The Cherished Wife

"No worries, we're the guests here. No need to fuss over us, Noelle!" Peter chimed in as he shrugged off his coat and made a beeline for the kitchen. Noelle parted her lips to protest, but Peter was already on a roll, so she just let him do his thing. She could not help but raise an eyebrow at how effortlessly he moved around. "I was already taken aback when I found out Charles could whip up a meal, but you too?"

With a casual nod, Peter replied, "Yeah, I grew up overseas. You end up having to fend for yourself a lot, so you pick things up along the way." He was already rinsing the veggies with practiced ease. Then, he grabbed some mushrooms and added, "Don't you cook too, Noelle? I mean, coming from the high and mighty Shaw family, I kinda pictured you as someone who wouldn't even need to lift a finger."

Noelle's eyes flickered with a touch of sadness. "I had to fend for myself too." She cracked a smile. "I've been on my own since I was pretty young, renting my own place and all. In college, my dorm mates and I would often cook together."

Peter furrowed his brows thoughtfully. "That makes sense!" He glanced at the mushrooms. "Need these chopped?"

"Oh? Just set them down. I've got it!"

"Really, Noelle, there's no need to be so polite with me. Just be as chill as you are with Sean."

easy to get along with. Maybe she had

did she know that Peter was not the type to charm the ladies. In fact, Steven was the only person he had

the door instead of Noelle. Rowena was quick on the uptake. "Hey, wasn't Noelle the one who invited us over for dinner? What's Mr. Smith doing here? Are you trying to crash our party?" Sean gave a sly squint. "Looks like you're not thrilled to see

"You've got

in with a cheerful "Hello!" to Sean and then gave Rowena a little tug on the sleeve as if

the living room, calling out, "Where's Noelle? Noelle, you

Meanwhile, Noelle was bustling

look. Peter narrowed his eyes. "Go hang out with your friends, Noelle.

asked, a touch worried. Peter