"I did everything for you and the Shaw family’s sake," Jade said, her eyes brimming with unshed tears. "If I had known, I would've left that girl to her own devices. Do you really think I'd let her benefit without a second thought if it wasn't for my family's inheritance being at stake?"Jade's fists were balled up tight, her face twisted with loathing. "You were on board with this from the start, weren't you?""How could I possibly get involved in the Jabs family's affairs?" Julian stumbled over his words but managed a comeback. "Have I ever complained about the messes you've made over the years?""I...""That's enough. We're not discussing Noelle's past anymore. Remember, you still haven't secured what Sir Jones has, and now my father has gone and given the shares to her. Your priority should be to calm Noelle down and convince her to give up the shares, not to keep stewing over your grudges. It was her mother who wronged you, not her.""You... Julian, are you telling me you fee
Sean could feel that Noelle was ice-cold. She seemed utterly hopeless and as lifeless as a doll. "Noelle?"Her eyes were glazed over, her expression vacant. It was not until Sean gave her a gentle pinch that she snapped out of it, grabbing his hand desperately. "Sean, I need to see Charles. I have to!""But... we're at the Shaws' right now. Charles went back to the Hoffmans' today, and you know the Hoffmans. They have this rule about family dinners saying everyone's got to be there, so Charles is probably stuck!" Sean said, his voice full of sympathy as he looked at Noelle's troubled face. "Noelle, what's going on with you?""No way! I'm not accepting that! I have to see Charles, and if that means heading to the Hoffmans' place right now, then so be it!"Noelle was like a broken record, clinging to that one demand like a lifeline. Her eyes were desperate. "I need to see Charles!""Okay, okay, we'll go see Charles," Sean relented, unable to say no to her determined face. He gently
With New Year’s approaching, the dinner gathering at Charles's house was in full swing. Guests were everywhere, drawn in by the holiday cheer and the Hoffman family's reputation for hosting events that combined business and pleasure. As the future head of the Hoffman empire, Charles was the man of the hour, and everyone was eager to get on his good side.The Hoffmans' dinner gathering was pretty much the same as always, except this year, Clarisse and Janet were new faces in the crowd. However, for Charles, it was just another day at the office.Lounging at the banquet table, Charles had barely taken a sip of his drink when his phone buzzed to life. He narrowed his eyes—a bad sign—and his expression turned even more intense when he spotted Sean's name on the screen.With a swift move, Charles was on his feet, and the room went still, all eyes on him. His face was a mask of shock as he clutched his phone.Janet had been keeping tabs on Charles since the moment he walked in. As he ros
When Janet saw Charles answer the phone and get ready to leave, she instinctively guessed that the caller must be someone important. What bad timing. It was the Hoffman family's annual dinner, an event Charles had never missed as the future head of the family. Even Kelly's departure years ago had not seemed to stir much emotion in him.Trusting her women's intuition, Janet was certain the caller was a woman.Janet's voice was not exactly loud, but it cut through the room so every member of the Hoffman family heard.Mateo was the first to catch on, his face clouding over. "Charles, where do you think you're heading?"Charles gave Janet a sharp glance that soon landed on Mateo. "I’ve got some stuff to sort out. It’s quick, and I'll be back in a flash!""Now? What could be so urgent? It’s a work holiday, so you should be enjoying dinner with us!" With the house packed, Mateo played the part of the strict dad. After all, most of the attendees were there to see Charles, so what would h
Charles was a storm cloud in human form, radiating such negative vibes it was practically a force field. Who in their right mind would get close to him now? Only Janet seemed to have missed the memo and was barreling straight into danger.Charles's forehead was creased with a frown, his face so dark it sent shivers down her spine. "I'm telling you one last time. Let go!""No!"However, before Janet could even finish protesting, Charles had already wriggled free. He moved so fast it was a blur, and by the time everyone caught up, he had spun around and clamped his hand on Janet's neck. It looked terrifying."Cough cough!"Janet was dangling from Charles’ hand, her toes barely scraping the ground."Charles!" Clarisse was the first to snap out of it, her face as white as a sheet. She dashed over. "Charles, what the hell are you doing? Have you lost your mind? Let her go now!"Charles might as well have been deaf. His dark eyes locked on Janet's reddening face. A twisted smile playe
After that display, everyone got the message loud and clear about how Charles felt toward Clarisse, Janet, and the whole Baker family. Anyone who had been scheming to cozy up to Clarisse today suddenly put their plans on hold. The heir of the Hoffman family had spoken, and the Bakers were off the list of allies.The room fell into a hushed silence. This was Hoffman family drama, and no one wanted the fallout to land on them.As Charles turned to leave, Janet scrambled to her feet, wanting to follow, but Clarisse caught her by the arm. "Janet.""Aunt, Charles was just spinning tales, wasn't he? He tricked me, right?"Clarisse's face was stormy. She was the Baker family's darling, but today, her own son had made her look like a fool. Clarisse, who always wanted to look her best, could not stand it.Mateo was about to call Charles back, but Chloe cut him off with a subtle shake of her head. "Dad, don't."Mateo stopped in his tracks, watching Charles walk away, a frown creasing his f
"You..."Charles slammed the gas pedal, his phone pressed to his ear. "Where are you?""Uh, we're on the road, heading to Noelle's place...""Forget the apartment. I need to get to Phoenix Tree Residence, Sean. Take me there!" Noelle finally snapped out of her daze, her eyes locking on Sean. "Take me to Phoenix Tree Residence."Sean hesitated. "The thing is, over at Phoenix Tree Residence...""Sean, just get Noelle to Phoenix Tree Residence!" Charles barked, whipping the car around a sharp bend. "Hand Noelle the phone!"Sean passed the phone to Noelle. "Noelle, Sean will drop you off. I'll be there soon!""Alright!" Noelle shivered, a wave of warmth rushing over her. "I'll be waiting, Charles! I'll wait forever if I have to!"Noelle ended the call and passed the phone back to Sean. Sean shot her a quick look, his mind buzzing with silent gripes. Was his advice really that worthless compared to Charles's? If he had known, he would not have bothered getting involved. This whole
With a gentle sweep, Charles gathered Noelle up in his arms.Noelle looked up as she felt the warmth of his embrace. Her eyes, which were so full of sorrow, now sparkled with a mix of helplessness and happiness. "Charles!" she exclaimed.Noelle wrapped her arms around Charles's neck, pulling herself close to him and nuzzling against his neck like a little kitten searching for comfort. "Charles, you're here!" she said with relief."Yeah, I'm here," he replied. Their few words spoke volumes, conveying more than a lengthy conversation ever could.Gently, Charles lifted Noelle and laid her on the bed, making sure she was snug under the covers. He noticed her feet were chilly to the touch. His brow furrowed with concern. "Why are you walking around barefoot? Don't you realize it's freezing out?"With a slight pout, Noelle looked up at him. Charles could not help but shake his head with a smile. "Hey, I'm not upset with you, alright?"She nodded. "Charles, please don't go.""I'm not g
Liliana got ready. She was excited as she headed out. She had not seen Tania, who looked tanned from the sun and was full of energy, in a month.Tania waved to Liliana from far away. "Liliana, over here!"I'm going to take you to a cool place today!""Where?"Tania pulled Liliana close and whispered, "We're going to a bar!""A bar?" Liliana was curious. "What for?"Tania giggled. "A friend gave me this.” She showed off a shiny gold card. "He said it's time for me to see more of the world!"Liliana grabbed the shiny gold card, and her eyes widened in shock. "The Majestic Lounge?" She stared at Tania, puzzled. "How did you get this?"Not just anyone could get their hands on a gold card from The Majestic Lounge. Most people would not know anything about the place, but as Charles's sister, Liliana was in the know. The Majestic Lounge was one of Charles's private businesses and a secret to most outside the family. Layla had a gold card and often hung out there with her friends.Lil
Charles was unusually quiet for a moment, his finger pressed to his lips as if deep in thought. "Are you really ready to walk away from the Smith family's huge estate? You know your dad is the only one holding it up right now, and no one even knows where your fourth uncle is!""Why are you so worried about me? Don't forget I have a brother. If the Jones family won't make room for him, he can just join the Smith family!"While everyone else was trying to claim their piece of the pie, Sean was looking for a way out.Charles knew that once Sean made up his mind, he would not budge. "Alright, I'll look into it for you. Once you're sure, I'll help you seal the deal!""You take care of it," Sean said after a pause. "Aren't you going to check out the commotion downstairs?"Charles glanced down, pulling back his gaze. "Her feelings for you...""Let's not go there. I can't handle that," Sean interrupted, thinking about Layla's haughty behavior earlier and her rudeness toward Liliana. His
Liliana's brow creased slightly. She could not figure out why Layla always seemed to pick fights with her, even though she tried to stay out of Layla's way.Layla stared at Liliana with a sharp gaze. Noticing Liliana's hands were empty, she knew there was no gift for her. That was why Layla was giving Liliana a hard time.Everyone was watching Liliana, and Layla was eager to see how she would handle the situation."Is today your birthday?"Liliana felt awkward with all eyes on her. She glanced at Sean and saw he was not going to step in. She took a deep breath and said, "I'm sorry, I didn't know. You never told me, so I thought your birthday was a few days away!""You..." Layla was taken aback by Liliana's response. She scowled. "Didn't you come back just today before leaving again? I thought you were getting me a birthday present!" Layla bit her lip, looking sad. "You and Sean...""It was just a coincidence. Sean said he needed to talk to Charles, and I didn't realize it was for
It was Layla's birthday, and as the darling daughter of the Hoffman family, her birthday party was packed with guests. The cool kids from Jadebrook High School, the elegant daughters of high society, and many others were all in attendance. The crowd was huge despite many people being turned away at the door.The party had started, and the old mansion was buzzing with excitement. However, Maxwell was not too fond of noise, so the celebration was in the garden outside, keeping the inside of the house quiet.The weather was nice, and everyone seemed to be having a good time outside, chatting, drinking, and grilling. It all looked pretty peaceful.Because Layla was somebody very important, lots of people tried to get on her good side. They all wanted to be friends with her so they could also be friends with the Hoffman family. That way, their parents' businesses could get help from the powerful Hoffmans.Layla had always been treated like a princess, so she was pretty spoiled and loved
Liliana tensed up immediately. "Sean... I can walk on my own!" She pulled her hand away from Sean's grasp.Sean paused, a thought seeming to cross his mind, and a slight smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. "Let's go!" Once they were in the car, Liliana tried to make herself as small as possible. Sean was driving, and she kept her head down, either fiddling with her phone or twiddling her fingers, avoiding conversation.Sean noticed Liliana's preoccupation with her phone and teased, "What's up? Is your phone more interesting than me?"Liliana looked up instinctively and met Sean's gaze. She froze, her eyes locked on his. At that moment, her heart felt like it was about to burst. The sensation was completely overwhelming.She just stared at Sean, unable to move.Sean caught her gaze and felt an odd sensation in his chest. He raised an eyebrow. "What's the matter? Are you amazed? Have you finally figured out I'm more handsome than your phone?""Uh…" Liliana stuttered with a n
Sean nodded, his gaze falling on Liliana.He had not gotten a good look at her clothes from afar. Seeing her now in blue jeans and a white shirt, he realized how simple yet stunning she looked.He could not believe how tall and pretty she had gotten at such a young age.Sean looked away. "Time to get up?""Oh!" Liliana nodded. However, maybe because she had been squatting too long, her legs were all tingly and she lost her balance when she tried to stand, falling backward.Quick as a flash, Sean caught her hand and yanked her toward him, and she ended up crashing right into his arms.The sudden jolt left Liliana dazed. Her head was against Sean's chest, and she could hear his heartbeat while her own heart started to beat wildly.Her face was pressed against him, so Sean could not see how red her cheeks had become.She was frozen, too scared to move. At that moment, she understood something very clearly... She probably liked the guy in front of her. The boy who had saved her the
"Alright. Have fun with your friends, and don't come home too late," Sean said before hanging up. Liliana's heart started to beat faster for some reason, and she could still hear Sean's voice in her ears, as if he were right there with her.She kept staring at Sean, who was still standing there. It looked like a girl had walked up to him.Liliana could not see very clearly, but she could see a girl in a pink dress with long hair standing next to Sean. She did not catch what they were saying, but Sean looked really happy.Suddenly, Liliana felt a soft pain, a sharp twinge in her heart.It was so quick and elusive that she could not figure out what she was feeling."What's wrong?" Tania asked, noticing Liliana seemed upset after her phone call. She kept staring into space. Tania looked around but saw nothing. She waved her hand in front of Liliana's face. "Liliana?"Liliana came back to the present with a forced smile. "Tania, didn't you say you'd take me out for a big birthday din
Tania's face went pale when she heard that. "No way!"Tania was still young and did not really get all that lovey-dovey stuff. She just thought Brian was nicer to her than her other friends. With a puzzled look, Tania scratched her head. "Maybe he just thinks I'm... cute?"Liliana shook her head. "Don’t you know? Him giving you a watch means he likes you.""Really?" Tania jumped. "Liliana, you're not joking, right? I'm just a kid, and I've always seen him as a big brother." Suddenly, the watch felt like a hot potato in Tania's hands, and she quickly snapped it shut. "What should I do now?"Liliana threw up her hands. "I have no idea!"She had never been in this kind of situation before and did not know what to do."So..."Tania did not get to finish because Liliana's phone started ringing. She stopped, pulled out her phone, and looked at the caller ID with a surprised face. With Tania watching, she answered, "Hello?"Sean was on the line, frowning. He asked, "Are you at the Wor
"Brian? You're back?" Tania paused, smiling at Brian. "What brings you home today?"If Tania was not mistaken, was Brian not supposed to be at college in another town?Brian's heart raced as Tania spoke, and his cheeks flushed a light pink. He looked at her and said, "Um... I actually got back a few days ago.""Oh, was it something urgent?" Tania asked, nodding without suspicion.Brian felt his pulse quicken. "Um... I heard today's your birthday?"Tania paused, then cocked her head and smiled at Brian. "Yes. I'm surprised you remembered my birthday!""Happy Birthday!" Brian blurted out. He pulled out a box from behind and handed it to her. "For you."Tania took the box, a little unsure at first, but quickly smiled. "Thanks so much, Brian!"Seeing Tania's sweet smile, Brian's heart skipped a beat, his rhythm all over the place. "No problem!""I've got to go now, Brian." Tania waved, tucked Brian's gift into her bag, and hopped away with a spring in her step.Liliana had arrang