Charles shook his head. "I'm not sure yet. I’m just throwing around some guesses.A lot of things would start to make sense if Sebastian was connected to the Jones family from Cascade City. Sebastian definitely had some secrets, including why Jade was taking care of Noelle. If Noelle was not her kid, Jade had to have a reason. She probably wanted something from Sebastian. That meant Noelle had to be someone important to Sebastian.In other words, even if Noelle was not Jade's daughter, she was still somehow connected to Jade. Thus, the next step had to be finding out more about Sebastian."Man, Noelle's backstory is like a rollercoaster." Sean had not seen that coming. He added, "If Noelle is really connected to the Jones family from Cascade City, tying the knot with her might just get a whole lot simpler for you."Charles shot Sean a quick look. "She doesn't need to be a Jones to hold her ground with the Hoffmans. My girl doesn't need to lean on anyone."Sean arched an eyebrow, h
The story of Charles leaving the Hoffman family's old house had become the talk of the town, and everyone knew about his cold treatment of Janet that night. It was obvious that Charles would never marry Janet, which meant the Hoffmans and the Bakers would not be uniting their families through marriage anytime soon.With that realization, everyone was walking on eggshells around the Baker family, handling any partnerships with utmost caution.Charles was a calm man, but once he decided to act, you could bet it would not be a simple affair.Clarisse heard alarm bells ringing too. She was no stranger to family drama, having grown up in the Baker household where backstabbing was as common as breakfast cereal. However, Clarisse was not just clinging to the Baker name because of her marriage ties to the Hoffmans. She had her own bag of tricks. Over the years, she had woven a web of connections within the Baker family. However, she never seemed to find her footing with the Hoffmans, which
Clarisse had bought into the story once upon a time too. However, after keeping a close eye on Charles lately, something in her gut told her that someone else must have been the real villain who hurt Janet back then."He's your son, so of course you're on his side. But don't you forget, you're part of the Baker family too. Have you forgotten how the Hoffmans treated you? It was the Bakers who took you in when you hit rock bottom while they didn’t help you at all. That's just the truth!""I get it, okay? You don't have to keep telling me!" Clarisse was on the verge of tears as she cut off Milo. "Milo, I don't need you to keep bringing up the past and reopening old wounds like this!"Clarisse was tangled up in a mess with Mateo and Henry, and it hurt in ways she could not put into words. She could not look back at the past anymore. "Look, if you want the Hoffmans and the Bakers to maintain a good relationship, forget about Janet and Charles tying the knot. I know Charles is my son, bu
Mateo narrowed his eyes and glanced at his arm where Clarisse had just released her grip. Realizing she might have been too forceful, she let go and urged, "Hurry up with the door!"Mateo nodded. "Step back," he commanded, and with a solid kick, Janet's door flew open."Janet!"The sight of Janet shaking uncontrollably on the floor sent chills down Clarisse's spine. "Oh no...""Medicine! We need medicine. There's some in my room in the nightstand for Janet!""I'm on it!" Mateo knew they had to act fast. He found two unmarked bottles in Clarisse's nightstand. With a brief moment of hesitation, he handed them to Clarisse. "What are these? Is Janet really—""No time for questions!" Clarisse cut him off, quickly popping two pills into Janet's mouth. "Water, now!"Mateo helped Janet drink the water, and after what felt like an eternity, Janet's tremors subsided, and they both let out a huge sigh of relief.Clarisse suddenly realized she was drenched in sweat. She shot Mateo an embar
The new year was just a few days away, and Noelle's spirits had been lifting. Charles was still worried about her getting upset, though. He had been sticking closely by her side at the Phoenix Tree Residence. He had also ramped up the search for clues about her past, putting Peter on the case. However, just like before, they had hit a wall. It was as if someone had gone to great lengths to wipe Noelle's history clean.Charles had a hunch that there was more to Noelle's story than met the eye, but he knew it was not the right time to dig into Sebastian or Samuel's secrets. If they were keeping things under wraps, it must mean Noelle's past was a can of worms they did not want to open. Just like that, Charles lost the urge to keep snooping.Conversely, Noelle was gearing up to make a bold move. She had decided to meet with Samuel, leaving Charles out of the loop. They agreed to catch up at Homestyle Garden House, one of the few places still buzzing with life as New Year festivities dre
Samuel furrowed his brow, fidgeting with the cup before letting out a resigned sigh. "What do you mean? I’m confused.”"Grandpa, no more secrets. You want to know why I took off that day, right?" Noelle forced a smile, seeing the realization dawn on Samuel's face. "I was just walking by the study when mom and dad were talking, and I overheard them."A shadow passed over Samuel's eyes, and he shook his head gently. "Silly girl, why are you so convinced you're not a Shaw? If you weren't one of us, would I have been so kind to you?" He tried to continue, but Noelle cut him off. "Grandpa, I'm not a kid anymore. I'm a grown-up. Sure, I could've lived in blissful ignorance if I never found out, but now that I do, I can't just act like everything's fine." That was her line in the sand. "Ever since I was little, I wondered why other kids' parents showered them with love while mine loved Winter and hated me. I used to think I wasn't good enough or smart enough, so I worked hard to win their a
Charles lifted his coffee mug in a toast. "Noelle's a bit clueless. She even planned a meet-up with you today.""That's not true!" Noelle protested, though her voice was a whisper amidst Charles's commanding presence.Charles gave her a sidelong glance, a look of mild reproof, and leaned in to whisper, "We'll talk about this when we get home." He then turned to Samuel with an easy smile. "Noelle's always had a knack for making coffee. Grandpa, is it the way you like it?""It's not bad at all. I’ve spoiled her too much since she was little. If she steps out of line, just let me know!"Charles's lips quirked up in agreement. "Will do!"Noelle bristled a bit. "What could I possibly do wrong?"Charles narrowed his eyes playfully. "Fetch us a pot of herbal tea, will you?"Noelle paused, sensing that Charles was trying to get her out of the room. Despite her irritation, she knew better than to try to keep secrets from Charles—he was too clever to be fooled. With a slight nod, Noelle
Charles's eyes lit up, ready to say something, but just then, the door swung open. Noelle walked in, a cup of herbal tea in her hands. She had caught the tail end of Charles's unfinished sentence, and her expression clouded over. "Grandpa, Charles!"She took a seat next to Charles. "What's up? What are you guys chatting about?""What else? We're talking about you two lovebirds, of course!" Samuel said, trying to sound casual as he steered the conversation off-topic. Noelle kept probing, but Samuel dodged every question about the one thing she wanted to know. Her curiosity and desire to uncover her true origins burned stronger, but with Samuel tight-lipped, she was stuck.Thankfully, Charles was there to smooth over the awkwardness.Charles drove them back. Noelle sat in silence next to him, her head down and her mood obviously off. Charles did not start a conversation. Instead, he played a song to soften the tension between them.Finally, Noelle could not hold back any longer. "Is
Yves scrunched his brow. "Go ahead. Ask it.""Who are you, really? Are you Yves or Jacob?"Yves' gaze was sharp as it fell on Kelly. "Everyone who once knew me is gone.""Then tell me. I'm going to be gone soon, too!" Kelly said with a faint smile. "It doesn't really matter if I go now or later. I'd rather you be the one to do it than some nasty virus."Yves' frown deepened. "Kelly, please don't make me do this."His hand was a fist, and anyone who knew Yves could tell he was trying really hard to keep calm.However, Kelly kept smiling at him, not even pausing. There was laughter in her eyes but also a hint of sadness. She stared right at Yves and took a step closer.Her hands lifted, shaky, but she did not stop.Yves watched her closely, and when Kelly reached out, he quickly grabbed her hand. "Once we're done here, I'll let you know."Kelly shook her head. "After I find out, you'll end it, and your secret will be safe with me. But if you don't let me see, you know I'll try t
He stood up and gave Kelly a chilly look. "You think you can just walk out of here? That's not going to happen. Instead of dreaming about escape, you should be thinking about where you'd like to go with me once I've taken care of everything here."Yves reached for the door to leave, but Kelly's voice stopped him.She got up from the bed and stepped down, her bare feet touching the cold floor. She stood a few steps behind Yves, her eyes intensely focused on him. "If I agreed to go with you, would you leave all this behind and take me and Seth away?"Kelly's hands were balled into fists as she spoke. She did not even understand why she was asking that. She stared at Yves's back. He did not turn around and just stood there with his back to her.Kelly could not see his face, but she could read the real reaction in the way he held himself.His hand was still on the doorknob, not letting go. When he heard what Kelly said, he froze, as if her question caught him off guard.Kelly kept he
"Enough! I know that! You don't have to remind me!" Kelly shouted, her voice filled with frustration. "Yves, you don't need to keep bringing up my painful past. Yes, I once loved Charles, but that's all behind me. I have nothing to do with Charles now, and he's my sister's husband. Please stop making such guesses about other people."Kelly's eyes filled with tears as she stared at Yves. "I don't want to see you. Leave now!"She had thought her words were too mean and would make Yves mad. She expected him to storm out, but he did not move. Confused, Kelly noticed his dark eyes were then bright.Yves smiled. Kelly's yelling had somehow made him feel calm. His eyes were warm and kind, so different from the distant look he usually had.Kelly did not get it, but she was glad he was not mad.Yves let go of her and brought over a plate and spoon. "You must be hungry! You haven't eaten since you woke up. Let me feed you!"Kelly turned her head away, but Yves' eyes grew hard. "Eat," he sa
Kelly bit her lip, wondering about Simon's place in the York family. It looked like he and Jacob were not on good terms. If Simon could help her...She suddenly remembered Simon saying something about seeing her again before he knocked her out, didn't he?The door creaked open again, and Yves stepped in, this time holding a tray with utensils. As he set the table, a delicious smell wafted through the room, making Kelly's stomach growl at just the right moment.Feeling her cheeks warm, Kelly quickly turned away.Yves's face was as stern as ever, but if she looked really close, she could catch a tiny smile in his eyes. It was faint, but it was definitely there.He helped Kelly sit up and untied the ropes from her wrists. As soon as she was free, Kelly scooted away from Yves and perched on the edge of the bed.Yves's eyes flickered for a moment, but then he scoffed, "Kelly, you're a smart girl. You know that if I set my mind to something, I can make it happen, right?"Kelly scowled
"I can see it perfectly!" Kelly said, her eyes wide and serious. "You don't have to keep telling me. I'm not the same Kelly I was four years ago. I won't get upset by what you say. Yves, let me tell you one more time, if you want to deal with your problems with the Hoffman family and Charles the right way, I won't get in your way. But if you try to use my sister, I'll never let you off the hook!"Kelly's eyes lost their sparkle for a moment, and as she looked down, she bit Yves' hand hard.Yves' eyes turned steely, but he took the bite without flinching. Kelly did not realize how strong her bite was until she tasted something metallic and sweet. She looked up and saw Yves' eyes, hard and sharp like carved jade, dangerous enough to take down anyone.Kelly shuddered. Looking down, she saw Yves' hand was stained red, but he stared at her as if he did not feel a thing. "I won't let the Hoffman family off the hook, and I definitely won't let you go. So you can forget about trying to esca
"Are you Yves or Jacob?"Kelly's words made the air grow tense. Yves stared at her so intensely that her heart started to race. She tried to speak, but Yves's chilling look silenced her.Yves held her gaze. When she tried to run, he caught her hand and held her tight. "Who told you? Huh?"His voice was dark and frightening, making Kelly feel scared. This was not the man she knew.She wanted to run away, but Yves was not about to let her."Simon?"Kelly shook her head. "Let me go!""Is that Simon?" Yves stared at Kelly with icy eyes. "I can't believe you know someone from the York family!"Kelly heard that and shook her head like crazy. "No, I don't know any Simon. I really don't!""You don't know him? Then who just walked in, huh?" No one but Simon could get here, and nobody in the York family could find this place except Simon.Simon usually did not bother with such things, so Yves was puzzled why Simon would get involved. "He came for you, so why didn't you leave with him?"
As Kelly slipped into unconsciousness, she heard Simon's promise. "Next time, I'll take you with me!"Simon had barely finished speaking when a shadowy figure appeared, moving with lightning speed. Simon parried a few blows, but the attacker, wearing a silver mask, was relentless. With a frown, Simon dropped Kelly to the ground. The masked man caught her just in time, cradling her gently.When the man looked up again, Simon was gone. Beneath the mask, his face was dark and foreboding. He gazed down at the unconscious Kelly, holding her close and pressing her head to his chest as if she were a precious treasure. It was as if holding her was the only way to confirm she was really there.Kelly thought she had been dreaming, a really long dream where she tried to run away, but Yves was always right behind her, making it so she could not get away. When she got too tired to run, Yves held her close, his kiss icy on her lips, his eyes sharp. He touched her cheek softly, but his words were
Simon was the surprised one now. His sly eyes took in Kelly, clearly amazed to find someone who bore such a striking resemblance to Noelle.He examined Kelly's face as if trying to figure something out. "You two look alike, but you have such different energies. Your personalities don't seem to match either. And..." His eyes dropped to Kelly's belly. "You're not expecting."Kelly was taken aback at first, but then she faced Simon with a question of her own. "Who are you? How do you know Noelle?"Simon chuckled. "I should ask you the same. Who might you be, and what brings you to this villa?"Kelly did not sense any harm from the stranger, but she did not care for the way Simon spoke. "I asked you first."Simon rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "How intriguing!"Kelly was getting annoyed. "Who are you, and what are you doing here?" She glanced outside and noticed a servant lying unconscious on the ground. "Did you do that?”Simon's eyebrow quirked up. "Yes!"Once Simon released her,
Kelly woke up and was surprised to see how late it was. She felt a little annoyed and said, "I'm going to change my clothes. You go down first, okay?"Once the servant had left, Kelly hurried to the bathroom to freshen up and get dressed. Then, she headed downstairs.Walking slowly, Kelly felt a sharp pain with each step, which made her wince. She glanced at the servant beside her, but he just kept looking forward, not noticing her discomfort. "Madam, your meal is ready," he said."Don't call me 'Madam’!" Kelly snapped. "Call me Ms. Anderson. I have nothing to do with your 'Sir’!"The servant gave her a strange look and repeated, "Madam, please."Kelly took a deep breath, trying to calm her anger. She knew arguing was pointless. The servant would not listen, so she let it go.After dinner, Kelly felt uneasy. She had not seen Yves for hours, and he did not show up at night either. That made her feel worried, though she could not quite pinpoint why.The night passed without any