The Cherished Wife (Noelle and Charles)

The day flew by in a blur of busyness and satisfaction. Noelle liked the atmosphere at Collosus Group. It was no wonder they were a top dog in Brookville. Frotconn could not hold a candle to them. After tidying up the paperwork Brian had handed off, Noelle was ready to head home when her phone buzzed. It was Charles. "Done for the day?"

She was just slipping her stuff into her bag and nodded at the phone. "Yep."

"Meet you in the parking lot!" Charles sounded like he was also wrapping up. "How about dinner out and maybe a movie?"

"Sure thing!" Noelle grinned. "I'll head down and wait for you!" She ended the call just as Arya strolled by, catching the tail end of Noelle's cheerful chat. Curiosity piqued, Arya sidled up. "Was that your boyfriend?" The smile slipped from Noelle's face as she squinted slightly. "Just a friend."

Arya's lips quirked in a half-smile. "You're no fun, Noelle. We're all on the same team here. It's just a little friendly curiosity. No need to be so secretive!"

"Arya, like you said, we're just colleagues. My private life is just that-private. I don't see why I should broadcast my relationship to everyone," Noelle retorted, her patience wearing thin. She had not expected Arya to be such a pest.

She had joined Collosus Group to work, not to get tangled in office politics. Arya seemed to have gotten the wrong idea, her words laced with sarcasm.

"I've got things to do, so let's leave it at that." Noelle tried to leave.

"Noelle." Arya's voice held a tinge of annoyance. "We're all colleagues. You're not exactly being friendly, you know!" Her voice rose. The office was emptying at the end of the day, so their exchange drew the attention of the departing colleagues.

"It's your first day, so I'm trying to be nice. I just asked about you and Mr. Wells. It's not like it's top-secret information. You don't have to be so mysterious about it!" Arya pressed, as the others cast doubtful looks Noelle's way.

Arya's words hung in the air, heavy

with the insinuation that Noelle had only gotten her spot at Collosus Group due to Ronald's influence. Ronald was Charles' right-hand the golden boy next to the company's idolized leader. Sudd

byelme

whispers spread like wildfire, suggesting Noelle and Ronald were more than just colleagues, and the crowd's gaze on her shifted.

Noelle's brow creased ever so slightly. "I don't owe you an explanation about my relationship with Mr. Wells. Sure, we work together, but that doesn't mean my private life is up for discussion. I thought you'd prefer to stick to business," she said, her voice cool and her demeanor far from warm.

"Sorry, but I've got things to do. I can't stick around for this," Noelle said, cutting the conversation short and walking away.

Arya let out a derisive snort, clearly unimpressed by Noelle's actions. With the main attraction gone, the onlookers lost interest and scattered. Arya's lips twisted into a self-satisfied smirk, but it faltered when she spun around to find Brian right behind her. His eyes were clouded with annoyance, and it was obvious he had caught every word of her exchange with Noelle.

Arya's face lost a bit of color. "Mr. Parker!" she stammered, caught off guard.

Brian leaned against the wall, one hand casually tucked into his pocket

and his lips pressed into a thin line. "Look, the company didn't bring you on board to snoop around in

เวน่า

everyone's business. If you're not up for the job, trust me, there's a line out the door of people who are. Colossus Group isn't your average place." His voice was stern, a clear warning in his eyes. "Next time I catch you gossiping on the clock, don't expect me to go easy on you."