The Cherished Wife (Noelle and Charles)
Chapter 669

Charles and Noelle spotted Gerald too, and the woman with him, her delicate arm linked with his, came over.

"Mr. Hoffman, got some free time to shop today?" Gerald asked, eyeing the ring on Noelle's finger before nodding knowingly. "Your wedding was so lowkey, Mr. Hoffman. You haven't even thrown a ceremony dinner yet! Did you just come to pick out this ring today?" Gerald's gaze lingered on the simple band on Noelle's finger. It was nothing flashy or expensive, just a plain ring. "Mr. Hoffman, surely you're not pinching pennies? Couldn't you have splurged a little for Mrs. Hoffman?" Gerald's eyes flicked meaningfully toward the sales associate they had encountered earlier.

The clerk's face went ghost-white in a flash, and the other clerks who had been sneakily watching started sneaking each other looks after Gerald dropped his bombshell.

They did not recognize Charles, but they could tell from how Gerald was practically bowing that Charles was a big deal.

Charles just arched an eyebrow and shot Gerald a look that could freeze lava, but Noelle jumped in before he could get a word out. "You know, I'm actually fond of this plain ring. Getting married is about me and Charles, not how pricey the bling is. It's the thought that counts, right?" Noelle held up the ring, shook her head, and said, "We've been hitched for ages, so it's no sweat to skip the ring. It's getting late, so I think we'll make our way home."

Charles cracked a grin. "Sounds good!" He glanced back at Gerald. "You and Ms. Jach can keep on shopping."

He put the ring back and was all set to jet, Noelle in tow, when Gerald's fiancée Aurora piped up, "Mr. Hoffman, hold up! I haven't even had a second to meet your other half!"

Aurora was not a fool. She knew that she had to be quick on the uptake in their world. She had pieced together who Noelle was from the bits of conversation she had caught. Unfortunately, she had missed out on meeting Noelle at Steven's shindig because she had been busy.

"Mrs. Hoffman, hey there. I'm Gerald's better half, Aurora!"

Aurora stuck out her hand, and Noelle went ahead and shook it though she was not exactly thrilled. "Hey, Ms. Jach, I'm Noelle."

"Seeing each other is such a rare treat. Maybe we should grab a coffee?"

"No, let's not. It's getting pretty late!" Charles checked his watch and nodded at Gerald. "We'll catch up some other time."

"Sure!" Gerald noticed Charles was not exactly thrilled, so he did not push it. "Just make sure we're on the guest list for your wedding to Mrs. Hoffman, okay?"

"You bet!" Charles nodded quickly and walked away with Noelle's hand in his. Once they were gone, Gerald's expression darkened. "Get your manager out here, now."

"T-the manager... Who are you? Our

manager's not in!" A salesperson stuttered, intimidated by Gerald's commanding presence. He managed to insist, "Really, the manager's not here."

"Not here? Alright, then pass on the message: you and your manager better vanish from this place today!" Gerald's scowl deepened, and even Aurora, standing next to him, could feel the tension. "What's gotten into you? Why are you suddenly so mad?"

As she spoke, the realization hit her. "You're worried about upsetting Charles, aren't you?" "Do you even have to ask?"

Gerald knew the real issue was not Charles. It was Noelle. Sure, Chades was the big shot everyone had to respect, but today's drama was all because Charles was bending to Noelle's will.

Those clueless folks had the nerve to snub Noelle, which meant they had unwittingly crossed Charles.