The Cherished Wife (Noelle and Charles)

Noelle was stunned for a moment but quickly composed herself. "Hey, Steven!"

Steven gave a slight nod, acknowledging Noelle. "Hi, Noelle. Where's Charlie?"

"Charlie is inside, and Aunt Nancy is here too," Noelle smiled. She then glanced at the young girl, nodding politely. "Steven, who's this?"

"Elly, aren't you going to greet her?"

"Ms. Noelle." Eloise's voice was sweet. It was the kind that made her instantly likable, completely different from the cold, hard tone she had used the previous night.

Noelle smiled and nodded. "Hello, I'm Noelle Shaw." She then added, "Please come in!"

Noelle led Steven and Eloise inside and handed them slippers to change into. "Steven, please go inside. Elly, you too."

Noelle guided them to the living room before heading to the kitchen to make tea. Steven approached and squinted slightly as he noticed Nancy sitting on the couch. The woman before him overlapped yet diverged from the person in his memory. "Nancy." His voice was edged with respect. Hearing it, Nancy hesitated briefly before looking up at the man before her.

He was tall, with handsome features that vaguely resembled the stubborn child she remembered. However, time had softened him somewhat.

"Is that you, Stevie?" Nancy beckoned him over. "Come here, let me take a look at you. It's been so many years, and I can't believe how much you've grown."

"It's me, Stevie." Steven walked over, knelt beside her, and took her hand. "It's been a long time. How have you been?"

"I'm doing alright, as well as I can be at my age." Nancy sighed, studying Steven carefully. "How many years has it been? I couldn't believe it

when Charlie told me. How have you

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been all these years abro have you

"Thanks to you, I've been well." Steven showed great respect to Nancy, letting her hold his hand tightly. "How have you been?"

"I'm good," Nancy smiled. "I never thought I'd get to see you again in my lifetime. Did you come to Brookville just to see me?"

Steven nodded, but Nancy frowned

slightly. "Why didn't you come visit in Cascade City? After all... and this young lady is?" Nancy's gaze shifted to the woman standing behind Steven.

The woman seemed familiar, but Nancy could not quite place her. "Stevie, is this your girlfriend?"

Steven smiled and shook his head. "Take a closer look, Nancy." Steven stood up and said, "Elly, come closer so she can see you."

Eloise frowned slightly. Her doll-like face showed a hint of reluctance mixed with timidity, but she obediently stepped forward.

As she got closer, Nancy's eyes widened in realization, and she pointed at Eloise. "You... you."

"Elly, say hello," Steven said, his tone cool.

Eloise's hands tightened slightly at her sides. "Aunt Nancy."

"Stevie, is she... Elly?" Nancy still could not believe it. "The Elly?"

"Yes!" Steven's confirmation made Nancy's face turn pale. After a long moment, she asked skeptically, "How can you be sure she is Elly?" When Eloise disappeared all those years ago, she was only four or five years old. No one could definitively prove that this woman was truly Eloise.

Over the years, the Naylor family had searched extensively for Eloise, but she had vanished without a trace. To have someone suddenly appear now left Nancy utterly stunned.