The Cherished Wife

He must have completely lost it! This guy must be out of his mind!
"Charles..." Noelle was on the verge of exploding. "Are you even listening? I don't want to marry you. I don't know you, and I
definitely don't love you."
"Who loves you, then? Xavier? He's your sister's husband now," Charles said, slicing through the truth with a cruel edge. "You're
not still pining for Xavier, are you?" He teased her chin with a taunting finger. "Hmm?"
Noelle swatted Charles's hand away. "What is it to you? Why are you so set on marrying me? Can't you find someone else?"
"You're the first woman who doesn't make my skin crawl."
"What?" Noelle was taken aback.
Charles's lips tightened, and he let go of Noelle. She quickly stepped back, putting a safe distance between them.
Charles watched her with a light chuckle. "It's quite simple. You ran into my arms last night, and I didn't mind it one bit."
He squinted thoughtfully. "How about we strike a deal?"
Noelle stayed silent, and Charles settled himself on the couch. "I'm in need of a wife, and you fit the bill."
'Insane!' she thought. Who did he think he was? "Mr. Hoffman, maybe you're the one who needs a doctor."
"Ms. Shaw, don't rush to give me an answer. Take your time," Charles said, dialing a number on his phone. Shortly after, Ronald
came in with a bag in hand. "Sir, as you requested, this is Ms. Shaw's clothing."
With a slight nod of his chin, Charles directed Ronald to hand the bag to Noelle. She hesitated for only a second before taking
the bag and heading to the restroom.
The clothes were a surprisingly perfect fit down to the exact size of the underwear, as if they had been made just for her.
Gazing at her reflection, Noelle saw a scowl flicker across her face before she slumped in defeat.
She never imagined that her boyfriend would end up with her sister during her year away. She was the real victim here, but
somehow, she had been cast as the homewrecker. Her mom was completely on her sister’s side.
With a twist of the faucet, Noelle splashed water on her face, clenching her teeth to hold back the tears.

She pulled herself together before stepping out of the bathroom. Her eyes, red and puffy, gave her away, however. Charles
caught a glimpse of her state and quickly averted his gaze. "Ms. Shaw, you can reach out to me whenever you're ready," he said,
offering her a business card.
Noelle eyed him warily as she took the card.
"Don't turn away help when it's offered," Charles said as he pressed the card into her hand.
‘Help?’ she thought, skeptical of his so-called kindness.
Her eyes locked onto the title on the card, and she paused. "You..."
Before she could snap out of it, Charles brushed a stray hair from her forehead and walked away, leaving his parting words. "I'll
be waiting for your good news!" Noelle stood frozen, watching him go.
His name rang a bell, of course.
Charles was a big deal in Brookville. He was the top dog among the town's elite, one of the Four Young Masters of Brookville.
While the eldest was a mystery, Mr. Hoffman and Mr. Lennon were household names, their fame echoing through the streets of
Brookville.
It was clear why Charles could not care less about Xavier. Xavier and his whole Harris family were probably not even a blip on
his radar.
Noelle's gaze dropped to the business card she was gripping a little too tightly. The name 'Charles' seemed to be etched into her
brain, playing on a loop she could not shut off.
Why on earth would someone like Charles, who seemed to live in a stratosphere all his own, bother to lend a hand to someone
smeared by scandal? Noelle did not have the answers, and frankly, she did not want them. She shoved the card into her purse,
took a deep, steadying breath, and walked away.
Once she was gone, Ronald stepped out from his hiding spot, eyes tracking Noelle until she was out of sight. He dialed Charles
to say, "Sir, Ms. Shaw has left."