Chapter 47

Charles had always been the master of his own fate, unshakable and untroubled by others, but as he watched Noelle sleep, he wondered if she might be the one to break his composure.

He had not planned on getting her involved, but now that she was here, he was not about to let her slip away. Time was not on their side, but Charles never sweated the small stuff.

As he glanced down at himself, he was surprised by the effect she still had on him. He fought to keep his cool, though sometimes the body told truths the mind tried to hide. He had been so close to giving in to his desires, but the thought of her waking up scared or full of regret stopped him cold.

Charles was out on the balcony, lost in the night air, until Ronald came back. Only then did he retreat to his study.

"Mr. Hoffman, here's the surveillance footage from the Shaw place tonight." Ronald knew Charles like the back of his hand, having been by his side for years. He had already started digging into the Shaw family's dram