The Cherished Wife

Chapter 26

Noelle felt her heart start pounding rapidly. She did not like feeling lost for words. She forced herself to suppress those unfamiliar emotions and drew a long breath before forcibly changing the subject. “Did you ever visit the snack bars right outside the university when you were a student, Mr. Hoffman? I used to enjoy having supper there with my classmates.”

Charles‘ eyebrows raised slightly as he glanced at Noelle and asked, “You guys scaled the walls?”

Noelle blushed, feeling like Charles had seen right through her. However, there was no way she would admit that, and her face turned even redder as she retorted, “No, of course not. We exited through the main gate!”

She had answered so urgently that it made her seem even more like she was trying to cover something up, but Charles merely smiled without saying anything else. She also fell silent, thinking to herself that this man was a little different from the image she had formed of him previously.

The shop Noelle was talking about was near Vista University. One merely needed to cross a road and walk down an alleyway to reach it. During her time as a student, she would often scale the walls and leave the university premises with her friend Sophie Yates or take advantage of when everyone was asleep at night to have supper there. Those were some of the happiest times of her life.

she had not been here since her

Fork

over first? I’ll park the car at Vista University!” There were no parking spots

go together. I’m not sure if you can find the place yourself,” Noelle replied, thinking to herself that Charles had probably never been down the nearby alleyways. He seemed to have something to say, but after a moment’s

he gazed at Noelle standing beneath the oak trees, her purse slung over her shoulder as she nudged the pebbles around her half–heartedly. Sunlight

standing with his car keys in

over and gazed at her. “Should

in full swing in Brookville now, and students were traveling around the campus in groups. After a moment’s thought, she shook her head and said, “Maybe next time. Let’s grab something to