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
"Got it!" Noelle hung up quickly and fixed her gaze on the unexpected visitor, squinting slightly, "Mr. Harris, did you need me?"Meanwhile, Charles, who had just ended the call, still had a playful smile lingering in his eyes. He swiped at his phone screen, but soon, the smile vanished. "Enter!"Ronald walked in with Jenson, "Mr. Hoffman, Mr. Lowry has arrived.""Right!" Charles acknowledged with a nod and gave Ronald a look. Ronald understood. "I’ve got stuff to handle, so I’m heading out."Once Ronald was gone, Charles tossed his phone aside and relaxed on the couch, coolly eyeing Jenson. Jenson was drenched in sweat. He had been warned on his way over, since Ronald had escorted out Joey from the secretarial team. As to where Joey was brought, that was anybody's guess.Jenson was a bundle of nerves the entire way, but Charles would not throw him a bone. The trek from the finance department to the big boss's office was not exactly a marathon, but it sure felt like an eternity. H
"Really?" Charles stood abruptly, yanking a paper from the pile behind him. "I didn't come here to listen to your excuses. You seem to be in the dark on how I operate. Since I've brought you in, it's clear—you're out of the Collosus Group.""Mr. Hoffman!" Jenson's legs turned to jelly, and he nearly dropped to his knees, "Mr. Hoffman, I admit it, I messed up! I was backed into a corner, you know? I've got my aging parents and my kids to look after, and sure, being the finance chief sounds like a sweet gig, but... it takes guts to do this job! I was desperate. My mom's sick in the hospital with heart disease, she needs a transplant, and I was out of options."Charles gave Mr. Lowry an icy stare. "I gave you a chance to come clean, and you wasted it!" With that, Charles hit the intercom button, and Ronald was in the room in a flash. "Mr. Hoffman, Joey's spilled the beans. A bunch of those phony accounts never reached you, so things were smooth sailing until now."A smirk played on Cha
Ronald had just come back when he spotted Charles gazing out the towering window, lost in thought. Clearing his throat to announce his presence, Ronald caught Charles's attention.Charles shot a brief look at Ronald, who snapped to attention. "The guy's been taken care of, but Mr. Hoffman, are we good to go with this?""Why wouldn't we be?" Charles strolled over to his desk, picked up a cigarette, and rolled it between his fingers without lighting it. "It's high time we dealt with this. Letting it drag on isn't doing us any favors."Charles was the kind of guy who liked to get things done in one fell swoop since it was less hassle that way. "He's so fond of making moves, so let's give him a grand one to think about."Ronald sensed that Charles was dead set on taking Robert down this time. Things seemed to be moving faster than expected, and he could not quite catch Charles's drift. "You said before that you'd let him keep hopping around for a bit. I thought you weren't going to tou
"Why should you tell me? It's work time, Noelle. Check that attitude," Xavier snapped, his voice taking on an edge. "Do you even care about this place?""I don't have to prove anything to you about my commitment here. If you don't need anything, Mr. Harris, I've got work to do," Noelle shot back, her voice icy.Her impatience was the last straw for Xavier. He grabbed her hand hard, forcing her to face him. "Noelle, we're at the office, and I'm the boss here!""Okay, Mr. Harris, what's the big deal? Tell me!" Noelle said with a frosty laugh. "Hey, we can talk without you grabbing my hand, right?" She clenched her teeth and said, "Let go!"After a struggle, she finally wrenched her hand free. Staring at the red marks Xavier's grip left, Noelle felt a surge of annoyance. "You were saying, Mr. Harris?""Do we really have to be like this, Noelle?""Not talking? Then I'm going back to work!" Noelle obviously did not want to keep bickering with Xavier, not here in the office with everyo
"Yeah, I'm on the road. How about you?" Noelle asked. "I'll be there in half an hour or so.""Yeah, I'm out too. Let's meet up!"Half an hour later, Noelle spotted Charles chilling by the mall entrance, with no car in sight. She stepped out of the car. "Where's your car?""Ronald drove it off." Charles said with an easy grin, one hand chilling in his pocket. His smile was like a warm spring day, totally disarming.Noelle paused, a hand to her forehead, "Oh!" She could not help but think Charles was playing dirty with a smile like that. She never knew a guy could look so good just by smiling.Charles narrowed his eyes, catching Noelle's vibe, a spark of mischief in his gaze. "You don't seem too thrilled.""No way!" Noelle laughed awkwardly, "You're totally seeing things!""I guess I must be," Charles said with a playful smile, "Looks like I'll have to ask you for a lift home then, Mrs. Hoffman!"Noelle was speechless for a moment... Was he for real? "You can just call me Noelle.
It took Noelle a while to catch the hidden meaning in Charles's words. By the time she pieced it together, the moment had slipped away, and she could not find a decent excuse to circle back to that conversation.They walked into the mall and made a beeline for the fresh produce. Noelle usually cooked at home. She rarely went to the mall for groceries, usually sticking to the local market. However, with her job eating up her time, her pots and pans were gathering dust.Charles was in his element, unlike Noelle. Following him through the aisles, Noelle felt that familiar tug of something more than admiration for this guy.She could not put her finger on it, but Charles was not like any rich kid she had ever met. He had this air of elegance and a cool charm but with a sly twist. He had the polish of the well-off without the usual arrogance.Noelle was at a loss for words. However, if anything, Charles was one of a kind.Charles, leading the way with the shopping cart, noticed Noelle
"Oops!" Noelle carefully put back the extra items she had grabbed, "So now we... Ouch!"Before Noelle could finish her sentence, she was jolted by a shopping cart that a customer had accidentally let go of. The cart had come out of nowhere, and even Charles, with his ninja-like reflexes, could not catch it in time.Charles, with a swift move, pulled Noelle out of harm's way, but the cart clipped him, causing his ankle to twist.Noelle inhaled sharply, the throbbing pain in her calf forcing her to clench her teeth.Charles caught the pained look on Noelle's face and quickly shoved the cart aside, crouching down to massage the spot where she had been struck. "How are you? Does it hurt much?"The spot where Charles's hands were was tender, but Noelle shook her head. "I'm fine, really!""Are you sure you're okay? I'm so sorry!" A woman, clutching her child, hurried over, her face awash with remorse. "I was watching my little one and didn't see the cart get away from me. I'm terribly
Noelle gave Charles a reassuring smile. "I just can't sit still. Dr. Ellison said this is normal and suggested I move around more. You go ahead and focus on your work!"Charles smiled back before lowering his head to continue working.When Ronald entered, he saw a peaceful scene. Noelle was leaning against the couch, holding a project file that she had read halfway through. However, her head was tilting forward slightly as if she had dozed off.Charles, who was seated at his desk, was busy writing. He would still occasionally glance up to check on Noelle. Seeing that she had fallen asleep and her head was slumping awkwardly, he quietly stood up.He carefully removed the file from her hands and gently supported her waist to lay her flat on the couch.Ronald knocked lightly before stepping in, just in time to witness Charles' meticulous movements. He was so delicate and protective, treating Noelle as if she were a priceless treasure.Unintentionally, Ronald found himself mimicking
Although Noelle had confidently agreed to help Arya earlier, deep down, she was not entirely sure of herself. She was worried Charles might insist on not letting her participate.Hearing him say this now, she smiled brightly. "Charlie, does this mean you agree?""Do I have a choice? Look at you, acting so aggrieved as if I bullied you!" Charles sighed, clearly unable to resist her. "But let's set some ground rules. You can give suggestions and handle simpler tasks, but don't overstep or get too involved. And absolutely no site inspections. Understood?""Got it! I know my limits. Don't worry," Noelle replied earnestly, knowing she had to keep her word since Charles had granted her some leeway."I'll just handle the preliminary work. Arya mentioned Mr. Parker is away on a business trip. Though others have been assigned to help, Arya hasn't been able to coordinate well with them, so they've been more of a hindrance than a help. That's why I decided to step in!"Charles nodded and gla
"Hm?" Charles raised an eyebrow, his gaze landing on the file in Noelle's hand.With a swift motion, he took the file and saw it was a project proposal. His eyes shifted back to Noelle's face. "What's this?""Ah, I…" Noelle had been so focused on calming Charles down that she had not expected to get caught so quickly. Laughing nervously, she wrapped her arms around Charles' neck. "Hehe, I hadn't visited the project department in a while, so I went to take a look, and, uh…""And then you assigned yourself a major project?" Charles lifted the proposal, his gaze steady and fixed on her.Noelle bit her lip, her eyebrows knitting together. "Are you mad?""Do you even care if I'm mad or not?" Charles retorted, making Noelle feel even more conflicted. "Of course, I care!""Then why didn't you stay in the office like I told you to?""Charlie, I'm sorry!" Noelle stuck out her tongue, realizing Charles might actually be upset. She pressed her forehead against his, trying to appease him.
"Yeah!" Arya sighed in frustration. "I have no idea when Mr. Parker will be back!""Let me take this one!" Noelle said, pulling one of the files from Arya's desk. "If you trust me, that is.""Of course, of course. How could I not trust you? I know how good you are at this. But will Mr. Hoffman let you work on it?""It's fine. I'm just killing time anyway. Whether I do this or something else in his office, it's all the same!"Noelle glanced at her watch and realized it was getting late. She patted Arya on the shoulder. "I need to go now, or Charlie won't bring me along next time."Noelle took the proposal into the elevator, and just as the doors closed, her phone rang. It was Charles. "Where are you?""Oh, I got bored, so I wandered around downstairs. I'm heading back up now!" Noelle replied, watching the floor numbers tick upward. "A few more floors. Charlie, are you done with the meeting?""Mhmm," Charles responded, raising an eyebrow. He glanced around before settling back int
"Without a word?" Noelle blinked in surprise. "Didn't I tell Mr. Parker? Where is he?""Don't even mention him right now," Arya grumbled. "Mr. Parker is on a business trip, and guess what? He left me to clean up this mess!"She glanced around at Noelle with mock exasperation. "You don't seem like anything's wrong, yet the rumors about you at the company have been absolutely wild. Where have you been?""Don't worry about me. What's keeping you so busy?"Arya pointed at the pile of documents on the desk. "Look at all this!" She scratched her head in frustration. "Honestly, I feel like I'm drowning. Sure, Mr. Parker reassigned some people to help before he left, but it's still overwhelming. Now, I truly understand just how helpful you were."Noelle walked over, casually flipping through the files and noticing numerous project proposals. "Are these all for this year?""Yeah!" Arya sighed, visibly stressed. "I think our department is seriously understaffed, and then you just vanished
Noelle knew her question was a bit rude, especially since Grant was Kelly's brother. Asking something like that seemed strange, but she could not stop herself—it just naturally came out. Deep down, Noelle always felt that Grant and Kelly were too different to be siblings.…Meanwhile, Grant stared at the message Noelle had sent, his expression softening with a faint smile. His slender fingers brushed against the screen, lightly tracing over the words. The smile in his eyes deepened.Kresten, standing across from him, could not help but shiver at Grant's smile but dared not comment.[She's going back.] Grant then pocketed his phone and looked up at Kresten. "Is everything ready?""It's all prepared, sir, but Ms. Kelly still refuses to leave," Kresten replied cautiously, glancing at Grant. As expected, Grant's expression darkened."She refuses? In that case, take Seth and leave without her!""But…" Kresten hesitated. Seth was still so young, and it seemed heartless to do this.
"Alright, alright. I won't wander off!" Noelle felt Charles was being overly clingy. "Now, go already!"Charles finally turned to Ronald and said, "Let's go."Ronald, who had been covering his face after witnessing Charles kiss Noelle, felt Charles' gaze sweep over him. It sent an inexplicable chill down his spine. Straightening up immediately, he responded, "Yes, sir!"As they exited, Charles could not help but give another instruction, "Have Becky assign someone to stay nearby. If Nelly needs anything, it should be handled immediately.""Yes, sir!"After Charles left, Noelle began aimlessly wandering around his office. She roamed back and forth a few times before realizing how bored she was. With nothing better to do, she picked up her phone and started browsing the internet.Since it was a weekday, Rowena was too busy to chat with her. Apparently, Rowena was tracking some big celebrity, with her editor pushing her to land a major headline this month. After cheering Rowena on
Previously, Charles did not live at the Hoffman residence for extended periods, so Maxwell could ignore most of his behavior. Now, however, with everyone under the same roof, Charles' actions clearly showed he had little regard for Maxwell's authority, leaving the old man feeling stifled.Maxwell wanted to blow up and scold Charles, that cheeky brat. However, considering Noelle's pregnancy and the need to ensure her safety, he swallowed his anger and held it in.He grumbled to himself before turning to head upstairs, muttering under his breath about how infuriating it all was.James followed behind Maxwell, glancing at him before looking back at Charles and Noelle, his lips curving into a helpless smile.Perhaps Maxwell had not even realized it himself, but he was no longer as resistant to Noelle as he used to be. His current actions practically screamed acceptance, even if he would not admit it.After finishing breakfast, Charles and Noelle headed to the company. Since Noelle was
Noelle opened her eyes. She took a sip of water to rinse her mouth before spitting it out.Just as she reached for the toothbrush, Charles instructed, "Open your mouth!" Without waiting, he began brushing her teeth himself.The cool sensation in her mouth jolted Noelle awake. She blinked a few times and then took the toothbrush from Charles' hand. "I can do it myself. You should brush your teeth too!""Alright."Noelle then brushed her teeth, her legs swinging slightly as she sat on the bathroom counter. She even turned her head to watch Charles.The window by the bathroom was slightly ajar, allowing the crisp morning air to seep in, carrying with it a refreshing coolness. Although spring had passed and summer had arrived, the early mornings were still a bit chilly.Noelle squinted her eyes against the sunlight. When Charles handed her the rinsing cup, she quickly rinsed her mouth and placed the cup down.She hopped off the sink, but Charles immediately caught her hand. "Be care