The Frotconn weekly Monday meeting was the time to wrap up the previous week's work. This was Noelle's first time back at the familiar table since she had left a year ago. The board members did a double-take when they saw herSome were clueless about her return, while others had their opinions of her colored by the recent scandal.Noelle pretended she did not see a thing, grabbed the papers, and plopped down in her chair. Her gaze was steady as she ignored the buzz around her. The bigwigs, the chairman and the general manager, had not shown up yet, so the room was buzzing with chatter. Some of the older, more seasoned directors were acting like uncles at a family reunion, rehashing the drama from the engagement party with flair.One of the directors, who had butted heads with Noelle before over work matters, could not resist stirring the pot. "Some people embarrass themselves and still strut into the office like nothing happened."Noelle's brow creased ever so slightly. She meant to
On the twenty-seventh floor of the Collosus Group, Ronald shot Becky a quick 'hey' and snagged the stack of papers she was buried in before rapping on the president's door."Come in!"The voice that cut through the silence was all business. Ronald stood tall and swung the door open, finding the man buried in paperwork. He did not even bother to look up."Mr. Hoffman, I’ve got the monthly numbers here. Director Lore from the Finance Department mentioned that the Public Relations Department's over budget. It’s your call," Ronald rattled off his report and passed the papers to Charles.Charles's brow creased ever so slightly, his fingers drumming a steady beat on the desk. "Don't sweat the small stuff. If they can handle it, no need to bring it to me," he said, barely glancing at the report before flicking it back to Ronald. "I didn’t bring them on board to stir up trouble.""Got it." Ronald let out a quiet sigh, then dropped another update, "Ms. Shaw's back at the office today.""M
Peter Lennon squinted, picking up on the nervous tone in Ronald's voice, and asked, "What's up? Did Charles throw another curveball your way?"Ronald let out a forced chuckle. "Isn't your assistant some kind of computer whiz?""Just call him yourself." Peter's voice was curt, and the line went dead. Ronald stewed in silence, thinking about how Mr. Hoffman and Mr. Lennon must be cut from the same cloth. Both of them were cold businessmen with no patience or sympathy. Shaking it off, Ronald dialed up Lareal, Peter's assistant. "You've got thirty minutes to dig up info on a lady, someone Mr. Hoffman's looking for."Exactly thirty minutes later, Ronald had the scoop on Winter. He was practically gushing with gratitude. "Man, you're a lifesaver!"On the other end, Lareal gave a cool snort. "Does Mr. Hoffman have his eye on this chick?" Winter did not seem like much, but she played a tough game. Lareal could not see how she would be Charles’ type, so he pried a little."No way! I’ve got
Noelle managed to get rid of Larisse and rubbed her temples, feeling a headache coming on. She had been putting on a brave face all week, but seeing Xavier and Joseph in the meeting room today hit her hard.Joseph had shared a meal with her in secret just a year ago, hinting that he hoped she would end up marrying Xavier. Noelle could never have guessed that things would spiral into the mess they were in now."Ms. Shaw, Mr. Harris would like to see you," Joseph's secretary said through the phone, catching Noelle off guard. She quickly recovered. "Sure, I'll head over now."After tidying up her papers, Noelle made her way to the president's office.She rapped lightly on the door and heard Joseph's voice from inside. "Come in." Pushing the door open, Noelle found Joseph lounging on the couch, flipping through a financial magazine. He looked up and gestured for her to come closer. "Ah, Noelle, you've arrived!""Mr. Harris!" Noelle's tone was polite but distant, a clear sign she was n
An odd look appeared on Joseph’s face upon hearing what Noelle said. He directed his stern gaze onto her. It only made her sit up straighter, seemingly not at all afraid of his gaze. No matter how angry he felt, he could not berate her directly. He merely gave an awkward chuckle as he said, “It’s been so long since you’ve last seen your grandfather, child. Don’t you miss him?” Noelle raised an eyebrow. If there was anyone left in the Shaw family she still cared for, that person would definitely be her grandfather. Joseph was urgently trying to make her go home because he wanted her to sing praises about him before the old man so he would relent and give his blessings to Xavier and Winter’s marriage. What an intricate plan they had laid out. They were the ones in the wrong, but they had somehow managed to back her into a corner. He noticed she had not said anything, so he added, “It’ll be his birthday in a couple of days, Noelle. No matter what Xavier and Winter have done, you’r
Noelle headed to Curio Corner. Sir Shaw did not have many hobbies, but he did enjoy collecting antiques, and the house was filled with various antique pieces of artwork. Rumor had it that he was an appraiser when he was younger but had given up that passion to inherit the family business. When Noelle entered Curio Corner, an employee immediately approached her and asked, “What are you looking for, Miss?”Noelle was not particularly well-versed in this area. She merely wanted to butter up Sir Shaw. After all, he was the only person in the Shaw family who was still civil to her, and she did not want him to be upset because of her. “I’ll just browse for a bit,” Noelle told the employee before looking around her. However, nothing stood out to her. “Hello, Mr. Hoffman. We just received a shipment of items from the Renaissance a couple of days ago and have kept everything you requested reserved for you as per instructions.”Noelle was still browsing when a trio of men entered the sho
Noelle nodded. “I’m not well-versed in antiques, and can’t tell the difference between most things. I was wondering if I could ask for your help, since you seem quite knowledgeable about these antiques.” “I’d be honored to!” Charles said as he narrowed his mind. “What were you thinking of gifting Mr. Shaw?”“Hmm, probably a calligraphy piece, but anything else would work too. My grandfather has beautiful handwriting. Oh, he also shares similar interests to my maternal grandfather.” Noelle felt that Charles would probably have a better idea of what to suggest if she told him that.Sure enough, Charles nodded when he finished listening to her. “Ronald.” Ronald soon appeared. He gazed at Charles attentively, doing his best not to have his gaze stray toward Noelle. “What can I do for you, sir?” “Have Mr. Quinn bring out the newest shipment of antiques.” “Well…” Ronald gave Charles a startled look, and he could not stop himself from glancing at Noelle. Noelle did not know what t
A glint flashed in Charles’ eyes as his gaze landed on Noelle’s face. He had noticed how much she liked it, but what she said sounded like the completely opposite of what she felt!His gaze traveled across her face as he said, “Alright, then. What about something from Edgar Degas? Or perhaps this fountain pen?”Charles recommended several items to Noelle, and she decided to purchase the pen. Samuel enjoyed calligraphy, and he was good at it too. Gifting him a pen seemed like a smart move, and it was probably the least expensive of all the antiques she had looked at today. Noelle might be working as a departmental director now, but she was still young and had spent plenty of her savings when she moved out. Moreover, her current situation with Xavier had further convinced her there was no one she could depend on other than herself. She had to save up to pay for a house and a car. Even if she did not have a man, she still had herself!Charles could guess the thoughts running throug