The Cherished Wife (Noelle and Charles)

Rowena and Teresa could not contain their laughter after Winter's outrageous claim. Winter got mad when she saw Noelle's friends cracking up together. "Noelle, are your friends always this rude?" Noelle blinked innocently. "Are they not allowed to laugh/ Would you rather they cried, sis?" "You..."

"I think you should go back to shopping with your mother-in-law. Saint Di is a top-notch brand here in Zyphonia, and the clothes are quality stuff. They'd really suit you. Oh, and why don't you try on the outfits the ladies picked out earlier? I'm feeling generous today because Collosus Group gave me a hefty bonus for the new year, so it's on me!"

Emilia's entourage of rich ladies perked up at that. Truth be told, they did not really care who the clothes came from. If it was free, they were all for it. Despite Winter's bragging, they had hit up plenty of stores without her buying a thing. It was only when they got to Saint Di that Winter finally brought out her purse.

Initially, they were clueless about what was going on, but after Noelle spelled it out for them, the pieces fell into place. Winter was not trying to give them a gift. She was obviously angling for some free brownie points with the magnificent Saint Di. On the other hand, Noelle was the real deal-she did not hesitate to whip out her credit card when she wanted something.

"Isn't this Winter's lovely sister? She's such a gem, so beautiful and sweet! Well, we can't decline her kind offer!"

"Whatever makes you happy!" Noelle grinned. "Dear family friends, go ahead and pick out a few outfits! It's not every day we get to celebrate the new year, so let's celebrate in style!"

Emilia's face was stormy. She saw how Noelle had charmed her friends while Winter stood by helplessly. For the first time, Emilia felt like she had been metaphorically slapped, and it was anything but pleasant.

"Noelle, I said it was my treat. How can I let you foot the bill?" Winter felt the sting of embarrassment as well. Noelle, that little troublemaker, was obviously doing this on purpose. "You aren't exactly rich despite your job at Colossus Group, so splurging on so many clothes must be tough, right?"

Rowena and Teresa thought Noelle was being a bit too spendthrifty and pulled at her sleeve. "Just because you've got cash doesn't mean you should burn through it like this!"

Noelle just laughed it off. "Don't worry about it. It's all in good fun!"

"Noelle, come on. Are you really going to do this?" Winter asked.

"Do what?" Noelle cocked an eyebrow, curious to hear the next wild story Winter was about to spin.

Winter awkwardly spat out, her voice dripping with insinuation, "So, you got a rich boyfriend?"

Everyone around them sucked in a

breath. Winter's jab was crystal clear: she was accusing Noelle of

being a gold digger and not being

subtle about it.

Noelle's lips curled into a knowing smile. "Sister, did you forget? You and Mom set me up with my current boyfriend."

Her smile was serene, but her eyes sparkled with astonishment as she glanced toward the entrance.

vel

Following Noelle's gaze, everyone turned to look at the door. A man stood casually leaning against the glass, arms folded as if he was watching his favorite scene in movie. Backlit by the sun, his features were strikingly defined. He wore a relaxed smile, his eyes playfully fixed on Noelle.

Sean?

Noelle was taken aback. "What are you doing here?"

Sean chuckled, hands casually tucked into his pockets as he walked over with confident, measured

steps. His lips quirked up. "I came to check on you. Weren't you out shopping with friends?"