The Cherished Wife (Noelle and Charles)

When Charles returned, he had already tamped down the anger and frustration he carried from earlier, but Noelle could still sense the lingering heaviness in his demeanor. She was chatting with Nancy, sharing amusing stories and anecdotes from her school days about friends she had known.

Nancy seemed to grow even fonder of Noelle with every conversation and asked more about her life. She clearly appreciated Noelle's personality.

Noticing Charles quietly entering the room, Nancy smiled. "You're back already?"

Noelle looked up, her eyes curving into crescents with a bright smile. "Charlie, you're home?"

"Yeah," Charles answered. At the sight of Noelle's cheerful expression, the weight on his shoulders seemed to lift entirely. The harshness he carried melted away.

He returned her smile. "What were you two talking about? You seem to be having a good time."

"We were talking about you!" Noelle grinned, standing to take his coat and fetch him a pair of slippers. "Did everything get sorted out?"

"Yeah." Charles nodded, gently ruffling Noelle's hair. "What were you saying about me?"

"What do you think? Aunt Nancy didn't say a single bad word about you. She was just singing your praises about how wonderful you are. Honestly, it made me jealous," Noelle teased playfully.

"You..." Charles chuckled, patting her on the shoulder. "Have you figured out what we're having for dinner?"

"Of course, I have!" Noelle said proudly, tugging Charles toward the couch. "Come sit down. You must be tired.

"When Aunt Nancy and I came back, we made Ronald take a quick detour to the mall. We picked up some essentials. And of course, I bought everything we needed for dinner. I was just waiting for you to get home so I could start cooking." "Really? You've been so good," Charles said with a warm smile. He reached out to pinch her nose, but Noelle swatted his hand away with a playful glare.

"Aunt Nancy is right here! What are you doing? Behave yourself! Stay here with Aunt Nancy for a bit. I'll go put your things away and get started on dinner," she scolded with mock seriousness.

"Alright," Charles agreed with a chuckle before watching her scamper up the stairs. As her footsteps faded, his smile dimmed, and he turned his gaze toward Nancy. "Aunt Nancy."

"He knows, doesn't he?" Nancy asked calmly.

Charles gave a slight nod. "Of course, nothing escapes your insight."

Nancy shook her head slowly. "So, what's your plan?"

Though Charles had not explained in detail, Nancy could already predict Maxwell's reaction. Maxwell had always placed the Hoffmans above

everything else in life. His strictness extended not only to Mateo and Henry but to Charles as well.

Nancy, having spent most of her life within the Hoffman residence, understood Maxwell's temperament well.

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Even if Noelle did not resemble Kelly, her background alone would have been enough for Maxwell to reject her. The fact that Noelle looked so much ike Kelly only made things worse. Initially, even Nancy had suspected Charles was drawn to Noelle because of Kelly.

Charles said with quiet resolve, "I don't plan to do anything. Nelly is my wife. That's all there is to it. Whether the Hoffmans accept her or not doesn't concern me."

Nancy shook her head with a sigh. "You stubborn child." Then, after a pause, she added, "Do you plan to tell Noelle?"

"These matters aren't for her to worry about. I don't want her burdened by any of this," Charles replied softly.

"You've always been good at keeping things under control," Nancy remarked with a gentle smile.

"Since you've chosen to be with

Noelle, follow your heart. But remember marriage is about sharing both joy and hardship. Never keep secrets from each other. Trust

is the most important ove