The Cherished Wife (Noelle and Charles)
Wife 96

Wife 96

Chapter 96

Noelle was not exactly thrilled by Charles’s compliment. She gave a half–hearted smile and said,“So, is this the end of the road for Frotconn?”

Charles took a moment, then looked at Noelle with a tilt of his head, a playful challenge in his gaze.“Why? Got a soft spot for it?”

Noelle pressed her lips together, a little frustrated. “You know that’s not what I’m saying.” She triedto keep her feelings out of it but could not help asking, “Does it have to go down like this?”

“Stay out of the business stuff. There are things I cannot share with you,” Charles replied firmly.“You’ll be in the loop when you need to be.”

“Fine,” Noelle conceded, letting the subject drop.

Noelle could tell there was more to the story than Charles was letting on. It was not just one thingthat had him so determined. She smiled half–heartedly. “If Frotconn goes under, what’ll happen tome?”

“You’re smart. You’ll land on your feet,” he said, tapping his knee as if to emphasize his point. “Takea left

here.”

Snapping out of her thoughts, Noelle gave an embarrassed smile, “Sorry, I shouldn’t pry into yourcompany’s business.”

“No,” Charles said, giving her a look that hinted at layers of meaning, “If you’re curious, I’m open.”

Their eyes locked, and Noelle felt her heartbeat pick up. She cleared her throat, “I’d rather not. I’mnot part of your company, after all.” She quickly changed the subject, and luckily, Charles did notpress further.

Noelle was supposed to be the cook, but there was something oddly touching about seeing himbustling around the kitchen. Leaning against the doorframe, she hesitated before he caught hergaze, quirking an eyebrow, “Something on your mind?”

“Need a hand?” she asked, nodding towards the veggies in the sink. “I can cook, you know.”

“Alright, you’re on veggie duty!” Charles said with a playful command. “You’ll have plenty of time tocook later. What is the hurry?” He gave her a teasing look that made her freeze for a second beforeshe replied with a determined, “Okay!”

The doorbell echoed through the house, and Noelle shot Charles a wary glance. “Who else couldbe dropping by at this hour?”

Charles’s eyes narrowed into slits, a sly grin spreading across his face. “Go check it out!”

Nodding, Noelle dried her hands and headed for the door, figuring it was probably one of Charles’sbuddies. The moment the door swung open, however, she was met with a towering presence thatmade her shriek and stumble backward, her heart racing as she stared at the unexpected duo–aman and his dog.

“What’s going on?” Charles rushed to the scene, alerted by the commotion.

Shaking, Noelle pointed at the doorstep invaders. “I… I got scared,” she stammered, recalling howthe dog nearly lunged at her, only to be restrained by Sean in the nick of time.

1/2

+15 BONUS

Charles’s brow furrowed, his gaze sharp as it landed on Sean. “Why are you here?”

It was not a casual ‘how did you get here?‘ but a pointed ‘what are you doing here?‘. Sean wasclearly not on the guest list.

Sean just smirked, giving the dog a reassuring pat. “Thought I’d swing by for a housewarming, youknow? Don’t worry, my dog’s just super intuitive–it only wanted to get friendly because it took ashine to you!”

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