She was like a rabid animal, stronger than any of the doctors or caretakers combined.Janet ran wildly around the living room, knocking over furniture as the doctor
"Hmm? What's that supposed to mean?" Sean asked in confusion. "What exactly are you doing?""Nothing," Charles replied, his expression returning to normal. "What was the situation in Capiton before? The timing of Janet's breakdown doesn't seem right."It was not quite what he had expected, but it did not affect his plans.Sean smacked his lips. "Haha, speaking of that, you should ask that little brat Linda. Her acupuncture skills are seriously impressive. Just a few needles and she did more damage than the medicine I prepared!"He had to admit that the drugs he had mixed up were practically useless compared to what Linda had done. "But that little girl was pretty ruthless with it!""Ruthless?" Charles' gaze turned sharp. "Compared to what they have done, Linda went easy on them."If Noelle had suffered any real harm, he would have wiped the Bakers off the face of the earth.Sean caught the murderous intent in Charles' expression and raised an eyebrow. "So, what's your plan? Keep
Noelle nodded and pushed open the door to Connor and Nora's nursery. "What do you think, Mom? Charlie started working on this room as soon as I found out I was pregnant. Everything here, from the decor to even the smallest details, was his doing."Clarisse smiled as she stepped inside. Her gaze swept over the room, filled with warmth and tenderness. Her eyes grew misty as she took it all in. "It's beautiful—truly wonderful."Walking over to the crib, she saw the two babies fast asleep. Their tiny arms and legs were slightly lifted in the air.Noelle chuckled as she approached. "They sleep like this all the time. The doctor said it'll get better in a while."Clarisse nodded but could not hide a trace of guilt. "I never really took care of my own children after they were born. No wonder they aren't close to me now."There was a hint of regret in her voice.Noelle pursed her lips and then said playfully, "I was actually thinking about going back to work once I recovered. But what ab
Noelle placed the paper in front of Clarisse like she was presenting a treasure. Clarisse was slightly taken aback. Although her relationship with Charles had improved, she still felt a bit uneasy when facing her own son.At this moment, Noelle was acting as a bridge between them. It might not seem like much, but Clarisse understood that Charles' willingness to be even slightly cordial with her was largely because of Noelle.Her son was fiercely devoted—especially when it came to Noelle. Clarisse had started to see her in a new light.At first glance, Noelle seemed rather ordinary. But over time, her good qualities became more apparent. The more Clarisse got to know her, the more she realized just how remarkable she was."Mom, look! Charlie put so much thought into this," Noelle said while beaming."Yes… he really did," Clarisse murmured, her eyes growing slightly misty. The sadness she had felt earlier because of Milo had eased, replaced by a strange sense of warmth as she gazed