The Cherished Wife

Out of nowhere, Noelle felt a reassuring weight on her shoulder. She looked straight into Charles's eyes.

Charles gave her shoulder a comforting pat. "Remember, you've got me!" Noelle's face split into a wide smile, and she covered his hand with hers. "I know!" Without Charles, she would be lost, unsure of who she would even be. She had only teamed up with Charles to dodge the Shaw family curse, never expecting to actually fall for him. Charles was an unexpected surprise in her life, but she was not about to push him away.

"Hey, don't sweat it. I'm not the old Noelle anymore. I've got my eyes wide open now. What's bugging me is Mom pushing me at Bob non-stop. You can't keep sending Sean to bail me out! And what if Bob's parents catch wind of this?" "Don't worry, Bob's got this!" Charles said, squeezing Noelle's hand before he turned, sat down, and pulled her close. He gently dried her hair. "You don't need to stress over this."

"Speaking of, Sean was pretty intense with my mom today. You think she'll go talk to Bob's mom about it?"

Charles hesitated. That thought had not crossed his mind. "No worries," he said quickly. "Sean and Bob will sort it out."

okay!" Noelle nodded, relieved. "That's

ended a phone call.

nosedive. She had insisted on having him despite the risks, and it had taken its toll. Since moving back from Cascade City to Brookville, Yitty had become a recluse, barely interacting with

years, though.

prayer beads, shaking her head slightly. "I heard you

expression tightening before he

You're not into this match-making thing, huh? Well, I've heard Noelle Shaw is quite the catch. You're not exactly young anymore, Bob. Hang out with her a bit, okay? Feelings

you're saying, Mom. Miss Shaw might be alright, but you can't rush love, right?" He lifted his hand, his deep, dark