The Cherished Wife

Charles paused for a beat. "Both you and Peter need to stay sharp."

"Oh, I got the scoop from my bro. He said you're eyeing that prime real estate in West City, right? Looks like Frotconn wants in on the action too. Word on the street is it's escalated all the way up to Maxwell. That's pretty crazy!" Charles's gaze sharpened, his eyes slicing through Sean.

"You're really on top of things, aren't you?" He had only just caught wind of it himself, yet here was Joseph, brazen enough to go knocking on Maxwell's door. Charles might be running the Hoffman family now, but Maxwell was still clutching onto his shares in Collosus Group, holding enough clout to sway decisions.

Joseph had once saved Charles's cousin Layla Hoffman's life, and that had put the Hoffman family in his debt. Years had passed with the family propping him up, yet Joseph still had the gall to ask Maxwell for a favor.

"So, what's your game plan?" Sean asked. Business was not usually his thing, but this was family, and with Frotconn and the Shaw family now in the same boat, he was curious to see Charles's next move.

other drummed a rhythm on his thigh. "If they want to play, I'll play with them. But let's see if

"Well, it's getting late. I'd better head out. Oh, and Arnold's going to crash at your place

voice laced with warning. "You're asking

to your lady! I thought I'd give him

Charles grumbled, exasperated. "Give

seemed to have forgotten that it was his own bright idea to leave

the sofa into a cozy ball seemingly lost in her own world. As he drew closer, he noticed the array of tiny, colorful bottles scattered around her feet.