"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
Noelle bolted from the hotel, her previously defiant face now streaked with tears.Out of nowhere, a black Cayenne screeched to a halt, its tires screaming against the pavement. Caught off guard, she tumbled to the ground.The driver gulped, his eyes darting to the man in the back seat, "Sir... Sir?"The man in the back, unfazed by the nearby accident, merely glanced at the passenger seat beside him. "Ronald, go see what happened.""Right away, sir." Ronald was out of the car in a flash, checking the front for any damage.About six feet ahead of the car, a woman sat on the ground with her eyes wide open, looking totally freaked out. Her cheeks were streaked with tears, and she had obviously been crying. "Miss? Are you okay? Do you need a ride to the hospital?"Noelle was scared out of her wits. She just gazed at Ronald, lost in shock, until she finally managed to pull herself together and stand up. Without a word, she tried to sidestep him, eager to get away.Ronald was puzzled
Trapped in the man's grip, Noelle struggled to break free, her body refusing to cooperate. Her vision was blurry as she glared at him. "What are you trying to do?""Just having a bit of fun..." He chuckled, his voice dripping with sleaze as he steadied her. "Let's go somewhere more entertaining, shall we?"Noelle might have been out of it, but she could still sense the danger in the man's tone. However, her whole body ached, and she knew she was no match for them. She scanned the area for anyone who could help her, but she was invisible to the passersby.She spotted a figure approaching through her haze. Acting instinctively, she shoved the two men aside and bolted, slamming right into the newcomer. "Save me!" she gasped.Her fingers dug into the fabric of the man's shirt, and she inhaled a sharp, clean scent. "Please, save me," she pleaded.Charles squinted, taking in the woman who had just collided with him. There was a flicker of something sharp in his gaze.Noelle did not let
At the top of The Majestic Lounge was a room that belonged to Charles alone. He swung the door open and carried Noelle in. She was feeling so awful that she hung onto Charles like she was trying to meld into him, her limbs all over the place with nary a hint of elegance.He managed to detach Noelle from himself with a bit of a struggle and gently placed her in the bathroom. Taking a deep breath, he dialed Ronald’s number. "I need ice, and make it quick."Once he ended the call, he saw Noelle trying to get out of the tub. He gently but firmly pushed her back down and turned on the cold tap. "Stay still!"His voice was firm and grew even more intense as he noticed how the water in the tub accentuated her figure. His gaze sharpened.Ronald was fast, arriving shortly with two buckets of ice. "Here's the ice, sir.""Hold on," Charles instructed Ronald. "Just set them down and leave, thanks." His tone was cool and detached.Ronald raised an eyebrow at Charles's unusual sternness. Howev
"It doesn't matter who I am. What matters is that I’m here to help." Charles tapped his cufflink, his gaze steady and serene as he watched Noelle.A wave of alarm washed over her. Something about this guy screamed that he was more complicated than he was making himself out to be. "I don't need your help.""Really? Then why were you here last night, trying to drink away your troubles? Your boyfriend is now your brother-in-law, your parents don't trust you, and now, you're the town's favorite punching bag. Did you miss the front page of the news?""That’s none of your business." Noelle's jaw tightened. "You helped me out yesterday, and yes, I'm thankful for that." She swung her legs out of bed and started searching for her clothes, but they were nowhere in sight. "Hey, mister!""Charles." He leaned against the wall with an easy grace, watching Noelle's panicked search. "That's my name."Hearing the name 'Charles' made her eyebrows twitch. It rang a bell. "Are you related to Xavier?"