The Cherished Wife (Noelle and Charles)

It was not just the craftsmanship but the extremely valuable material the brooch was made out of. Based on what Janice had said earlier, Noelle had thought it would be a cheap but heartfelt gift. "I can't accept this!" Janice raised her eyebrows and smiled as she turned to look at Charles, who took the brooch from Noelle. "Thank you!" Then, he added, "I'll have Ronald bring a check over later!"

"That sounds good!" Janice did not beat around the bush and was appreciative of Charles' straightforward way of doing things. "When will your wedding be held, Mr. Hoffman?" Charles raised an eyebrow slightly as he turned to look at Noelle, a smile tugging on his lips. "We won't be having a ceremony anytime soon, but I'll let you know when we decide to!" "I'll wait for your good news then, Mr. Hoffman."

Charles and Noelle left the jewelry shop, and Noelle grinned as she held Charles' hand and walked ahead of him. All her melancholy had vanished into thin air, which also brought Charles joy. A small smile appeared on his face as he gazed at the back of Noelle's head. "Charlie, where are we going now?"

"It's still pretty early. Why don't we get some food and then watch a movie?" Charles asked as he gazed at Noelle.

Noelle smiled. Then, a thought occurred to her. "But don't you have to return to the Hoffman residence today? Mr. Smith said that everyone in the Hoffman family has to be around during this time of the year. Didn't they have some comments from the last time you left so abruptly?"

Noelle recalled how she had brattily insisted on Charles' return the other day. She knew things probably could not be kept secret from the Hoffman family for much longer. After all, Charles was their heir, and his sudden departure was sure to rouse suspicion.

"It's alright. Don't worry about it. I won't head back today!" Charles said as he took Noelle's hand and directed her into the car before buckling her seat belt for her. "I've got plans!"

"But..." Noelle still thought it was not a good idea and gazed at the ring on her finger. "Are you planning to make our relationship public?"

""You don't want that?"

Noelle shook her head. She may have hesitated before this, but ever since she learned she was not biologically related to the rest of the Shaw family, the way she

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approached things had changed immensely. "I'm your wife, and that's a fact that won't change. Besides, I never wanted to keep it under wraps forever. But if you decide to publicize the relationship, have you thought of how you're going to deal with things after this? Especially with the Smith family."

"Everything will be settled soon!" The Smith family had never been a problem for him. He had merely not bothered to take action previously However, this time, he would have to do something. "Why don't we go get dinner, watch a movie, and then head home to watch fireworks and count down to the new year together?"

"Really?" A glimmer appeared in Noelle's eyes as she happily grabbed Charles' hand. "Are you really going to count down to the new year with me at Phoenix Tree Residence? Is it really alright if you don't go to the Hoffman residence?"

"Skipping a year won't hurt," Charles said flippantly. After all, they were just there for formalities' sake every year, and he had attended the previous years because no one else was taking up his mind at the time. However, now that he had Noelle, there was no way he would leave her alone at home.

Noelle happily embraced Charles and kissed him on the cheek. "I love you so much, Charlie."

"Silly girl!" Charles said as he reached a hand out to ruffle her slightly messy hair. "Just that was enough to make you so happy?"

"Of course!" Noelle did not tell Charles that the countdown to the new year was nothing more than a formality to her as well.

She was not close to the rest of the

Shaw family, and they were not fans of her either. If it were not for Samuel's insistence, they would have been more than happy for her not to be there! The new year was always a time when Noelle felt both joy and anguish. She was happy because of the atmosphere and Samuel's kindness toward her, but she was also in anguish from being subject to the foul expressions of the rest of the Shaw family. That always made the new year a particularly grueling experience for Noelle.