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Chapter 49

Author: Chweety
This was the harsh truth about her parents—they had never really put her first.

Marriage?

If marriage was the real goal, why had they rushed to toss her into Simon's bed?

"Awake?"

The man's voice, crisp and icy, had sliced through the silence, jolting Noelle back to the present. She stumbled backward in a panic, crashing into the bed and collapsing onto it, her face drained of color.

Charles arched an eyebrow, taking in Noelle's panicked dance. Had he scared her that much?

Realizing she might have overreacted, Noelle managed a sheepish grin. "Mr. Hoffman!"

"Mm," Charles had hummed, nodding. "Good to see you're up. Feeling alright? There's some medicine for fever on the table if you need it."

"A fever?" Noelle was shocked. "I wasn't running a fever." Then she added quickly, "Did you rescue me last night?"

Charles squinted and flashed a knowing grin. "Pretty obvious, isn't it?"

Noelle inhaled deeply. She really did not like the idea of being in debt to Charles, yet he had sa
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    Charles looked away, a slight smile playing on his lips. "Family? I guess I'm still looking for one."Noelle's heart started to dance a wild rhythm, thumping all over the place. She felt totally out of her element.Charles flashed a warm smile as he brought out a steaming pot of porridge from the kitchen. "Last night, we had to cool you down the old-fashioned way. The doctor warned you might have a fever today, but you're fine. That's awesome. Let's keep it light with the food today, okay?"Noelle stared at Charles, her eyes wide with surprise. He was a different person from the buttoned-up guy she had met before. Dressed down in light gray casual wear instead of his usual sharp suit, he still managed to look drop-dead gorgeous. Who knew Charles had this homey side to him? He could cook!"That smells amazing," Noelle commented, taking in the comforting scent of the porridge.Charles's smile grew as he served her a bowl. "Give it a taste. I've been at it since the crack of dawn,

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    Time froze, and Noelle's heart raced out of control. She instantly wished she could take back her words, wondering why she had ever blurted them out.Her cheeks warmed with a blush, and she could not bring herself to look at Charles, feeling totally mortified. Girls were not supposed to ask guys questions like that, were they?Charles watched her, a playful smile creeping into his eyes as he saw her squirm. His fingers drummed lightly on the table, each tap echoing in Noelle's chest.Noelle chewed on her lip, her embarrassment growing. She felt like she had lost all control of the conversation. "I mean... just forget I asked, okay? Don't take it seriously!""What if I do take it seriously?" Charles's voice was cool but teasing.Noelle was ready to just shrug off the whole awkward moment, but Charles's response stopped her cold. She looked up at him, her eyes wide with surprise. "What?"She had figured Charles was just messing with her, especially after his earlier gesture, and sh

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    Charles had just seen Ronald and the others out. Coming back, he caught Noelle's incredulous question and chuckled. "Yep, we're married now."Noelle's hands flew to her cheeks, surprised to find Charles right behind her. Flustered, she got to her feet quickly. "It's late. I should head back.""Noelle!" Charles's voice stopped her in her tracks, and she halted, her steps halting just as quickly. She turned around stiffly, a puzzled "Huh?" escaping her lips.Charles was barely holding back a laugh at Noelle's adorably confused look. "It's actually morning," he said.Noelle's cheeks flamed even hotter. "Morning?" It was probably the most embarrassed she had ever been around Charles.Ever since meeting Charles, Noelle felt like her life had become a series of increasingly embarrassing moments. Every encounter with him seemed to leave her more flustered than the last.Charles watched her, the teasing mood fading. He stepped closer and gently pushed a stray lock of hair behind her ear.

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    Meanwhile, Ronald escorted two colleagues away when a sudden chill crept over him, a gut feeling that something was off. "Seriously? Mr. Hoffman can't be that ruthless, can he?"Noelle listened as Charles did something he hardly ever did: he admitted he was wrong. She had to admit that part of the blame was on her for not being more alert. She glanced down at how close she and Charles were standing and felt her cheeks heat up again.She gently pushed away Charles's hand and turned her head to hide her flushed face. "Where are my clothes?"Charles narrowed his eyes, feeling the loss of warmth from his hand, and looked away. "Head upstairs first.""Okay."Noelle's emotions were a tangled mess. Could she really have just married Charles like that? It all had happened so fast that it still felt like a dream to her.She made her way to Charles's bedroom. Earlier, she had noticed that his house was tastefully decorated, with a simple yet sophisticated style that did not quite match the

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