Sean narrowed his eyes as the smile on his face remained unchanged, but the coldness in his gaze deepened slightly.Jade had never been treated like this before. She wanted to argue with Sean but heard Yitty say, "You're always up to something."Yitty gave Sean a stern look. "It's fine for you to be close with Ms. Shaw—that's not my business. But you should've informed me and Mrs. Shaw. Otherwise, such misunderstandings wouldn't be good for you or your cousin!"With Yitty saying this, Jade could not say anything else even if she wanted to. She could only glare angrily at Noelle. "You knew about this all along, didn't you?"Noelle pressed her lips together but did not answer Jade's question.Even though Jade was furious, with so many guests present—especially with Yitty and Bob there—she could not do anything to Noelle. Even if Noelle was not dating Bob, Sean was not someone she could afford to offend.Although Jade had never met Sean before, she had heard of his reputation. At th
Winter thought to herself, 'Damn it! Why is that woman always so lucky? She's not only gotten Bob but even Sean!'Winter clenched her wine glass tightly. Seeing Xavier standing in the corner, with his eyes constantly fixed on Noelle, her jealousy toward Noelle intensified even more....The Hoffman residence was also very lively at this moment. The adults were sitting in the living room chatting, while in the corner, two children were playing happily.Suddenly, they heard the rumbling of a car outside, followed by the sound of the engine turning off.James hurried out to greet him. "Mr. Charles is back!"Charles held a coat in his hand. Although early spring had passed, the weather at the Hoffman residence was still a bit chilly. Seeing the butler approaching, he glanced at him and nodded slightly with a hum.The people in the living room were slightly startled by Charles' deep voice and stood up. "Charlie!"Standing at the entrance, still holding his coat, Charles' gaze swept
Charles set Anna down and patted her small shoulder. He then said to Chloe, "It's getting late, Chlo. I'll take you home."Chloe had been feeling quite uneasy sitting here. If Maxwell had not inexplicably called her back, she would not have wanted to get involved in this mess at all.She knew what Charles was capable of. Over the years, she had seen it firsthand. Hence, in this situation, she would either not take sides or stand with Charles.Chloe was a smart person. She had managed to stay out of trouble within the Hoffmans all these years for a reason. She nodded and stood up. "It is late. Anna has school tomorrow, so I'll head out now."As Chloe walked past Kelly, she could not help but glance at her before picking up Anna. "Anna, how about Uncle Charles take us back home?""Yay, yay! Anna hasn't seen you in so long and missed you terribly!" Anna clapped her hands excitedly. "Anna loves you the most, Uncle Charles."Charles curved his lips. "I love you too, Anna." He reached
Charles placed Anna in the seat and got into the driver's seat while Chloe carefully got into the car. She sat next to Anna and casually held her.Charles entered the car but did not start it immediately. He rested one hand on the steering wheel, and the interior remained dark except for the faint glow from the Hoffman residence. It made the atmosphere extremely dim and heavy."Charlie, I—""I know. Grandpa called you back," Charles interrupted Chloe before pausing for a moment. "Do you also think that now that Kelly is back, I'll divorce Noelle?"Chloe was slightly taken aback. "Why would you ask that?" Feeling truly surprised, she added, "That child..."Charles chuckled softly and glanced at Chloe but did not explain. "I'll take you home.""But Charlie... I don't think Grandpa is joking this time. He..." Although Charles was formidable, the Hoffmans were such a large family. The pressure on him had to be immense.Chloe did not understand why Charles was so fixated on Noelle, a
Charles rubbed his forehead, feeling the ache gradually fade away as he listened to Noelle's cheerful chatter. He smiled and said, "Looks like you're not too satisfied with the outcome.""Of course not," Noelle replied. Ever since discovering she was not really part of the Shaws, her thoughts on her life had changed. She wanted control over her own fate, not to be treated like a pawn in someone else's game.First, it was Simon, then Bob, and now Sean. If things with Sean did not work out, would they bring in someone else? Noelle hated being treated like a bargaining chip or a piece on a chessboard. "I'm so bored. But I can't just leave right now," she muttered."What about Sean and Bob?""Oh, they've been roped into conversations. They're the stars of the show, after all. Just think about who's here at my dad's birthday banquet. Of course, everyone's flocking to them," Noelle added with a sigh.She was uninterested in the commotion. "Charlie, I miss you so much!"Feeling a tug
Even though Sean was impressive and known as one of the top young heirs in Brookville, he was, after all, just a doctor.Jade thought that Sean could not help the Shaws much in terms of business. "You should cut off contact with Sean as soon as possible. Bob is the one I prefer. You know that I'm good friends with Bob's mother.""Yes, if you hadn't mentioned it, I would've forgotten. You are indeed good friends with her. So, why don't you talk to Mrs. Smith instead?""You..." Jade raised her hand. "Don't be ungrateful! I'm telling you, the fact that you know people from the Smiths and can connect with them is all thanks to me! Not only are you ungrateful, but you show no respect for your elders. I'm your mother!""Enough!" Noelle interrupted Jade, her expression darkening. "I respect you as an elder, but you know very well how you've treated me all these years. As for how I know Sean and Bob, that's my own business."You should reflect on why you don't even recognize the son of yo
Bob nodded again and said, "It's getting late."Noelle agreed, "Indeed." It was time to head back. She had been at the Shaw residence long enough, and since she had just upset Jade, she feared Jade might cause trouble if she did not leave soon. "Let's go, then!"Bob nodded. "I'll walk you over to find Sean."Noelle quickly caught on. "Thank you."With Bob by her side, others would not dare bother her, and Jade would not have the chance to confront her.Sean had already shaken off the crowd and was looking for Noelle. Seeing her approaching with Bob, he breathed a sigh of relief. "I thought you had wandered off. If anything were to happen to you, Charles would hold me accountable!""You're exaggerating!" Noelle could not help but laugh, especially after seeing Sean's dramatic gestures.She shook her head helplessly. "Now that you've seen that I'm fine, you don't have to worry about Charles settling scores with you.""Well..." Sean raised an eyebrow smugly. "But don't think I'm a
After Samuel made his statement, he let Eli help him upstairs, leaving Jade clenching her fists in frustration.All the frustration she had endured today was because of that brat, Noelle. Not only had Noelle failed to be of any help, but she had also created more issues. "Julian, I don't care what Dad said. Noelle must marry someone from the Smith family!"Julian looked troubled. "But Dad, he…""He? He's so old now. Does he still run the company's affairs? Do you have any idea what shape the company is in right now? If we don't get support from the Smiths, you know what will happen to City Ring Corp."Julian's expression darkened. "Let me think about it.""Hmph! You'd better think carefully!" Jade muttered before putting on a cheerful expression again and going back to entertain the guests.With a twisted expression, Winter clung to Xavier's arm and sneered, "See? I told you, Noelle's something special now. She's connected with all these big shots in Brookville, and even my paren
"Um… Sir, ma’am, our restaurant has a special couple's meal deal that's quite affordable. Would you like to try it?""Ah, no thanks. We're not a couple, we're siblings!" Liliana said quickly. "The couple's meal wouldn't be right for us.""Oops, I’m sorry about that. In that case, what would you like to order, Miss?"Liliana looked over at Charles, who gave her a quick glance and frowned slightly. "Pick whatever you feel like eating!""Alright!" Liliana nodded, chose a few things from the menu that looked good and were not too pricey, and handed the menu back to Charles.Charles added one more item to the order, then paused and turned to Liliana. "You're graduating next year, right?""Yep!" Liliana responded, almost childlike in front of Charles. "I am.”"Not much time left, huh? How's all the graduation stuff coming along?"Charles's tone was casual, like a relative catching up with a younger family member.However, perhaps because Charles sounded a bit too stern and formal, L
Sean's eyes twinkled as he casually pulled his hand back and glanced at Joanna. "What's up with Darek?" He did not seem too interested in school matters, but he was more patient when it came to Darek. Sean really liked Darek. Even though he was young, he was smart and had already won many awards. Sean was sure that Darek would achieve great things in the future as long as he stayed healthy. Sean did not have romantic feelings for Joanna, but he stayed close to her because of Darek. Joanna's eyes lit up when she heard that. She did not understand what made Darek so special to Sean, but she was happy to let them be close. It meant she had a chance to spend time with Sean too."Darek recently won a big prize in a physics contest and wanted to share his excitement with you! But he's been under the weather lately, and my parents can't decide if they should take him to the hospital. You know how much Darek dislikes hospitals, and the bills there can be really high! "Sean narrowed
Sean could not take his eyes off Liliana. When she turned and left, something inside him cracked. He shoved his hand into his coat pocket and squeezed it into a fist.Joanna's voice, clear and pretty, broke through his thoughts. Sean looked at her. "Yeah?""Sean, what are you looking at?" Joanna tried to see what had caught Sean's attention but found nothing. "Did you recognize someone?""No." Sean did not look back at Liliana. Instead, he faced Joanna. "You wanted to see me for...?""Oh, it's just..." Joanna's cheeks were pink, and she fidgeted with her hands. "Gavin from school told you, right? The school wants to invite some famous alumni to talk to the younger students about jobs. You're so great. They really want you to come back."Joanna had come to convince him today. It had been ages since they had last met, especially since Sean opened his own hospital.Feelings were not Sean's thing—work was. He had not been back to school in three years, making it harder for Joanna to
Charles glanced up. When he caught Ronald's eye, Ronald jumped and said, "I'll book a restaurant right away!"Liliana felt good about her morning interview. She did not know the result yet, but she was confident. After all, she had been studying hard for three years.After she left the interview company, Liliana checked the time. It was just after three. She figured Charles was still at work, so she decided to take a walk. She called Tania to chat about her interview and then called Jacy to catch up. After she hung up, Liliana looked up and saw someone standing at the edge of the square.Suddenly, Liliana stopped walking. She could not take her eyes off the figure not too far away.It had been three years since she last spoke to Sean at the dormitory door, and they had not seen each other since. She had heard bits and pieces about him, though.She had heard about his legendary last few years and everything he had done.Liliana had tried her best to ignore all the stories about Se
Liliana remained silent for a moment as if considering how to respond."I've already sent out a few resumes. I start my interviews today," she finally said, deciding to be upfront with Charles.After all, the reason she had been able to continue her studies so smoothly was largely thanks to the financial support he had provided.She never fully understood why Charles treated her the way he did, nor did she wish to delve too deeply into it. However, she was grateful for his help, so she spoke to him honestly."The companies I applied to are quite decent. Any of them would be a good option for my internship.""Alright," Charles responded with a nod before adding, "Send me the names of the companies you're interviewing with. I'll look into them for you.""That won't be necessary." Liliana quickly refused.She appreciated Charles' kindness, but she did not like the idea of him interfering in her personal affairs.Perhaps her refusal came too quickly because the line suddenly fell s
After falling seriously ill, Liliana became much quieter. She tried her best to maintain her emotions, but Tania still noticed the change. However, no matter how many times Tania asked, Liliana never told her what had happened.Three years passed at Vista University, and during that time, Liliana never saw Sean again. It was as if they were two lines that had once crossed but were now moving farther and farther apart.She thought that maybe this was not such a bad thing.He despised her, did not like her, and did not want to see her. She understood all of that. So rather than constantly running into him and being reminded of his disgust, it was better not to meet at all.Over the years, she surprisingly stopped thinking about Sean. Even at Vista University, his name was rarely mentioned.She knew it was not that she had truly forgotten—she had simply chosen not to remember.Three years was enough time to change many things, including a person's character.Now, she and Tania were
It was not a big deal. She only had to avoid seeing him.That did not matter as Liliana knew she never planned to see Sean again anyway.Seeing how easily Liliana agreed, a shadow flickered across Sean's gaze, though he quickly concealed it. His expression remained cold as he stared at her. "From now on, wherever I am, you are not allowed to be there. If you see me, go the other way.""Alright." Liliana kept her head down, refusing to look into his icy eyes.She was afraid that if she did, it would hurt even more. So she chose not to look at him at all."Remember what you just said." Sean shot her a withering glance before turning to leave. After a few steps, however, he suddenly stopped. "And don't ever like me again."Liliana froze.Then, she heard his voice again, calm and laced with disgust. "Being liked by someone like you makes me feel dirty."She watched his figure disappear into the darkness, realizing just how deep his loathing for her ran. It was so deep that even the
Sean narrowed his eyes, staring intensely into Liliana's. "I'll ask you one last time—why did you do it?"The moment the words left his mouth, he felt Liliana stiffen. She had not expected him to ask this question.Why?How was she supposed to explain something she never did?However, Liliana knew that after more than a year, no matter what she said, the outcome would remain the same.Sean had come looking for her not because he wanted an answer but because, in his entire life, no one had ever dared to scheme against him. She had simply walked right into his line of fire. Even though she was not the one who set him up, he had already decided that she was guilty.Her lips parted slightly, and for a moment, she just stared at him, lost in thought.It took her a long time before she finally spoke. Her voice was soft, almost a whisper. "What if—I'm just saying, what if—I told you I liked you?"Her voice was so quiet it nearly vanished in the night air, but Sean still heard it.His
Sean's chest burned with fury at Liliana's words. His usual mischievous glint was gone, replaced by an icy sharpness.Liliana instinctively stepped back, fear flashing in her eyes as she stared at Sean. She had no idea how to face him.She had never seen him like this before. His rage was overwhelming, smoldering like an unquenchable fire.Swallowing hard, she forced herself to hold his gaze. However, Sean, watching her, only felt more enraged. How could this woman be so utterly heartless?He had always treated her like a younger sister, protected her, and cared for her. Yet she had betrayed him and plotted against him."I know you hate me," Liliana said, her voice steady despite the tremor in her hands. "What I did was wrong. I shouldn't have set you up. But I didn't succeed, did I?"Look, I knew I was wrong, so I left. I never asked you to take responsibility. In the end, wasn't I the one who suffered more? As a girl, wasn't it worse for me?""Very well, then." Sean clenched h