Ronald followed Charles out. "Mr. Hoffman, where are we heading now?""The hospital, to check on Winter," Charles replied, catching a glimpse of a few people lingering suspiciously at the hotel entrance.He arched his brow slightly, appearing cold and sharp. To someone who did not know him, it might have seemed like he was smiling, but Ronald knew this expression meant Charles was clearly upset. "We're about to put on quite a show," Charles added.Winter's allergic reaction was not severe, but for an actress, it was devastating. It would likely take several weeks before she could work again.At the hospital, Winter was shouting angrily, threatening to tear the place apart if the doctors could not fix her face.Sean leaned against the door outside, listening to the doctors struggling to deal with Winter's demands. He smirked slightly and motioned to a nurse."Mr. Smith, is there something you need?" The young nurse's heart fluttered when she saw Sean's playful demeanor, her face t
Charles quickly went into the kitchen and started cooking. Noelle finished work right on time at 6:00 pm and got home around 6:40 pm.As soon as she stepped inside, a delicious aroma filled the air. Her eyes lit up, and she hurriedly took off her shoes before entering the house. "Charlie?"Leaning against the doorway, Noelle saw Charles wearing an apron. He was busy in the kitchen. There was a look of surprise in her eyes. "Why are you home so early today?"In truth, Noelle wanted to ask him about the movie's press conference. How did he manage to come back this early?While holding a ladle in one hand and wiping his other hand on the apron, Charles turned to look at her. "You're back? Go wash your hands. Dinner will be ready soon."Noelle sniffed the air. "You made stew? What kind?""Pork stew," Charles replied while gesturing. "Hurry, go wash up!""Okay!" Noelle laughed and went to wash her hands. However, she could not help glancing back at him, curiosity evident on her face.
Meanwhile, Winter's face did not show any improvement, and she stayed in the hospital for about a week. During that week, the situation involving Winter and Janet stirred up a lot of noise online.The media outlets, all managed by Ronald, knew exactly what to say and what to avoid. Meanwhile, the reporters hired by Janet at the event harshly criticized Winter, sparking outrage among Winter's fans.They flooded the reporters' social media accounts and websites with angry comments. Janet's personal websites and information were also targeted, and she was quickly exposed.It was undeniable that the power of netizens was impressive. Within a week, the media narrative completely shifted. Initially, they criticized Winter, calling her shameless. Yet now, they were attacking Janet, labeling her as twisted and narrow-minded.Since the relationship between Charles and Winter was never confirmed, and Charles was not someone people dared to offend, discussions about him online were minimal.
"What are you thinking about?"Charles came out of the shower and saw Noelle looking troubled while clutching her phone. He walked over and gently took the phone from her hand, glancing at the recent call log. There was a faint glimmer flickering in his eyes.Noelle snapped back to reality and saw Charles in a white bathrobe. His hair was damp, with a strand still dripping with water.She stood up, grabbed a towel, and started drying his hair while guiding him to sit on the couch. With a soft sigh, Noelle said, "Grandpa just called, and then my mom called right after."Charles' dark eyes narrowed slightly. "Hmm."He had seen Jade's number earlier, which explained the sour look on Noelle's face. "What did she say?""She talked about going home for New Year's." Noelle paused before continuing, "I need to tell you something, but promise you won't get angry.""Why would I be angry? What did she say?" Charles shifted, took Noelle's hand, and gently squeezed her fingers. "Hmm?""They
"Silly girl." Charles squeezed Noelle's hand gently. "Don't worry. Even if your mom has such intentions, she won't succeed. The Smiths' status is too high to be swayed by just her words." He paused, looking at Noelle. "Having Sean accompany you is far better than sending someone we can't control.""You mean if Sean doesn't go, my mom will find someone else?" Noelle frowned slightly.Seeing Charles' noncommittal expression, she suddenly felt a bit powerless. She had to admit that Charles was right. Given Jade's nature, she really would find someone else.Charles reached out and gently smoothed Noelle's frown, tapping her forehead. "Alright, don't furrow your brows. This isn't something you can change."He knew what troubled her and shook his head. "Having Sean go with you is the best choice right now, and your mom won't immediately push for Sean to marry you.""That's true." Noelle sighed, still feeling that things would not be that simple.If Jade was asking her to come back, s
The Shaws typically held the celebration on New Year's Eve, but this year, they switched to celebrating New Year's itself, all to accommodate Winter.Since it was her first year being married into the Harris family, she was expected to spend New Year's Eve with them. Julian and Jade decided that the family would celebrate New Year's itself from now on.Noelle did not mind. New Year's was New Year's. If she had a choice, she would have preferred not to go back at all.However, as a member of the Shaws and out of respect for Samuel, she knew she had to be there no matter how reluctant she felt.Knowing she could not return empty-handed, Noelle went shopping for gifts to bring to the Shaws. However, since her relationship with Charles had not been made public, they could not go out together.Charles did not feel comfortable letting her shop alone, so he called Sean to help out as the designated "porter".To call Sean a porter was putting it nicely. He was essentially dragged over to
Noelle and Sean entered the Shaw residence one after the other. As soon as the maid saw Noelle return, she quickly came out to greet her, "Ms. Noelle you're back!"The maid took a good look at Noelle and Sean. "And this must be Mr. Smith! Madam mentioned that you'd be bringing her new son-in-law today!"The maid extended her hand, saying, "Please let me take these things for you!"Sean squinted slightly, casting a sideways glance at Noelle. She felt both helpless and embarrassed. "Fay, just call him Mr. Smith," Noelle said while glancing at Sean."Bob, give Fay the bags."Sean's expression immediately softened with a harmless smile, his narrow eyes lingering on Noelle as he curled his lips."Alright!" He handed all the gifts over to Fay and felt much lighter, then gestured for Noelle to join him.Noelle pursed her lips and walked over to take Sean's arm. Leaning closer, she whispered, "Don't mind it. I don't know why my mom said that either."Sean smirked, his lips twitching sl
Autumn had painted Brookville in shades of gold and crimson when Noelle Shaw stepped off the plane. She grabbed her suitcase and walked out into the crisp air, a familiar sense of home wrapping around her.A whole year had passed since she left to pursue a corporate training program overseas, and now, she was back just in time.Her third anniversary with her boyfriend Xavier Harris was just days away, and she had been working nonstop to make it back early enough to surprise him.She hailed a cab and headed straight for Xavier's office. The moment she walked through the front doors, Alice, the receptionist, gave her a look of total shock. "Ms. Shaw? You’re back? Are you here for the CEO's engagement party?"Noelle's brow creased in confusion. "The CEO's engagement party? What are you talking about, Alice?""It's Mr. Harris's engagement party with your sister!""What?" Noelle's heart skipped a beat, and the happiness drained from her face. "Whose engagement party?"Alice seemed to