The Cherished Wife (Noelle and Charles)

Noelle watched Janet from the audience, appreciating her beauty from a purely aesthetic perspective.

Arya, who was seated beside her, was equally mesmerized. "I didn't expect her to be this pretty," Arya remarked.

"Yeah." Noelle nodded. She then noticed that Brian, who was sitting next to her, did not seem to be paying attention to Janet at all. Curious, she asked, "Don't you think she's beautiful, Mr. Parker?"

"Just another pretty face," Brian replied, barely glancing up. "Compared to her, I think you're much better looking." He said this while seemingly engrossed in a conversation on his phone.

Noelle could not help but smile at his compliment. "Thank you for the praise," she said. Out of the corners of her eyes, she caught a glimpse of Brian's phone screen and realized he was chatting with Teresa on WhatsApp. She was surprised.

Noticing Noelle's glance, Brian calmly placed his phone face down, cutting off her view. He smirked slightly. "Peeking isn't exactly polite, you know."

Noelle raised an eyebrow. "You're right, Mr. Parker. But... Teresa is a good woman!"

Brian arched his brows, rubbing his temples. "Talking to someone too smart can be exhausting."

Chuckling, Noelle nodded in understanding. "I won't ask questions."

Noelle was not one to pry, but if there was something going on between Brian and Teresa, she thought it would be good news.

After all, Teresa was her friend, and she knew her character well. Brian was also a good person who was very serious about his work. Just from his remarks about Janet earlier, Noelle could tell that Brian was probably a great person in his personal life too.

On stage, Janet had finished her opening speech. As the host, she spoke far more than what was usual for such an event. Fortunately, Becky stepped in just in time to redirect the focus. "Next, we invite Mr. Hoffman to the stage to give his speech."

Charles slightly furrowed his brows but ascended the stage amid a round of applause. He passed by Janet, completely ignoring the admiring gaze she directed at him.

Walking confidently to the front of the stage, he scanned the audience, his gaze finally landing on Noelle. She had just wrapped up her conversation with Brian and looked up at Charles.

Their eyes met, and a smile passed between them.

Charles quickly shifted his gaze. "Hello, everyone. I think introductions are unnecessary. Today marks our company's annual year-end party, which also serves as an awards ceremony. As we bid farewell to the past and welcome the future, I won't say much more. I just hope everyone continues to work hard.

"Past achievements are in the past; our future success depends on everyone's continued effort. The more you contribute, the greater the rewards. At Collosus Group, we

we

value people above all else. Here, you're not just seeing the

no

present-you're seeing the future!"

Charles' words boosted everyone's morale. Sometimes, practical rewards spoke louder than any amount of praise.

"Now, let the event begin!"

With his announcement, another round of applause erupted.

Becky took the microphone. "The event has officially started, and we'll kick off with the first segment, which, as always, is the opening dance. However, this year's dance will be a bit different.

"This time, I won't be dancing with Mr. Hoffman. I'm sure many of you might already know about this change.

"That's right! Remember those

numbered lanyards I handed out? Gentlemen have blue lanyards, and ladies have red ones. In a moment, my assistant will bring out a box

containing the ladies en cards.

swn&

"Mr. Hoffman will draw one number, and the lucky person will have the honor of doing the opening dance with Mr. Hoffman.

"For the ladies of Collosus Group, isn't this the best perk ever?"