The Cherished Wife (Noelle and Charles)

Fortunately, Charles, being a considerate leader, realized that Janet's efforts were essentially ineffective and had Ronald send a few people over to help. Though it was a few days late, they managed to get things done in time. Noelle had just finished her project report when she received a call from Charles, summoning her upstairs.

As she stepped out of the elevator, she ran into Becky, who looked exhausted and was struggling with a pile of documents. A few papers slipped from Becky's grasp, and Noelle picked them up and handed them back. "Becky, are you okay?" "I'm fine," Becky said, shaking her head. "What brings you up here today, Ms. Shaw?"

Noelle waved the document in her hand. "The latest project report. I need Mr. Hoffman to review it."

"Oh, Mr. Hoffman's inside," Becky said with a faint smile. "But be careful; he doesn't seem to be in the best mood today."

Noelle nodded and gave a quick thumbs-up. "Thanks for the heads-up!"

"No problem. You go ahead. I need to get back to prepping for the year-end party. It's been a crazy few days."

"Alright, take care," Noelle said, watching Becky walk away. She recalled Becky mentioning the upcoming year-end party, which was only a few days away.

Seeing Becky so stressed made Noelle realize just how complicated the preparations must have been this time around.

Noelle knocked on Charles' office door, and his calm voice invited her in. As she entered, she noticed Charles massaging his temples, looking somewhat fatigued. She walked over, placed the project report on his desk, and then moved behind his chair. Gently, she guided his head to rest against the back of his chair and began to massage his pressure points. "Tired?"

"A little," Charles replied, his eyes remaining closed as he allowed himself to relax. "Tell me about your report."

"I already explained most of it over the phone. There aren't any major issues, but George is very meticulous, so he had my mentor and me redo some parts."

"That's typical of George," Charles

remarked, raising a hand. Noelle paused her massage as Charles opened his eyes, picked up the report, and quickly skimmed through it. "Not bad; it's much better than the last version. Your calculations here are much more accurate. Looks like George is planning to mentor you."

"Really?" Noelle asked, surprised. "But isn't George mentoring my mentor?"

"Your mentor is already quite accomplished and doesn't need his guidance anymore. It's you who can benefit from learning from George. His ideas are quite innovative, different from Brian's."

"Got it!" Noelle nodded. "Are you still tired? Want me to keep massaging?"

Charles shook his head, stood up, and led Noelle to the seating area. He held her hand as they sat down, playing with her fingers like a child, gently resting her hand on his thigh.

Noticing Charles had been silent for a while, Noelle tried to pull her hand away. "If there's nothing else, I should get back to work. I have a lot to do."

"Don't go," Charles said, holding her hand firmly. "Stay with me a bit."

"What's wrong?" Noelle asked, sensing something was off with Charles' mood. "Becky mentioned that you seemed down. Is it work-related?" "It's nothing," Charles replied, shaking his head. "Just some minor issues."

"Alright, but if something's bothering you, let me know," Noelle said, choosing to quietly sit by his side. After a moment, she remembered something. "By the way, are you seriously leaving all the year-end party preparations to just Becky and Janet?"