The Cherished Wife

Noelle stared at Charles, utterly stunned by what she had just heard. She shifted her gaze between Charles and Clarisse, her expression reflecting a mix of disbelief and revelation. Moments ago, she had wondered if Charles was being too harsh toward Clarisse, questioning whether his behavior was unfilial. Now, those thoughts had vanished entirely. Charles had seen with his own eyes how his mother had drugged his father and involved an innocent woman in the process. Hearing about it gave Noelle a new understanding of everything. She suddenly recalled Charles mentioning a woman named Liliana in the past his half-sister. Could she be the child born to that woman from the night Charles witnessed as a child? "No, Charlie, let me explain! I did it only because="

Charles interrupted, his tone sharp, "Only because you wanted to divorce my father? And then you tried to ruin Uncle Henry's marriage? You wanted to break up Uncle Henry and Aunt Nancy so that you could marry him instead?" "I..."

Clarisse stumbled backward, visibly shaken. She had never imagined that the dark secret she had kept buried for so many years would be uncovered by her own son. Now, it was dragged into the open by Charles himself.

"You believe my father violated you, don't you? But do you even know who drugged my father 35 years ago?" He kept his gaze on her, unwavering. His expression was devoid of pity.

"I warned you that staying quietly with the Bakers was your best option. But since you chose to return and involve yourself in all this mess, I won't stop you. However, you'll pay for what you did.

"I'm your son, after all, and my heart reflects yours. If you can be ruthless to the one you love, why should I hesitate to be ruthless to you or the Bakers?"

warning. Charles' words were a cold ultimatum, leaving

"Enough said."

him,

and the history of the

what this decision meant for him. Charles rarely showed his vulnerability, but she knew him well

He was not immune to pain. He was

hearing the full truth of his relationship with Clarisse, Noelle realized

not expected Clarisse, Mateo's wife, to be in love with Henry. Driven by jealousy toward Nancy, Clarisse's hatred toward Mateo caused

Noelle