The Cherished Wife (Noelle and Charles)
Chapter 666

Noelle's eyes sparkled with life as she caught a glimpse of desire in Charles's gaze, as bright as the stars. She quickly pushed him away, straightening up with a blush and a burst of courage. "What are you doing? Do you even know what time it is? Where are we? Get the car moving, now!"

Charles composed himself, a barely-there smile on his lips. He playfully ruffled Noelle's hair with a twinkle in his eye. "Okay, sit tight!"

Noelle made a face. "I've told you, I'm not a toddler. Stop treating me like one." She hesitated for a moment before adding, "Charles, your mother and Janet are a handful, aren't they?"

Charles's expression grew serious, and Noelle realized it was not the best way to start this conversation. She forced a laugh and swiftly changed the subject. "I'm in the mood for stew today."

"Stew again?" Charles raised an eyebrow, a hint of resignation in his voice as he looked at Noelle. "How many times is that this month?"

"What's wrong with that?" Noelle challenged, standing her ground. "I love stew."

Charles let out an amused and exasperated sigh. "It's not a problem, but you know stew is best in moderation. Too much can be tough on your system." He gave her a concerned glance. "I just want you to stay healthy."

"Isn't it totally normal to have stew in the middle of winter?" Noelle said, pausing for a moment. "That's it. We're going for stew."

"We're eating out?" Charles quirked an eyebrow, and Noelle nodded. "Yep. Let's hit the town!"

After the day's events, Noelle just was not up for cooking, and she guessed Charles was not either.

Charles studied Noelle for a moment, then nodded, gently caressed her cheek, and said, "Alright, your call." He did not need to ask. He knew she was concerned about him, and that's why she proposed they go out for some stew. They drove to Harborpoint, where Noelle had heard about a new foreign-style stew place that had just opened. She was eager to check it out.

After parking, they headed straight to the restaurant. Noelle had been on top of things and reserved a table on their way over, so they were seated without a hitch. The host showed Noelle and Charles to their booth, and while Noelle was busy ordering, Charles stepped aside to call Ronald. "Hey, what's the hold-up with the thing I asked you to handle?"

Ronald, who was currently finishing a meal, was taken aback by Charles's abrupt question. "Mr. Hoffman, could you clarify your question?"

"Did you forget about the task I gave you yesterday?" Charles's icy voice crackled through the phone. Ronald's heart skipped a beat as he finally remembered what Charles was talking about. "Uh, Mr. Hoffman, I-I forgot!"

"You forgot? Fantastic!" Charles's

voice was laced with sarcasm and a

touch of fury. Ronald quickly abandoned his snack and sat up straight. "Mr. Hoffman! It's not my fault, you know that. You had that emergency last night, and I was out with Andrew and the others taking care of it!"

Ronald felt like crying but held back the tears. Could he admit that he had not stopped working since last night? He had just managed to grab a bite, but Charles was already on his case. "Mr. Hoffman, I'm begging you I'll get on it right away swear it' be done by tonight."

"Tonight?" Charles's voice was skeptical. "Make that tomorrow morning. Get moving!" With that, Charles hung up, leaving Ronald wondering about the consequences of his actions.