The thought of Noelle with some other dude, and maybe even getting cozy with him, set Xavier's blood on fire. He could not keep a lid on his temper."Who was it? Who was the guy who dropped you off that day?"Xavier's grip on Noelle's wrist was iron-tight as he spat out, "You had the nerve to say Winter and I did you wrong. Looks to me like you've been playing us all along. Noelle, you're making me sick.""That’s a bunch of lies." Noelle's wrist was trapped in Xavier's vice-like hold, and she could not wriggle free. She tried to pry his fingers off with her other hand, but he was just too strong. "Xavier, let go! Have you lost your mind?""Have I lost my mind? Yes, I'm pissed! I camped out at your door for hours, and you called the cops on me. Noelle, do you even have a heart? Sure, I messed up, but I said I was sorry. I came to check on you because I was worried, and instead of hearing me out, you get the police involved and accuse me of harassment.""Wasn't it harassment?" Noell
Noelle was truly taken aback by Xavier's behavior. It was obviously him and Winter who wronged her, but somehow, she had been twisted into the one to blame.Noelle shot Xavier a withering look. "I'm going to act like today never happened. I won't tell a soul, but don’t pull this again, okay?" She tossed these words over her shoulder as she breezed past him and out the door.Xavier's gaze lingered on Noelle's fading silhouette. The sweet scent that lingered when he had held her earlier left him momentarily lost in thought. Noelle always smelled amazing. Back when things were good between them, he would hold her hand, and they would walk for hours on end together.His hands balled into fists, his eyes reddening with intensity.Noelle was his. She had to be his. Even if his feelings had changed, she was meant to be with him and only him!Noelle rushed upstairs, feeling a wave of nausea at the memory of Xavier's embrace. She dropped her bag and made a beeline for the bathroom, scrubbi
"Morning!" Noelle greeted with a smile, tapping her desk."Frank, step into my office, will you?"Frank had been Noelle's right-hand man until a year ago, when she was sent on an assignment away from the office. In her absence, Frank had been reassigned. Now that Noelle was back, she was ready to bring her team together again.Frank blinked in surprise at her invitation, quickly straightening the papers on his desk before responding, "Sure thing!"Once inside the office, Frank asked, "What's up, Ms. Shaw? Did you need something?""No big deal," Noelle said casually, leaning back in her chair. "I just wanted to check in with you. Are you still on board with becoming my assistant again?"Frank paused, his eyes suddenly misty, "I was worried you didn't need me anymore."Noelle chuckled, a playful arch in her brow, "Why would you think that? I'd be lost without you!" Frank had always been a stellar assistant, organized and reliable. Noelle knew her year-long absence might have left hi
"To be honest, I'm having a hard time believing it myself, but this is what I stumbled upon this morning. Please, take a look," Noelle said, highlighting several problems. "Orders from Collosus Group have dropped off suddenly, and our products in department stores are being sent back."Noelle paused, "It might not look like much right now, but at this rate, I'm worried there could be some serious issues brewing at Collosus Group."At the mention of Collosus Group, Joseph and the other directors' faces darkened.Some in the room might not have been aware, but the chairman and directors knew all too well. Without Collosus Group's support over the years, Frotconn would never have grown so large. Orders from Collosus Group were their lifeline.When Noelle dropped that bombshell, truth or not, it rang alarm bells in Joseph’s head. Noelle's comment was like a public diss to Joseph and the crew in the middle of the company's morning meeting. "Ms. Shaw, what are you saying? We've had noth
In Joseph's office, a shadow of concern crossed his face. The issue Noelle brought up at today's meeting had him sending people to dig up some information. It turned out Collosus Group had been cutting back on their orders, and it had been going on for a while. However, it was only getting serious now.Joseph could not figure out what game Collosus Group was playing. In the past, even if the books did not balance, they had never meddled. Frotconn was its own thing, and barely connected to Collosus Group. The only reason they ever backed him was because he once helped out a kid from the Hoffman family, which had earned Frotconn some brownie points.Joseph thought that favor would carry Frotconn forever, but now it looked like Collosus Group might be cutting them loose."Dad, what's the deal here?" Xavier was just as baffled about Collosus Group's motives. "What's up with that Charles guy?"Mentioning Charles brought a scowl to Xavier's face, mixed with a hint of fear and distaste.
Ronald watched Charles's retreating figure, a smirk playing on his lips. "You've got it, Mr. Hoffman!"Charles's smile was a mix of amusement and challenge. "Joseph's not ready for the big leagues. Going public?" He shook his head. "We'll just have to wait and see.""Right," Ronald agreed, then paused, a new concern flickering in his eyes. "About Ms. Shaw..."Charles spun around, his gaze sharp as it landed on Ronald. Ronald froze, his throat suddenly dry. "Your wife, uh, she went to work at Frotconn today.""Hmm?" Charles quirked an eyebrow, "Just say it!""Mr. Lambert was giving her trouble," Ronald said, eyeing Charles warily, though he could not help but wonder why Mr. Hoffman had been acting so oddly. Was Ms. Shaw actually Mr. Hoffman's other half?"Mr. Lambert?" Charles's eyes narrowed, "What kind of trouble?""It looked like there was a mess with Frotconn's finances. The lady must have picked up on something. She dropped a hint during the morning meeting, and right after,
"Why, am I not allowed to call my wife?" Charles's voice had a teasing edge, as if he was playfully challenging her. "You sound like you're not exactly thrilled to hear from me."Noelle was at a loss for words for a moment. "You can't even see my face, so how would you know if I'm thrilled or not? And about my tone..." She sighed, a mix of exasperation and affection in her voice. "Look, I'm at work. What's this really about?""Swamped, huh?" Charles juggled his phone in one hand and a pen in the other, signing off on a stack of papers. His eyes flicked down, caught something that made him pause, and his mood dropped. He shot a glare at his secretary. "Get the finance chief in here, now!"Noelle heard that and said, "Looks like you're the one who's tied up! If you're too busy, I'm just gonna hang up!""Wait!" Charles cut Noelle off, "How'd you figure I'm busy? Just give me a second!" Without waiting for a reply, he slammed the phone down and drummed his fingers on the desk, fixing h
Noelle instinctively shook her head before realizing that they were on a call and Charles could not actually see her. She paused, thinking about it. She might not have seen this side of Charles before, but she knew the kind of man he was. The rumors in Brookville were enough to paint a picture. With that thought, everything clicked into place.Charles was the head honcho of a big-time company and had skills others could only dream of. It all added up. "Nope."Charles's laughter came through again, light and easy. "Good to hear I didn't spook you!""So, what's up? Why'd you call?" Noelle had not forgotten that Charles was the one who called her up.Charles squinted thoughtfully for a moment. "Oh, nothing much. Just wondering when you're clocking out. I’m thinking about dinner. Do you wanna eat in or go out?"Noelle was speechless for a second... He called just to chat about dinner plans? "Mr. Hoffman, just a heads-up, you're supposed to be working right now."Charles's laugh was k
The woman with Joanna gushed, "You're so lucky! Your boyfriend Sean is so handsome and rich, and your future mother-in-law adores you too!""Please, you're making me blush. Sean and I aren't even official yet." Joanna laughed off the compliment."It's only a matter of time. Everyone at the hospital knows you two are an item. And your future mother-in-law is so generous, showering you with gifts. You wouldn't believe how many people are green with envy!""You're making it sound too good to be true!"As Liliana overheard Joanna and the woman's conversation about Sean, she felt like a creep for eavesdropping.Yes, Sean had been with Joanna for a while. Where did that leave Liliana?She had been with Sean, which explained why he was so cold that day. He must have really disliked her, or else it would not have made sense.Liliana squeezed her hands together, trying hard not to eavesdrop on Joanna and the other woman's chat. However, their words floated to her ears, every single one c
Adalee had braced herself for tough negotiations, but to her surprise, they were ready to shake hands on the deal he moment she stepped into the other company's office. The previous unreasonable demands were gone. They were going to work together just like they had before.Even though Adalee thought it was odd, she was just glad there were no hiccups in the partnership. She signed the contract and decided to give Liliana some time off, hoping it would help her shake off the blues from that unhappy evening.Ever since Liliana came back from Cascade City, she had been quiet. Her life was work, work, and nothing but work. She did not go out, not even when Tania tried to coax her into hanging out.Tania could tell something was off with Liliana, but Liliana clammed up whenever she asked, saying she was swamped with work and had no spare time.Liliana had even forgotten about the date with Keith she had planned to arrange after her business trip.Her routine was simple: she would work
Adalee had just stepped out of her room when she ran into Sean. Sean's face was stormy as he walked past, not even noticing Adalee."Mister..." Adalee called, but Sean did not even look back.Adalee's brows knitted together in worry. She rushed to Liliana's door and called, "Liliana? Liliana?"Adalee did not hear Liliana answer, so she knocked again. "Liliana, are you in there?"After Sean left, Liliana could not stop the tears from coming. However, she did not let herself cry loudly. It was just a quiet, steady sob.When she heard the knock at the door, Liliana quickly stopped crying.She bit her lip, hurried to put on her clothes, and dried her eyes.Adalee waited outside, not leaving before she heard from Liliana. Liliana had no choice but to open the door.As soon as Adalee saw her, she noticed her red, puffy eyes and the marks on her face and neck. "Liliana, what's wrong?"Remembering the drink Liliana had taken for her sake the previous night, Adalee gasped and grabbed h
Disgust—that was it.She remembered a similar desperate moment from years ago. However, Sean had not given her a chance to explain back then.He was disappointed and disgusted with her."Sean, only you and I know about today. If we keep it to ourselves, no one else will find out. I know I was wrong… but I was set up. I'm truly sorry."I promise I won't bother you again. I'm not the same as I was before. I used to have feelings for you, but now I really just see you as a brother. I wouldn't fall for my own brother."And I have a boyfriend whom I really love… I wouldn't ever ruin your happiness, Sean. I promise you that."Liliana was trying to explain, but her words were all jumbled up. She did not even understand what she was saying herself. All she knew was that she did not want to see that look of disgust in Sean's eyes, so she kept explaining, hoping Sean would not hate her.Liliana was so busy trying to clarify things that she did not notice the icy look in Sean's eyes when s
Liliana woke up feeling utterly spent, as if she had been run over.For a moment, her mind was totally blank. She could not remember a thing. She opened her eyes and stared at the ceiling for what felt like forever. Slowly, her senses started to come back.The warm breath and steady breathing from beside her made her eyes pop open wide.The moment she saw Sean lying next to her and shirtless, she could not stay calm any longer. "Ahh!"Her scream woke Sean up.He cracked his eyes open, still groggy, but then suddenly, his eyes snapped wide open, and his piercing gaze landed on Liliana.Her mind was a whirlwind, the memories of last night rushing back. She remembered being drugged, Sean bringing her home, and then, despite trying so hard to hold back, she ended up crossing a line with Sean.The thought made her heart ache, almost drowning her as she met Sean's icy stare.She wrapped her arms around herself, clutching the blanket tightly. She was shaking all over, and her eyes wer
Liliana was crying so hard that she could not think of anything else. All she knew was that she felt awful, and Sean was the man she loved more than anyone else in her life. She hugged Sean tightly, tears streaming down her face. "Liliana, please stop," Sean said gently. He tried to move her hands away, but she held on even tighter. "Sean, I feel so sad… I really like you, Sean," she said through her tears. Sean pried Liliana's hands off him, but she clung to him again. "Sean, I feel awful… I… I like you, Sean."She bit his lips, her hands desperately roaming over his body.Sean was a man, after all. The moment Liliana started touching him so recklessly, his body responded.However, he had always been a man of strong self-control. He pushed her away countless times, but Liliana crawled back each time, whimpering as she restlessly clung to him.Sean's expression darkened. It was not because of Liliana—it was because of himself.He could not believe it. He was actually having
Liliana's mind was a whirlwind. She found her key card fast, but just as she was about to shut the door, a big hand stopped it.She was not strong enough to close the door against Sean, who pushed it open.Liliana took a shaky step back, looking at Sean with a bit of fear. "Sean, it's late. I need to sleep."Sean just kept looking at her. "Liliana, what... what's wrong with your mouth?" he asked as he reached out, his fingers lightly touching the corner of Liliana's mouth. Liliana felt a rush of heat through her body, making her shake all over.In a swift motion, she knocked Sean's hand away. "Leave me alone."With his inscrutable eyes, Sean noticed the blood on his thumb and Liliana's unusual red cheeks. A flicker of surprise showed in his eyes. "Liliana, did..."However, Liliana was already clenching her fists, all pretense gone. She was shaking and crouching on the ground, her tears filling her eyes. "Sean, please. I'm begging you, just go, okay?"Sean's brow furrowed. His
Liliana could not make out what Sean was saying anymore. She felt awful and shut her eyes tight, not wanting Sean to notice.Sean thought Liliana had dozed off from drinking too much and had a headache, so he stopped talking.The car pulled up to Liliana's hotel, and Sean gently shook her. "Liliana, time to wake up. We're here."Liliana slowly opened her eyes and saw Sean's face close to hers. Her heart, which was already fluttering, started racing.She turned her head away, swallowing hard. "Are we here already?"Once she saw they were outside the hotel, Liliana quickly got out of the car and opened the back door to help Adalee. "Ms. Cobb, can you walk?"Adalee nodded. "Yes, I can."With a sigh of relief, Liliana told Sean, "Sean, we've made it. Ms. Cobb and I will head up now."Liliana rushed off, scared that any delay might make her lose her composure. She could not let herself fall apart in front of Sean again—not after what happened years ago.Sean noticed Liliana rushing
The moment everyone in the private room saw Bob, they were scared out of their wits.It was Andy, the favorite son of the Jones family in Cascade City! Even though he was the second child, he was the one everyone knew would run the company one day.Everyone felt a wave of relief, glad they had not messed with Liliana earlier. They knew that if they had, they would not just be outcasts in Cascade City, but probably everywhere else too.Sean gently put Adalee in the back seat of the car and then helped Liliana into the front seat. Noticing Liliana's pale face, he asked, "Did you have too much to drink?"When Sean touched her forehead, Liliana felt a wave of heat rush through her, like she was on fire. Sean's hand was cool, and the moment it touched her, she could not help but sigh in relief."Maybe," she said.Sean shook his head. "Where's your hangover pill? Take it now. Where do you live?"After Liliana told him the address, she saw that Adalee was already fast asleep.Sean tur