The Cherished Wife (Noelle and Charles)

"You..." Maxwell never imagined Charles would speak to him this way. "Are you serious? Aren't you afraid I'll strip you of your authority? Aren't you worried I'll take away your right to inherit the Hoffman family?" Charles turned fully to face Maxwell, his gaze calm and unwavering. He stood tall, looking down at the older man.

Once ruthless in his youth, Maxwell now showed signs of aging, though his sharpness remained.

"Of course, I'm serious." Charles' tone was indifferent, almost lazy. "But it seems you've underestimated me, Grandfather."

"What do you mean by that?"

"All these years, do you really think I care about becoming the head of the Hoffman family?"

Charles shot a sideways glance at Mateo. "Dad, Uncle Henry, take good care of Grandfather. I have other things to attend to, so I'll be going."

"Charles, I won't recognize that woman. The Hoffman family will never accept her!"

Charles paused briefly. He was already standing tall, but he straightened his back further. "I already told you I don't care."

"Charlie!" Chloe, seeing how tense things had become between Charles and Maxwell, quickly chased after him.

When she finally caught up, she blocked the car door, preventing him from getting inside. "Charlie, how could you speak to our grandfather like that?"

Charles stared at her with an unreadable expression, his gaze cold and distant. Chloe felt uneasy under his scrutiny and rushed to explain, "Dad asked me to return. Don't worry, I didn't tell them what you confided in me.

"But you must know, being the future head of the Hoffmans means that your wife must be someone capable of supporting you. Are you really serious about Noelle?"

Noelle Shaw?

Chloe was not unfamiliar with Noelle. She acknowledged Noelle's competence, but in her eyes, Noelle was not fit to become the matriarch of the Hoffmans. It was not that she was prejudiced but that the family had rigorous standards for leadership. Charles was not an ordinary man. From the moment of his birth and from the day he was chosen, his life had been set apart from others.

"Only men without ability need their wives to assist them with their careers," Charles remarked with disdain, glancing at Chloe.

"I thought I made myself clear last time. If you choose to stand with me, I'll welcome it. But if you stand with the Hoffmans, I won't oppose you. Just know that from here on, I'll walk my own path. And I'll stay out of your affairs as well."

Chloe's face paled, and she bit her lip lightly. "We're family. Why does it have to come to this?"

Charles lowered his gaze. "You

probably think I'm bluffing, but let me be clear-I have no desire for the position of head of the Hoffman family. You can tell Grandpa this. If

he

Pne

wants to choose someone else, I

have no objections."

He opened the car door and slid inside, giving Chloe one last glance. "Jordy avoids getting involved in family matters, and Anna is still too young."

With that, Charles drove off. Chloe stood at the entrance of the Hoffman residence, feeling an eerie chill spread through her.

She watched as the car disappeared into the distance. After some time, James approached her.

"Ms. Chloe."

Chloe turned. "What is it?"

"Sir Hoffman wants you inside."

"Alright."

When Chloe stepped back into the house, she found Maxwell still simmering with anger. Mateo and Henry were also present, clearly at odds with each other.

"So, you knew all along?" Maxwell's question was directed at Henry. After a moment of contemplation, Henry nodded. "Yes."