The Cherished Wife (Noelle and Charles)

"Alright." Noelle nodded. "Hurry up and go."

Charles got out of the car and walked into a pharmacy. He bought some medicine, then returned to find that Noelle had dozed off again.

He shook his head with a mix of amusement and resignation.

When Noelle woke up again, she found herself lying in bed. The bedroom curtains were drawn, blocking out the outside light. She sat up and checked the time, realizing it was already close to 8:00 pm. She had slept for nearly two hours. Looking down, she noticed that her foot no longer hurt, and it had been cleaned and treated with medicine. A smile spread across her face, her heart filled with a warm, sweet feeling.

She smacked her forehead when she suddenly remembered something. She hurriedly got out of bed. She got dressed and tidied her hair.

She first checked the study but did not find Charles there, so she headed downstairs.

As soon as she reached the staircase, Noelle caught the aroma of stew brewing. Her eyes lit up with excitement.

She quickly made her way downstairs and saw Charles emerging from the kitchen. He was wearing an apron around his waist and had changed into comfortable loungewear, giving him a soft, relaxed appearance. When Charles noticed Noelle coming down, he waved her over. "Come here."

Noelle rushed over to him but slowed down when Charles gently scolded her, "Take it easy. Your foot hasn't fully healed, and you're already running around."

At his words, Noelle slowed her pace, carefully making her way to his side. She hooked her arm around his. "Charlie, it smells so good."

"Hungry?" Seeing her playful demeanor, the stern expression on Charles' face softened. He reached out to gently pat her head. "Go wash your hands; dinner's almost ready."

"Okay!"

Noelle obediently washed her hands and returned.

Charles pulled out a chair for her to sit.

Qu

She felt a bit shy and rubbed the back of her head. "I fell asleep. Why didn't you wake me? And did you go to the supermarket again?" She glanced at the table that had stew and various side dishes. "We can't eat all this, can we?"

Charles paused for a moment. "I had Ronald prepare the ingredients. It might've made a bit too much."

Noelle nodded. 'A bit too much' was an understatement; it was way too much.

"Let's eat." Charles handed her the cutlery. Just as they were about to dig in, the doorbell rang.

Noelle blinked in surprise. "Who could be visiting this late?"

Charles' eyes flickered with a hint of

lips. He patted Noelle's shoulder as he said, "If you're hungry, start eating. I'll go get the door."

So as a sly grin tugged at his

Charles leisurely made his way to the door. The moment he opened it, Sean's voice rang out, "Surprise!"

Charles narrowed his eyes, his gaze

falling on Sean. Then, he heard two

barks from a dog. His expression darkened. "What are you doing here?"

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"Tsk, tsk, Charles, you're too harsh. We're supposed to be pals!" Sean teased. Arnold, the dog, barked twice in agreement.

Arnold rushed over to Charles, rubbing against Charles' leg while showing his big, pleading eyes.

However, Arnold caught a whiff of something more enticing and darted straight for the dining room, barking excitedly. "Arnold, stop!"