The next day, Noelle worked for half the day before heading to the airport to pick up George. Since Charles was caught up with some last-minute work, Noelle dragged Arya along to help her welcome George. After getting him settled in, Noelle was planning to head back to the office with Arya when Charles called her. "Head to the airport again and pick someone up for me.""The airport? Right now?" Noelle exclaimed in surprise. "I've already picked up Mr. Click. Who else is coming?""Tania!"The moment Charles said that, Noelle nearly slammed on the gas pedal. She thought she must have misheard him. "Did you just say Tania? Tania's coming back? She's… already…"Noelle had assumed it would take some time; she had not expected it to happen so quickly."Yeah, the people in Carvonia said her flight left yesterday. It should be landing in about two hours. I'm tied up here, so I need you to go."Charles had just received the notice himself, but he could not leave his work, so he called N
Peter narrowed his eyes, and the cold air around him made Noelle shiver involuntarily. She gulped nervously, feeling somewhat helpless. "Peter, you still care about Tania, don't you? You've waited for her for three years. Why risk messing up this moment?"Noelle could see clearly that Peter had deep feelings for Tania. Otherwise, he would not have waited for her for so long.Peter remained silent, and Noelle felt too awkward to continue speaking. The two stood by the gate, waiting.To ease the awkwardness, Noelle pulled out her phone and sent Charles a crying emoji, typing: [Peter has some serious connections!]Almost as soon as Noelle sent the message, Charles gave a simple reply, indicating that he was busy. Noelle responded: [Alright, you go ahead and busy yourself, then. I'm at the airport with Peter!]Peter glanced down at her. "Reporting to Charles?"Noelle jolted as if caught red-handed. She awkwardly tugged at her lips into a smile. "I didn't mean anything by it!""M
"Peter!" Noelle had not expected things to escalate like this, nor had she anticipated that Tania had a son—an adorable little boy.Seeing the tension between Peter and Tania, Noelle quickly intervened, "Aren't we here to pick up Tania?"Peter snapped out of it, loosening his grip slightly. "Yes, we're here to pick her up."Tania frowned. Her gaze shifted to Noelle, her eyes full of scrutiny. She tightened her hold on Brandon.She had not expected that after three years apart, she would meet Peter under these circumstances—and worse, he now had someone new by his side. It was clear he treated this woman differently from others.Noelle smiled awkwardly. "You're Tania, right? Hi, I'm Noelle Shaw, I'm—""There's no need," Tania interrupted, her voice cold. "I'm not interested in knowing who you are. Besides, I didn't come back to see any of you."She set Brandon down. "Brandon, let's go meet your grandparents."Noelle had not expected such a response from Tania and could sense a b
Brandon was frightened by Peter's overwhelming presence and shrank into Tania's arms. "Mommy!""Brandon, it's okay. Don't be scared." Tania patted his back, then looked up coldly at Peter. "Mr. Lennon, if death is the only way to sever ties with you, then go ahead and die."Her eyes were completely devoid of emotion. She turned to Noelle and said, "Ms. Shaw, could you please take me to the hospital to see my parents first? Then, I'll go back to Phoenix Tree Residence.""Alright, my car is just outside. Let's go," Noelle shot Peter a glance, silently urging him not to cause trouble.She then helped Tania with her luggage and led the way. "You carry Brandon, and I'll take the luggage. My car is just out front.""Thank you, Ms. Shaw." Now that Tania knew Noelle was Charles' wife, her attitude softened considerably, though she still eyed Noelle with some suspicion.Noelle loaded Tania's luggage into the trunk and opened the backseat door for her. "I'm sorry my car is a bit small. I d
Tania's face turned slightly pale, and she lowered her head. "Don't mention Peter to me…""And this child…" Noelle glanced at the sleeping Brandon in Tania's arms. "His father—""He's not Peter's!" Tania quickly cut her off. "I got married in Carvonia."Noelle was taken aback, and her grip on the steering wheel nearly slipped. She glanced at Tania with a conflicted expression, finding it hard to comprehend. "But you and Peter…""It ended between us three years ago," Tania replied, clearly not wanting to discuss Peter anymore. Noelle, sensing the tension, wisely did not push further.When they arrived at Sean's hospital, Tania carefully got out of the car while carrying Brandon. Seeing how exhausted Tania looked, Noelle offered, "Let me carry him. You've been carrying him the entire way.""No…" Tania began to refuse, but before she could finish, a pair of strong hands lifted Brandon from her arms."Peter, what are you doing?" Tania exclaimed in shock when she saw it was him. "Giv
Peter knew he should be furious. Tania had been gone for three years and seven months, and now, her child was already this big.It was clear that she got married and had a child right after leaving Brookville. Despite his anger, the moment he saw Tania, all those feelings evaporated—especially as he carried the child she had with another man.Strangely, he felt his heart racing.'Peter, do you have a self-destructive streak?' he silently mocked himself. However, when he looked down at Brandon's innocent, sleeping face, all the resentment in him seemed to fade away.Tania had been watching Peter carrying Brandon the entire time, and the expression on her face grew increasingly tense."Tania?" Noelle noticed that something was off with Tania's emotions.Following her gaze to Peter, who was cradling Brandon so carefully, and seeing the look on Tania's face, Noelle said, "Don't worry. He won't harm Brandon. I haven't known Peter for very long, but I can tell that he has never stopped
Sean gave Peter a sympathetic look and then clucked his tongue twice, as if surveying Peter's face. This was the face of a cuckolded man.Peter narrowed his eyes. "Sean, are you itching for a beating?"Sean immediately stood up straight and distanced himself just to be safe. "Heh, it's not me who wronged you, so why give me that look? But this kid..." Sean examined the situation, feeling something was off.Peter grew impatient. "Are you that free?""Of course not! I've got plenty of work to do. Well, good luck to you." Sean patted Peter's shoulder in sympathy. Then, with a shake of his head and a sigh, he walked away.If Tania had really gotten married and the child was not Peter's, then Peter's chances of winning her back were slim to none. Though Peter was the type of person who always got what he wanted, Tania was not just anyone—she was Charles' cousin.That alone made things complicated. Peter could not just do as he pleased with her. If he tried to break up her marriage, it
Peter clenched his fists tightly."Brandon looks a lot like you," Noelle remarked with a smile. During Peter's moment of hesitation, Noelle gently took Brandon from his arms.As Brandon stirred, looking like he was about to wake up, Noelle softly hummed to soothe him. Brandon smacked his lips, found a comfortable position, and drifted back to sleep.Peter's gaze softened as he looked at Brandon's small face.Noticing Peter's change in expression, Noelle smiled. "There's a bond that comes from blood, something that can't be easily severed. If Brandon were someone else's child, would you be furious, Peter?"Peter was stunned for a moment, and something seemed to click in his mind. He smirked. "You're too observant, Noelle.""It's just that when we care, we get blinded." Noelle patted Brandon's small arm as she continued to rock him gently. She glanced toward the hospital ward. "Instead of lingering out here, maybe you should focus on what you need to do right now."Peter nodded, l
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