The Cherished Wife (Noelle and Charles)

"What are you thinking about?"

Charles came out of the shower and saw Noelle looking troubled while clutching her phone. He walked over and gently took the phone from her hand, glancing at the recent call log. There was a faint glimmer flickering in his eyes. Noelle snapped back to reality and saw Charles in a white bathrobe. His hair was damp, with a strand still dripping with water.

She stood up, grabbed a towel, and started drying his hair while guiding him to sit on the couch. With a soft sigh, Noelle said, "Grandpa just called, and then my mom called right after." Charles' dark eyes narrowed slightly. "Hmm."

He had seen Jade's number earlier, which explained the sour look on Noelle's face. "What did she say?"

"She talked about going home for New Year's." Noelle paused before continuing, "I need to tell you something, but promise you won't get angry."

"Why would I be angry? What did she say?" Charles shifted, took Noelle's hand, and gently squeezed her fingers. "Hmm?"

"They want me to go home... and they also asked me to bring Bob with me."

As soon as Noelle said that, she felt the air around them grow heavier. Noelle had seen this side of Charles before, but ever since they got together, he rarely showed it.

She was used to his calm and composed demeanor. However, at this moment, she felt the intense chill emanating from him.

Unconsciously, Noelle gripped the towel in her hand tighter. A hint of fear flickered in her eyes, but she still said softly, "I didn't agree to it."

Charles narrowed his eyes, taking a moment before he reacted. Noticing the tension and fear in Noelle's gaze, he frowned slightly.

"I'm not angry with you." He disliked seeing Noelle this way. He hated seeing her look fearful or timid around him.

"Nelly," Charles whispered, pulling Noelle into his lap.

He wrapped one arm around her waist, holding her delicately thin fingers with the other. With a soft sigh, he said, "Did I scare you? I'm not angry at you."

"I know." Noelle forced a smile, but it looked a bit stiff.

She could sense Charles' regret, and she gently patted his hand. "I wasn't scared. It's just... Please don't show that expression again, okay?" Charles nodded. "I promise."

Hearing this, Noelle finally relaxed.

Gathering her courage, she gave him a quick peck on the lips and smiled. "Even though I know you weren't angry with me, seeing that look still made me feel uneasy."

"Alright."

"My mom wants me to bring Bob, but I never said I would," Noelle continued, wrapping her arms around his neck and practically hanging onto him.

"Besides, you know the 'Bob' my mom was referring to isn't the real Bob. It's actually Sean. If I brought the real Bob, it would scare them to death!"

Charles smirked and tapped Noelle's nose. "You're something else." Then, he added, "Actually, you do need to bring Sean with you."

"Why?" Now, it was Noelle's turn to be confused. "You don't know my mom. If I bring Sean this time, it won't just be a simple dinner. Do you know what that means?"

Noelle's expression grew more

serious than ever. "Bob's status is

quite special, and the Smiths are wealthy and influential in Brookville. That's exactly their plan. Do you

think they'd let me

easily?

It was obvious that since Winter was already married, they could not use her anymore, so they were trying to push Noelle into an arranged marriage with the Smiths.

If things worked out, the Shaws

would not just have an alliance with Xavier's family, they would also get to attach themselves to the Smiths of Brookville, who were far more powerful than Xavier's family