The Cherished Wife (Noelle and Charles)

"Whoa, Charles, all done with work?" Noelle's eyes lit up as she scrambled up and pulled Charles onto the bed. She tucked him under the blanket and gave his hand a playful tug. "You wrapped up super early today!" "Yeah, I got through most of it," Charles replied, casting a glance at Noelle's phone. "Catching up with friends?"

Noelle nodded. "Yeah, Teresa. Hey, do you have the scoop on Brian?"

Charles quirked an eyebrow, gave Noelle a quick once-over, then peeked at the glowing chat on her phone and grinned. "What's up? Trying to play matchmaker?"

"Would that be so bad?" Noelle grinned back. "Teresa's the quiet type, you know? She's not the kind to stir up drama. Brian seems like he'd be a good match for her."

"It's not really up to you to decide if they're a good match or not," Charles teased, giving Noelle's nose a playful tweak. "They've got to figure that out on their own."

"Just hear me out, I think there's a real shot here. A coworker spotted Brian and Teresa grabbing dinner alone a few days back, so it seems promising. Still, I want to get the lowdown on Brian."

"Don't you work for the guy?" Charles laughed, swiping Noelle's phone away and pulling her into a tight embrace, his hand gently stroking her arm. "Isn't that enough to get to know him?"

"He's solid at work, but his personal life is a mystery to me!" Noelle admitted, feeling like she was overstepping, fussing over Teresa like a mother hen.

"And you think I'd know his secrets?" Charles chuckled, but then got serious. "I don't know much about Brian, to be honest. He had a solid reputation overseas before he joined Collosus Group, and I saw potential in him right away. As for his life outside of work... I'm pretty much in the dark. The only tidbit I've got is that he once had a thing for someone, but it was one-sided."

"Unrequited love? You mean Mr. Parker had a crush on someone? Who was the lucky lady?"

"Let's not dredge up history. I haven't heard any gossip about his love life lately. If you think he and your friend would hit it off, just let them work it out. You should steer clear for now, or you might get caught in the middle."

"You're right!" Noelle agreed, nodding. "Love is as unique as someone's taste in boba."

"Exactly!" Charles agreed. "I heard you're heading to the construction site tomorrow?"

"How did you find out?" Noelle asked, surprised. "Did Mr. Parker tell you?"

"When am I not up-to-date with what's going on in your project department?" Charles playfully tapped Noelle's nose. "Just make sure to stay safe."

"I will!" Noelle felt like Charles had

been babying her a bit too much

lately. "I'm grown up, I can take care of myself" Then something else

came

eto mind. "Oh, and Ronald mentioned yesterday that they're finally starting to shoot

'Unchallenged Dominion?

"Yeah, they're off to Axisland in a few days, so you won't have to worry about any unwanted attention for a while." Charles said with a light laugh. "Focus on your work!" "Understood, Mr. Hoffman!" Noelle climbed up, gave Charles a peck on the chin, and playfully nipped at him.

Charles grimaced, a mischievous

smile flickering in his eyes before he swiftly rolled over, pinning Noelle beneath him on the bed. He propped himself up with one hand by her side, while the other gently tilted her chin upward. "My lady, are you issuing a challenge to your husband for an epic showdown?"