The Cherished Wife (Noelle and Charles)

Brian's eyes narrowed as he watched Noelle walk away with the two sharp-dressed guys. He did not waste a second before he bolted for the elevator and shot up to Charles's office. Becky, spotting Brian's rushed arrival, blurted out, "Mr. Parker, are you here for Mr. Hoffman?"

"Yeah. Where is he?"

"Mr. Hoffman and Mr. Wells stepped out. Is it something urgent?" Becky eyed Brian, who looked a bit off. "Or you can tell me, and I'll let Mr. Hoffman know."

"It's fine."

With Charles nowhere in sight, Brian had to bail, but he could not shake off the worry for Noelle's safety. He whipped out his phone and dialed Charles, only to get the 'out of service' beep. Brian's frown got deeper. Meanwhile, Noelle was in the back of a car that was cruising along, destination unknown. She figured worrying would not help, so she braced herself to see what Sir Hoffman wanted. Given her last run-in with Clarisse, Noelle braced for a showdown, probably even tougher than before.

Head down, Noelle fished her phone out of her purse. The suit in front swiveled his head, fixing his gaze on her.

Noelle paused for a split second, her eyebrows lifting in feigned ease. "What's the big deal? Can't I play with my phone and have a chat?" She wore a casual smile, her voice calm and composed. "Sir Hoffman just invited me over for a talk. He didn't say anything about you guys keeping tabs on me, right?" The man was taken aback by Noelle's comeback. She was right-Sir Hoffman had not mentioned anything about limiting Noelle's freedom. However, with her phone in hand, was she trying to tip someone off?

"Relax. I'm just texting a buddy, not Charles!" Noelle flashed her phone with a light laugh. "No need to freak out. It's not like I'm plotting a crime spree."

"I'd suggest you keep a low profile," the man warned.

Internally, Noelle rolled her eyes but stopped fidgeting. As she slipped her phone into her bag, she discreetly dialed a number without another word.

Seeing that Noelle was not up to any more tricks, the suited men backed off. However, Noelle was on a roll, gabbing away. When they gave her the cold shoulder, she did not miss a beat and kept the one-sided, conversation alive, talking about anything and everything.

Before long, the car pulled up to a villa by the sea. Noelle stepped out with the men and entered the house. One of them gave her a look. "The old man's upstairs."

Noelle quirked an eyebrow. "So, I'm heading up?"

"Stay put!"

"Oh!" Noelle nodded with a hint of mischief. "How about getting me a glass of water? I've been parched from working at the construction site. You guys didn't invite me over just to leave me high and dry, right?" The two men in suits visibly cringed. One of them, clearly annoyed, said, "I'll go check with the boss. You, get her a glass of water."

With a slight smirk, Noelle thanked

him and took a seat. She watched the suit-clad man head off to fetch water and took the chance to scan the room. He returned quickly, handing her the water with a stern warning, "Don't try any funny business!"

"What funny business could I possibly try?" Noelle sipped her water calmly, sitting back and waiting for Sir Hoffman's son to make an appearance. She was in the dark about Maxwell's plans and his state of mind. Showing any sign of panic or distress right then would not do her any favors.