The Cherished Wife (Noelle and Charles)
Chapter 572

"The prize is massive, and any clever kid would be itching to snag it. However, this time around, I'm not flying the flag for the Jabs family-it's all about the Smiths."

With a sly eyebrow quirk, Peter shot a look over at Sean, who was trying to make himself invisible at the next table.

Sean's hand shot up. "Hey, don't look at me I'm just the doc. I'm small fry. The Smiths' mess will land in my cousin's lap when it's all said and done, so keep me out of it." He was quick to wash his hands of the whole affair.

Truth be told, Sean, the doctor, could not care less about their squabbles. "However, hey, if you guys are feeling generous and want to hook up our hospital with some medical goodies, or whatever, I'd say that's a pretty sweet deal!"

Bob let out a derisive snort. "In your dreams! The Smiths might be yours, but I'm the one babysitting them for now," he said, locking eyes with Sean. "Don't think you can just dodge the bullet."

Sean clicked his tongue in mock dismay. "Cousin, come on, it's a day for celebration. Let's not kill the vibe, okay? Today's all about Mr. Fischer's big comeback. We gotta show some love, don't we?"

"Oh, really? And how do you propose we do that?" Charles chimed in, tossing his cards aside and reaching for Noelle's hand, giving it a playful squeeze.

Noelle glanced down, her fingers dancing back against his in a silent challenge, and just like that, they were locked in a fingertip showdown.

They were all talking shop, and Noelle was pretty lost in the jargoShe gatheredwas that Yoel and Bob were eyeing a piece of land in West City, thinking it was a gold mine, so they wanted in. However, when it came to Yoel and Peter, Noelle could tell there was more going on than just typical family drama between an uncle and his brother-in-law. She had a hunch that things between Yoel and Peter were rocky, to say the least.

"Lost in thought?" Charles gave Noelle's hand a gentle squeeze, snapping her out of her musings.

"Oh, it's nothing!" she stammered. "I just noticed Peter seems to have a beef with Yoel. They're family, right?"

She leaned in close to whisper to Charles.

Charles quirked an eyebrow, his face lighting up with a teasing smile as he looked at Noelle, a flicker of surprise in his eyes. "Caught that, did you?" She nodded.

It was pretty clear, after all. She would have to be clueless not to pick up on it, especially with the sparks flying between Yoel and Peter Anyone with half an eye for detail could see those two did not mesh well.

"Peter's not Yoel's biggest fan, but Jennifer's head over heels for him," Charles said, laying out the trio's complicated dynamics in one fel swoop "Jennifer's set on sticking by him, and Peter's hands are tied."

QUMS

Noelle nodded. "Got it." Looks like Jennifer was seriously smitten. However, something about the way Jennifer looked at Yoel and how he treated her struck Noelle as off.

Noelle had a nagging feeling that something was off, but she figured it was none of her business. Maybe it did not even bother them?

"Okay, since today's a special day

with Mr. Fischer coming back, let's shake things up with a game," Sean suggested, tossing his cards aside. "These old games are getting kind of stale, don't you think?"

"What game?"

Jennifer piped up, always up for some fun but never over the top. "What's on your mind, Sean?"

Sean's eyes twinkled mischievously as he glanced around the room, a playful grin on his face. "How about a round of Truth or Dare?"