The Cherished Wife (Noelle and Charles)
Chapter 455

Charles's gaze was icy, filled with an intimidating power. With Noelle by his side, though, he quickly softened his fierce look.

Noelle could still sense the edge in Charles, though. She gave his hand a reassuring pat. "I'm alright. And you know what? This whole mess has wiped any last shred of sisterly love I had for Winter. I can't forgive her time and again for the hurt she's caused. So don't hold back on my account. There are things I used to avoid or think were beneath me. But if she's not going to stop coming after me, then I'm done playing nice. Some battles are mine to fight!"

Charles's lips twitched into a smirk. "Alright!"

"Don't worry. I'm not the same Noelle who used to get pushed around. I'm going to stand tall and get stronger, so you won't have to be concerned about me all the time!" "Attagirl!"

"Hehe!" Noelle's smile was bright. "I've got it all figured out."

Winter had promised that the secrets of last night's wild party would stay under wraps, and Xavier had worked overtime trying to keep everyone quiet. However, with a crowd that big, there was always someone who could not keep a secret, especially with the sneaky photographers Winter had let in.

Paparazzi were like spies for hire. Winter paid them off, but she never told them who the VIPs were. So, in the middle of the chaos, they snapped some pretty scandalous shots.

They say money talks, and Winter's cash had the paparazzi on her side. However, if someone else flashed the cash, they would switch sides in a heartbeat.

Just when Winter thought she had it all locked down, a bombshell video from her birthday bash hit the internet the very next day.

The video was blurry, but that did not stop eagle-eyed internet sleuths from figuring out who was who.

With Winter being famous, it was et

only a matter of time before the hotel was swarming with people trying to dig up dirt. The gossip columns had a field day with the story.

Winter's phone rang first thing in the morning. It was her agent, Jane. "Winter, what in the world happened last night? Who's the person in that video?" "What video?" Winter blanched, her hands shaking like leaves in a storm.

"You don't know? Why didn't you tell me last night before the scandal spread like wildfire?" Jane's voice thundered through the phone. "It's a total mess right now. Tons of people are saying the person in the video is you, but others are defending you, saying it's just your friend, Winter, do you understand the gravity of this? The hotel's swarmed with paparazzi. Hey, Winter?"

Winter's knees buckled, and she crashed to the floor, stunned. It felt like hours before she could gather herself, scramble to her feet, and frantically dial Annie's number. "Annie, it's Winter. I—"

"Winter, what's your problem? You

promised the video was gone. You swore last night's mess would stay under wraps. But you lied. Suzy's a wreck, and I spent all night trying to calm her down. How could you et us down like this? The paparazzi have our addresses now, and they're all over the hotel. Winter, you've crossed the line!"