Noelle only realized she had walked right into a trap as she left the shop. She was here to buy a present, so how had she ended up buying Charles dinner? Besides, the present was not even in her possession yet!“What are you thinking about?” Charles, who was walking in front of her, paused in his tracks when he realized the woman behind him seemed distracted. His abrupt stop caught Noelle by surprise, and she nearly walked right into him. Still reeling from her shock, she shook her head and asked, “Where would you like to have dinner, Mr. Hoffman?” Charles narrowed his eyes, a hint of a smile tugging on his lips as he gazed at Noelle. “Since you’ll be buying me dinner, you get to decide where we eat, Ms. Shaw.”Noelle hesitated, “Alright, as long as you’re okay with it.” She and Charles Hoffman came from different worlds. He had been born into a rich and noble family, so he must always have had access to high-quality food and clothing. However, she was different. Although she
Noelle felt her heart start pounding rapidly. She did not like feeling lost for words. She forced herself to suppress those unfamiliar emotions and drew a long breath before forcibly changing the subject. “Did you ever visit the snack bars right outside the university when you were a student, Mr. Hoffman? I used to enjoy having supper there with my classmates.”Charles’ eyebrows raised slightly as he glanced at Noelle and asked, “You guys scaled the walls?” Noelle blushed, feeling like Charles had seen right through her. However, there was no way she would admit that, and her face turned even redder as she retorted, “No, of course not. We exited through the main gate!” She had answered so urgently that it made her seem even more like she was trying to cover something up, but Charles merely smiled without saying anything else. She also fell silent, thinking to herself that this man was a little different from the image she had formed of him previously. The shop Noelle was talking
The look on Charles’ face changed slightly. However, he merely shook his head and said, “Nothing!” before he continued standing beside her instead of taking a seat. Noelle gave Charles a long look and then turned to look at the stool before she accepted her fate and began wiping it down. When she was done, she said to him, “It’s clean now, Mr. Hoffman!” Charles gave Noelle a pointed look. Did she think he found the place dirty?His long stares made goosebumps rise on Noelle’s arms. “What’s the matter? Shall we eat somewhere else instead? I know there’s another restaurant nearby that’s got pretty good reviews. Should we go there instead?” She was starting to regret bringing Charles here. Upon hearing that, he immediately sat down, his lips curving ever so slightly into a smile as he said, “That’s alright. This place is fine!” Noelle heaved a sigh of relief and watched as the shop owner approached them. She was stunned when she saw Noelle. “It’s been so long since you last came
The stew was not particularly tasty. It was nothing compared to the delicacies someone as rich as Charles could enjoy in high-end restaurants. However, Noelle had never been a picky eater and would eat anything so long as it filled her stomach. Besides, she was only here for old times’ sake. It was almost time for classes to be let out, so Noelle was worried the crowd would grow larger. Thus, she hurriedly finished her beef stew and suggested they head back. “It’s getting late!” Charles nodded as his phone began ringing. It was from Ronald. “We’ve gotten things ready for Ms. Shaw, Mr. Hoffman!” “Alright. We’re at Vista University right now,” Charles said as he glanced at Noelle. “Do you have any more plans for the night, Ms. Shaw?” “I’m heading home,” Noelle answered. “It’s alright, I can stay here and wait for your assistant. You can take your leave first if you’re busy, Mr. Hoffman!” “No worries!” Charles said as he got to his feet to pay the bill. Noelle hurried after him
Ronald instinctively looked toward Charles, but the nonchalant look on his face made it evident he did not plan to say anything. He felt a headache forming, but he put on a bold face and said, “No, there’s no way it’s a mistake. Definitely not. This is the correct price!” “That can’t be right!” Noelle might not be an expert in the field, but she was no idiot either. There was no way something from Curio Corner could be purchased at that price. Besides, Charles had picked it out, and he would not have picked out something inexpensive. Noelle did not believe it one bit. Sweat pooled on Ronald’s forehead, and he could not help thinking to himself, ‘You’re right that it wasn’t cheap. It was so expensive!’ However, he did not dare say that aloud and merely laughed stupidly. “You probably don’t know this, Ms. Shaw, but Mr. Hoffman often purchases extremely valuable antiques from Curio Corner. The shopkeeper is a smart man, and he knows what discounts he can afford to offer. This pen isn’
“You’re right, but you know what happened the other day. Winter has already begged her multiple times, but she always returns sobbing, doesn’t she? That girl is so cruel. Is there really anything she won’t do?!” Jade said with gritted teeth, her disdain for Noelle evident. “Anyway, we can’t mess up today. Call Noelle and tell her she has to be here because Sir Shaw misses her!” Jade would not allow her precious daughter, Winter, to suffer the slightest. However, Sir Shaw flew into a terrible rage after learning about Noelle and Xavier’s relationship, which meant that he would not give his blessing to Winter and Xavier’s marriage unless Noelle agreed as well. That angered Jade so much that she nearly got into an argument with Sir Shaw. However, she knew what was going through his mind then and knew he was still calling the shots in the Shaw family. “Alright, alright. I know what to do!” Julian felt annoyed as well. The marriage arrangements had been going smoothly, but Noelle had
"Has Noelle arrived?"The Shaw family's long-time butler, Mr. Thompson, was the first to catch sight of Noelle. He had a welcoming grin on his face. "Come on in. Don't just stand there! It's not winter yet, but it’s still cold. Hurry inside and see Sir Joshua. He's been missing you!"Mr. Thompson had been by Samuel's side for ages, tending to him and dedicating his life to the Shaw family. He knew all the ins and outs, especially how much Sir Shaw doted on Noelle.Noelle’s eyes lit up, and her hand was comforted by Mr. Thompson's warm grip. "Okay, I'll go with you to see him! How has he been? Is he eating enough?""He's been eating great and full of energy!" Mr. Thompson chuckled. "You're the one he's been waiting for, Noelle. Sir Shaw has been over the moon knowing you would be back today."Mr. Thompson, knowing that Noelle preferred the quiet, steered her away from the bustling crowd, taking a shortcut through the backyard and straight upstairs to find Samuel.It was Samuel's b
When Noelle put it that way, Samuel could only let out a resigned sigh and gently pat her hand. "Don't you worry, kiddo. Your grandpa's got your back. And if you've got a thing for that Xavier, I'll see what I can do...""Grandpa!" Noelle cut him off, her head shaking just a bit. "Fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice, shame on me. I know that much. Besides, he's spoiled goods now. I'm done with him!""There, there! Our Noelle knows her worth!" Samuel was proud that Noelle was not letting it get to her. However, he was not letting Winter and Xavier get away with pulling a stunt like that."I'll get them to apologize to you and clear up the whole mess!"Hand in hand, Samuel led Noelle downstairs, where all the guests were buzzing with curiosity about the girl he was with.The recent scandal had not gone unnoticed. All this time, the Shaw family was known for Miss Winter, with no mention of a Miss Noelle. After the last bit of gossip hit the airwaves, people started whispering abo