Noelle was not exactly thrilled by Charles's compliment. She gave a half-hearted smile and said, "So, is this the end of the road for Frotconn?"Charles took a moment, then looked at Noelle with a tilt of his head, a playful challenge in his gaze. "Why? Got a soft spot for it?"Noelle pressed her lips together, a little frustrated. "You know that's not what I’m saying." She tried to keep her feelings out of it but could not help asking, "Does it have to go down like this?""Stay out of the business stuff. There are things I cannot share with you," Charles replied firmly. "You'll be in the loop when you need to be.""Fine," Noelle conceded, letting the subject drop.Noelle could tell there was more to the story than Charles was letting on. It was not just one thing that had him so determined. She smiled half-heartedly. "If Frotconn goes under, what'll happen to me?""You're smart. You'll land on your feet," he said, tapping his knee as if to emphasize his point. "Take a left here.
Sean's grin was disarmingly innocent as he adjusted his glasses, looking innocent.Noelle forced a laugh, her nerves still jangled. The phrase 'wolf in sheep's clothing' popped into her head unbidden, and she could not help but think it was the perfect way to sum up Sean right then.Charles squinted, a frosty glint in his eyes, "Showing up unannounced?""Don't tell me my Noelle isn't happy to see me." Sean's eyes landed on Noelle with a playful smirk. "Hmm?"Noelle forced a laugh, "You two chat. I'll just be in the kitchen!"Charles caught Noelle's hand just in time. "You okay? You look a bit shaken."Noelle gulped, shaking her head, "I'm fine, really. I just got a little spooked, but I'm all good now!" She wriggled her hand free from Charles. "You can catch up with Sean, I'll get started on dinner!"Seeing Noelle practically bolt away as he opened his mouth to respond, Charles could not help but let out a stifled laugh.Sean, catching this rare sight, teased, "What's this? Try
'Got nothing to do with me? What are they talking about?' Noelle had just stepped out of the kitchen when she overheard Sean's comment. She stopped in her tracks. The sight of the massive, dark silhouette made her hesitate, and she stayed put.Arnold noticed Noelle's reluctance and let out a couple of sad howls, feeling totally rejected. He bounded over to her. Noelle, startled, quickly backed into the kitchen. "No, no, stay back!""Arnold!" Charles's voice was deep and icy, cutting through the air. Arnold froze, his four paws halting mid-stride. He turned to Charles with a look that screamed, 'I'm hurt.'Noelle could not help it. Arnold's dramatics cracked her up, and she let out a laugh.That was all Arnold needed. He perked up, howled joyfully, and dashed over to Charles, playfully tugging at the hem of his suit pants. He howled again, this time with a wag in his tail, as if to say, ‘See, she loves me!’Charles surveyed the scene—Noelle, Arnold, and Sean—with his piercing gaze,
Sean, of course, ended up staying for dinner.He could not stop raving about Noelle's cooking, and she blushed at the compliments. Post-dinner, Noelle tackled the dishes while Sean and Charles headed to the study upstairs to get down to business. Arnold, meanwhile, was huddled in a corner, his puppy-dog eyes fixed on the kitchen door, silently pleading for Noelle, the lady of the hour, to notice him.Once upstairs, Charles flicked a cigarette Sean's way. "Let's hear it."Sean smirked and let out a low chuckle. "You always know what's on my mind."Charles tapped his fingers on the chair, his expression tight, "Believe me, there's nothing I want less." He paused before adding, "So, what's the latest drama with the Smiths?""Oh, it's my cousin again!""Is it Andy?" Charles's lips curled into a half-smile, "What's he gotten himself into this time?""Who's Andy? The Smiths don't even recognize that name!" Sean said with a half-smile. Talking about his cousin could fill books. "Why'd
Sean closed his eyes for a moment, trying to let it go. "Okay, enough about that. I'm heading out in two days. Can you look after Arnold for me?" He got up to leave, then hesitated. "And my cousin... if he bothers you, just... try to cut him some slack, okay?"Charles nodded, giving Sean a quick look. "Just watch your back, alright?"Sean gave a half-smile, a hint of caution in his voice. "You've got to watch your back these days. I hear you're planning to take on Robert? He may not be a tiger, but watch out. Even a kitty can pack a punch!" Grabbing his suit jacket from the chair, Sean headed for the door and spotted Noelle with two bowls of gazpacho. "Is this for us?"Noelle nodded. "Try it!"Sean chuckled. "I'd love to, but I've got some loose ends to tie up at the hospital. Save it for a toast with my bro!""Sure thing. Catch you later!" Noelle replied with a warm smile, missing the stern look on Charles's face as Sean left.Turning around, Noelle found Charles holding her bow
"No!" Charles spoke with twinkling eyes, but his words were serious. "We all get the wrong impression of people sometimes." He smiled. "The important thing is that you see things clearer now!"Noelle bit her lip. Talking to Charles was like riding a roller coaster. The conversation could zoom off in any direction, and he had a way of making everything seem like just a game. She could not quite figure him out."Ever since I was little, I knew I couldn't be part of City Ring Corp., even though I didn't know why. But honestly, I didn't care much about it." Noelle paused. "Sometimes I wonder if all those things are really so important. My sister Winter and I never get along, and Xavier chose her over me because of all that stuff.""It's super important!" Charles said, tapping his fingers. "It's not that you don't care. You just think there's a limit to how much those things matter, especially when you compare them to family."Noelle looked up, surprised. "How did you know?"Charles gr
"Mr. Harris, Director Harris from Frotconn is waiting for you in your meeting room." Robert's secretary knocked on his door. "What should I tell him?""How long has he been waiting?" Robert put down his pen and glanced at his watch. "Tell him I'll be there in a moment.""Okay."Robert frowned as he looked over the report that had been brought up that morning, then at the document on his desk. He took a deep breath and headed to the meeting room.Robert was a very charming middle-aged man who still maintained the same sparkle he had as a youth. However, after years of being outmaneuvered by Charles at Collosus Group, he had aged quite a bit.When Robert opened the meeting room door, he saw Joseph quickly stand up, looking as if he was greeting someone very important. "Mr. Harris."Robert raised an eyebrow. "What brings you here?""I... I wanted to ask if there's been any trouble at Collosus Group lately."Robert quirked an eyebrow. "What prompted you to ask that?" He had not cau
With Joseph gone, Robert looked really upset. He picked up the phone and dialed a familiar number. "Get to my office now. I want to know everything that happened yesterday, down to the last detail!"Joseph stepped out of the Colossus Group building with a sinking feeling. He suddenly remembered that Jenson Lowry from Colossus Group was the head of the Finance Department. A jolt of fear ran through him. What if Jenson was in trouble? That would mean Robert could be in hot water too. The issues cropping up at Frotconn now were certainly no accident. He quickly dialed Xavier's number. "Stop working on Robert's shipment right now. If you can, destroy it all, and don't leave any evidence in writing."However, Joseph did not realize that he was only barely scraping the surface.Robert's secretary recounted every detail of the previous day's events to him. Robert's face turned a shade of stormy gray. "What have you been doing? Why didn't you tell me yesterday? Where's Jenson now?""W-
Sean emerged with a somber expression. "Margaret has confirmed that there's a fresh needle mark on Noelle's arm. That shadow from earlier must have injected something into her, which likely triggered her immediate symptoms."Charles clenched his fists, the sound of his knuckles cracking filling the tense air. "What's the plan?""Before the virus spreads too deeply, we could try using blood from Noelle's close relatives to extract certain components that might counteract it," Sean explained.Charles narrowed his eyes. "Be clearer. What are you suggesting?""This idea isn't fully tested. I only came across it in medical literature, and there's no guarantee it will work. If the virus hasn't invaded her bone marrow, we might still have a chance."Charles' expression eased slightly, but a hint of apprehension lingered. He glanced at Sean, who hesitated before continuing. "We need to call in Uncle Harrison and Shirley. Ideally, we should also bring Kelly here.""Fine!"Harrison arrive
"Make sure to cooperate well with Dr. Ellison, alright?"Charles leaned down, planting a soft kiss on Noelle's forehead before stepping out with Sean. "What's going on?"Outside, Peter, Tania, and Brandon were waiting. Brandon kept peeking into the room, and his curious eyes were wide with concern. "Uncle Charles, what's wrong with Aunt Noelle?"Charles' expression softened immediately. He reached out to tousle Brandon's hair gently. "Aunt Noelle is fine. She's just feeling a little sick.""Oh, then Bran will give Aunt Noelle some candy. If Auntie eats candy, she won't hurt anymore," Brandon said with childlike earnestness, pulling a few candies from his small bag and handing them to Charles."Uncle Charles, give these to Aunt Noelle!""Alright."Charles accepted the candies, his gaze drifting back to the room. He watched through the window as Noelle cooperated with Margaret's examination. His chest felt unbearably tight with worry."Have you figured out what to do yet?""Wh
"Mm, you didn't cry," Noelle said with a faint smile.Her face was still pale, but it was clear she had passed the peak of her pain.She placed her hands gently on Charles' face, slowly pulling herself up. After finding a comfortable position, she leaned into him, her head nuzzling against his chest like a mother soothing her child.Her delicate fingers traced the contours of his face. "You didn't cry."Charles could not help but tremble slightly. Lowering his gaze, he found Noelle looking up at him. She cupped his face with both hands, her body leaning closer, and her forehead was lightly pressing against his.She rubbed against him gently. "You were just worried about me," she said softly. Then, she placed a gentle kiss at the corner of his mouth."Our Charlie is the best, the strongest. How could he cry? Crying is my job."Noelle's smile was so tender and warm that it seemed to melt the storm brewing in Charles' heart.He carefully wrapped her in his arms, brushing his face
"She has the virus too?" Tania gasped sharply. She had never experienced an outbreak herself, so she did not realize how excruciating it could be. Seeing Noelle in such pain now, Tania froze. "Then, we...""Peter, take Tania and Bran outside!" Charles shot Peter a look. Peter nodded and led Tania out of the room.Charles took a deep breath, then grabbed Sean forcefully by the collar. "What do we do now?""Charles, calm down. Just calm down. I don't know the right treatment yet. I can only...""What did you just say? You don't know how to treat her?" Charles' voice was a growl, his eyes blazing with fury."Do you realize how much pain Nelly is in right now? You're a doctor, and you're telling me you don't know how to help her?"He lifted Sean off the ground by his collar, his entire body trembling with rage. "Look carefully! The person lying there is Nelly. She's your cousin. And you're telling me there's nothing you can do?"Charles' bloodshot eyes reflected his desperation as
"Yes, and coincidentally, the registered name is Yves Hoffman!"Charles' expression instantly darkened. "What did you just say?""The hospital keeps these records confidential, but I managed to pull some strings. Yves is someone from the Hoffman family!"Charles' gaze turned cold and sharp, locking onto the name. His tone was steely. "There's no one by that name in the Hoffmans."If such a capable person existed within the family, he would have known by now.Although the Hoffmans were a vast family, Charles was familiar with anyone who had notable skills or influence.The existence of this Yves puzzled him. If someone like this was truly from the Hoffmans, there was no way he would not have known.Peter's face grew serious. "If Kelly was indeed abducted and later gave birth to Seth, then this man could very well be Seth's biological father."If he's connected to the Hoffmans, it explains why Seth's DNA matches someone from your family."Charles nodded. "That was my theory as w
"What are you even saying?" Noelle reached out, gently pushing Charles aside and pulling him to sit next to her.Her delicate hands rested on his cheek, then traced over his brow bone. She shook her head with a soft laugh. "You're the one who saved me."Charles moved his lips as if to speak but swallowed his words when he met Noelle's eyes. "I just blame myself for not protecting you this time," he murmured."You can't blame yourself for that. The one to blame is the person who captured me. They were in the shadows while we were in the light. How could we know what they'd do next?"Don't dwell on it too much. Look at me—I'm perfectly fine now," Noelle reassured him, her hand lightly caressing his face. "You haven't been resting well these past few days, have you?"Her earnest gaze landed on him, leaving Charles no room to deflect. He nodded. "I missed you too much to sleep.""What a sweet talker!" Noelle smiled shyly before admitting, "I missed you too.""Charlie, do you know wh
Charles narrowed his eyes slightly. "Alright, understood."Ronald was still stiff from fear, and he felt as though his entire body was frozen. He was terrified Charles might lose his temper and send him flying with a single kick.He had not forgotten how Andrew had been on the receiving end of several kicks from Charles that day. Despite being much tougher than Ronald, Andrew was still nursing his aching chest from the encounter."Mr. Hoffman, I'll take my leave now," Ronald blurted before making a hasty retreat.Leaning casually against the edge of Noelle's bed, Sean scoffed, "Charles, look at you. Your subordinates are scared to death of you."Charles lifted his gaze, coldly sweeping his sharp eyes across Sean's face. "Aren't you leaving yet?""Damn!" Sean cursed under his breath. "Talk about burning bridges!"Turning to Noelle, he complained, "Noelle, look at your husband! Treating his cousin-in-law like this—give him a good scolding for me!"Charles cracked his knuckles, an
"Okay!" Noelle agreed, then looked at Sean. "Ar the baby's okay?""All good! You're healthy as can be!" Sean said with a harmless grin, looking a bit mischievous. "You know, Charles was so worried when you didn't wake up, he nearly took it out on me. Noelle, you've got to admit, your husband can be a bit clueless. I mean, I'm practically his uncle now, right?"Noelle could not help but giggle at Sean's antics."It's between you and Charles, not my problem!""Okay!" Charles gave Sean a wry smile. "You'll stay in the hospital a bit longer to be watched over.""Oh!" Noelle suddenly looked at Charles. "How did you guys find me?""What is it?" Charles asked Noelle. "Got something on your mind?"Noelle chewed on her lip, thinking. "Suzy wasn't killed by Winter. Winter came to argue with me that day because she wanted to take me away, but it wasn't her idea. I think someone was using Winter. However, when the person in black clothes took me, they left Winter behind.""Yep, she's with
Noelle thought she had a really long dream. She dreamed of a man with a mask and an old woman who seemed to give her an injection before everything went dark."Ah!"Noelle's eyes snapped open to a sea of white. She blinked, trying to make sense of the fleeting images in her mind. The ceiling above her looked different from the place she had been locked up. She could smell medicine. Was she in a hospital?Noelle turned her head, and before she could figure it out, a shadow fell over her. "Awake?"She felt a large hand on her forehead. Noelle blinked at the sound of the familiar, yet weary voice, and blinked again.The warmth on her forehead brought Noelle back to reality. She saw the man in front of her, her eyes filled with tears. "Charlie!"She scrambled out of bed and wrapped her arms around Charles's waist, burying her head against him. She clung to Charles, afraid to let go even for a second.Charles had rushed to Noelle's side the moment she let out a scream. When he saw he