The Cherished Wife



Charles's comment about finishing the meal had a hidden layer of meaning. No sooner had Noelle stepped outside with the basket than the doorbell rang, catching her off-guard. "Weird. Who would come by this late?" she wondered.

The list of people who knew where she lived was not long: Charles, Ronald, the Shaw family, and Xavier. However, it did not make sense for any of them to drop by at this hour.

Curious, Noelle set the basket down and peered through the peephole. The figure outside made her do a double-take before she swung the door open. There stood Sean, looking sharp in a casual-chic way, glasses perched on his nose, a fruit basket in hand, and leaning casually against the doorframe. His smile was disarmingly sweet. "Hey, Noelle, it's been a while!"

Sean caught Noelle's eye and waved. She could not help but grimace before masking it with a polite, if not entirely genuine, smile. Swinging the door open, she greeted him. "It's been ages, Mr. Smith!"

After letting Sean in, Noelle glanced around for a pair of slippers before deciding against it. "Don't worry about the shoes. Come on in!"

Sean stepped inside with a grin, setting the fruit basket on the coffee table. "Nice. It's been half a year, and this place has such a different vibe now!"

Adjusting his glasses, Sean looked so out of place that Noelle immediately thought of the perfect description for him: a wolf in sheep's clothing. Especially today, with Sean in just a white shirt and a blazer and no coat in sight. Looking at him, Noelle shivered and quickly handed him a warm cup of cocoa. "What's the occasion, Mr. Smith? Why the surprise visit?"

Sean looked around, puzzled. "Didn't Charles tell you I was coming by today?" Not spotting Charles, he wandered through the place, muttering, "That Charles has some nerve. He's the one who told me to come up, and... Oh, there you are, Charles!"

Holding the cup awkwardly, Sean's smile faltered when he caught sight of Charles in the kitchen, knife in hand. "Hey, Charles." He chuckled nervously. "You might want to ease up on that killer look when you're wielding a knife. It's kind of terrifying."

Sean propped himself against the

et

doorframe, casually eyeing Charles with a mischievous grin. "Never saw it coming, he said, clicking his tongue always pegged you as the cold-hearted type, the one most likely to end up a grumpy old

bachelor. However, look at you now,

going all soft and righteous."

Charles arched an eyebrow at Sean, still gripping the chef's knife. It sent a shiver down Sean's spine. "Easy, I'm just messing around. If anyone's going to end up alone, it's Mr. Fischer, right?"

With a dismissive snort, Charles shot back. "Scram!"

Strolling out of the kitchen, Sean spotted Noelle perched on a tiny stool by the garbage bin, sorting through veggies. He sauntered over, towering over her with his legs

crossed. "Noelle, isn't Chegske

anovelbin

piece of work? He's making a lady like you handle the grunt work."

Grunt work?

Noelle glanced at the leafy greens in her hands, then up at Sean with a playful glint in her eye. "What's your point?"

Sean shrugged, feigning innocence. "Stuff like this is a man's job!" he declared, raising his voice so Charles could hear from the kitchen. "Right, Charles?"

Noelle let out a chuckle, playing along. "You know, Mr. Smith, you're onto something."

Sean nodded eagerly. "Exactly! Charles doesn't have a clue about being considerate."

"I guess that's a job for you, Mr. Smith!" Noelle declared, shoving a bunch of leafy greens into Sean's hands before sliding a stool his way. "Mr. Smith, the rest is up to you. I'm off to watch some TV."