The Cherished Wife



Charles lifted his coffee mug in a toast. "Noelle's a bit clueless. She even planned a meet-up with you today." "That's not true!" Noelle protested, though her voice was a whisper amidst Charles's commanding presence.

Charles gave her a sidelong glance, a look of mild reproof, and leaned in to whisper, "We'll talk about this when we get home." He then turned to Samuel with an easy smile. "Noelle's always had a knack for making coffee. Grandpa, is it the way you like it?"

"It's not bad at all. I've spoiled her too much since she was little. If she steps out of line, just let me know!"

Charles's lips quirked up in agreement. "Will do!"

Noelle bristled a bit. "What could I possibly do wrong?"

Charles narrowed his eyes playfully. "Fetch us a pot of herbal tea, will you?"

Noelle paused, sensing that Charles was trying to get her out of the room. Despite her irritation, she knew better than to try to keep secrets from Charles he was too clever to be fooled.

With a slight nod, Noelle excused herself and stepped out of the room.

Once she was gone, Charles's eyes twinkled with mirth before he turned to Samuel, his face turning serious as he poured another cup of coffee "Grandpa, you know Noelle just as well as I do. Once she's got a. question nagging at her, she won't

let it go until she's got he won't

her

answer-especially when it's something this big."

"You're in the loop too?" Samuel raised an eyebrow, surprised. "Did Noelle spill the beans?"

Charles shook his head. "Nope, she hasn't said a word. I'm not about to pry until she's ready to talk. But since she's come to you, I can't just sit back and do nothing!"

Samuel let out a weary sigh, his gaze on Charles filled with mixed feelings. "I'm starting to regret letting Noelle marry you." A man like Charles was a free spirit and hard to rein in. Noelle would pay a heavy price if he ever decided to walk away.

"Grandpa, do you really doubt who Inovelbin

et

am?" Charles challenged, setting his coffee cup down with a clink. "I've been with Noelle for six months now. Sure, I might not know everything about the Shaw family, but I've made it my business to learn about the people she hangs out with. How do you think I caught on?" He leaned in, eyes searching Samuel's. "I started digging a few months back. It's pretty clear someone's gone to great lengths to keep Noelle's past under wraps. Right, Grandpa?"

et

"Charles, hear me out. If you care about Noelle, just drop it. She's my granddaughter and Samuel's granddaughter, and that's not changing. I'll give her everything ve got," Samuel insisted, stubbornly avoiding the topic of Noelle's real parents. "As for Jule and Jade, I'll deal with them. They won't bother Noelle again. We're done with this conversation!"

"Grandpa, you and I both know secrets don't stay buried. Noelle won't let this go, and neither will I," Charles said, his resolve firm. He had not come just for answers.

This visit was more about gauging Samuel and trying to uncover the layers of mystery. Clearly, whatever had Samuel clamping up was a big deal.

"You..." Samuel sighed. "Why are you so hung up on this? Her last name and her past doesn't matter. What matters is that she's happy now. Sometimes, the truth does more harm than good."