The Cherished Wife (Noelle and Charles)

Peter scoffed, his face a mask of frost as he regarded Tania, who was visibly shaking with emotion. He took a deep breath, steeling himself against any feelings of pity. His piercing gaze landed on Jack. "Is Trevon the name you've given yourself? Did you name yourself for your mother?" Jack's face twitched, but he met Peter's stare and laughed softly. "I'm touched you remember my mother. She'd be at peace knowing that."

Peter's hands balled into fists. "If you chose to leave all those years ago, why come back now and take my wife?"

"Your wife?" Jack's face was ashen, but his smirk remained. "Unless I'm mistaken, you two are divorced."

Tania felt a chill at that smile. The man she had known for three years and thought she understood was actually Peter's third uncle, the man who had vanished more than two decades ago. He...

Tania fought to keep her emotions in check as she whirled to face Jack. "Why didn't you tell me your real name was Jack or that you're Peter's third uncle?"

Jack's eyes were as sharp as ice as they locked with hers. "Does it really matter? He left you to fend for yourself. My identity is irrelevant to you."

"It matters a lot!" She had put her trust in him for three years. They might not have officially married life, but they were together in every sense that counted.

She only had Brandon when she left her old life. Life had been a struggle, alone in a strange place. She, her foster father, and the unborn Brandon had scraped by in Carvonia. That's when Jack came into the picture, having once saved her in Brookville. He pursued her and even stepped up to be Brandon's dad. She never saw that twist coming.

"So, you've been by my side all this time just waiting for this moment? Did you only get close to me just because I was Peter's wife? You've never really cared about me, have you? Not even a little bit. You just wanted to use me to get back at Peter and go after the Lennon family and Lennon Corporation, right?"

Jack looked like he had been slapped. "Tania, do you think I'm using you?"

"Isn't that the truth? Why else would you show up out of nowhere to save me three years ago? Why else would you agree to play the part of my husband all this time?" For the first time, Fania felt like she was seeing the man she had been with for three years for who he really was, and he felt like a total stranger.

"My brother spent three years searching for me, and got nothing but radio silence. You're behind that, aren't you? If you were some guy named Trevon, I'd never buyat. However, you as Jack? Hal

Tania gave Jack a frosty look, then shot a glance at Peter before storming off.

"Tania!"

"Tania!"

Both Peter and Jack reached out to Tania, but Peter went one step further, grabbing her hand. "You've got to see what he's really after..."

"Cut it out!" Tania snapped, yanking her hand away. "He's bad news, and what about you? Is there even one decent person in the Lennon family?"

With a sharp flick of her wrist, she freed herself from Peter's grasp. "Jack? If that's even your real name, then our marriage is a sham too, right? If it's all fake, then you and I are done!"

With those words, Tania bolted. Peter's brow knitted in concern, and he caught the same troubled look on Jack's face. He smirked. "Uncle, poaching your nephew's sweetheart? That's pretty bold!"

Jack let out a weak chuckle,

probably sick and propped himself against the door frame, watching Tania disappear. His eyes twinkled with defiant amusement. "Isn't it' funny? You took Tania right out of Jamie's hands. Jamie still calls you 'Uncle', right?"