The Cherished Wife

Charles gave a sly grin and wrapped Noelle in a warm hug. "I've got a few tricks up my sleeve."

Noelle arched an eyebrow, half-teasing and half-serious. "You're playing the mystery card with me now?" She did not push for more information, though.

She figured Charles had the whole game mapped out in his head, down to the nitty-gritty details he had probably seen coming a mile away.

"You're okay with laying low here for a bit, right?" he asked, his voice soft with concern.

"I get it," Noelle said as she turned and hugged Charles around the middle. "You've told me like a million times. You might not be sick of it, but I sure am!" She nuzzled her head against his chest, her eyes narrowing into a contented squint. Charles cradled her head, finding a comfy spot for her to rest on. "Feeling sleepy? Wanna head to bed?"

Noelle shook her head. "Let's catch the end of the show. It's almost over."

with Noelle's wish. Ironically, not long after declaring she would watch till

helplessness and affection, and then gently scooped her up and carried

lying beside her until

and perked up the moment he got the call. "Mr. Hoffman, you're

"How's it looking?"

predicted. Jade's nearly done digging up the dirt on the Bakers. She's got everything but their deepest secrets," Ronald admitted, impressed. He had

would never have been able to snag such a high-profile detective, let alone dig up dirt on the Baker family's deepest secrets. It was all part of Charles's master plan. "Mr. Hoffman, what's our

to

the part of the second lead." Charles's fingers tapped against the doorframe as his piercing eyes, through the window, locked onto

on instantly. "I'll let Jane know first thing in the morning. But I have to say, giving Winter the Unchallenged Dominion role feels like we're giving her