Semua Bab The Cherished Wife: Bab 501 - Bab 510

"Father, do you really think I'm that bad?"Charles's voice was laid-back but had an edge that made Mateo stop in his tracks. Then, with a chuckle and a twinkle in his eye, Mateo said, "I guess I worried too much."Charles knew his stuff. His dad should know he would not give someone like her the time of day, which put Mateo at ease. "Alright, back to the grind for you. I'm off.""Take it easy, Dad!" After waving Mateo off, Charles hit the intercom and told Becky, "Get Janet a spot in the secretarial pool for some busywork, okay? Keep her out of the loop on the hush-hush stuff and away from me."That was as far as Charles would bend. "Everyone, just keep going with your own stuff. Don't mind her.""Got it, Mr. Hoffman!" Becky now had the playbook for handling Janet, the newcomer with connections.Becky headed straight for Janet and found her downstairs in the cafeteria, ordering the staff around for snacks. Becky's opinion of Janet slipped a few more notches, but she was practica

"Don't you want to know what's going on?"Brian watched Arya zip over to another table to chat and snoop, while Noelle was contentedly focusing on her meal. He was a bit confused. "I thought you were close to the big shot upstairs?"Noelle took a bite of her food and looked up with a slight frown. "How do you expect me to answer that?"Brian realized Noelle was not wrapped up in the drama and chuckled. "Looks like I'm the one who's too curious for their own good.""Yeah, seriously. You're a big guy, so why are you so into the rumor mill?" Noelle chuckled, spotting Arya bounding over with a look of sheer excitement. "You guys will never believe what I just heard!"Arya was practically bouncing with enthusiasm, so Noelle played along. "What's the scoop?""That new girl who just showed up on the 27th floor today is Mr. Hoffman's uncle's daughter. But get this—there's no family tie by blood. She's not here to work; she's here on a manhunt!"Noelle hesitated. "A manhunt?"She did no

Janet's voice was dripping with sweetness, the kind that could melt a guy's resolve. Even Noelle, tucked away in her hiding spot, shuddered, feeling her skin crawl under her thick clothes.Noelle's throat felt dry as she debated: should she slip away now to find Arya, or should she boldly step out and claim her ground?As she mulled it over, Noelle's ears caught the icy edge in Charles's voice. "Call my mom yourself and ask her to send a car for you!"A wave of relief washed over Noelle. She had been secretly dreading Charles might offer to escort Janet. For some reason, Noelle just could not warm up to Janet—maybe it was that lunchtime drama in the dining area that soured her mood.Noelle admitted to herself that she was not one to hold grudges or blur the lines between right and wrong, but she could not shake off the unease sitting heavy in her chest—and she was not about to lie to herself about it."Charles, how could you? I'm your sister, for crying out loud, and the Hoffmans'

"So, I was right with my guess?" Noelle had felt it in her gut, but hearing it from Charles hit differently. She felt a twinge of sadness and glanced at him. "Your mom doesn't like me, does she?"Charles's brow creased ever so slightly when he heard Noelle's words, a wave of annoyance washing over him for no clear reason. "I like you, and that's all that matters," he declared firmly.Noelle gave a half-smile, her unease showing. "It's not that I'm trying to imply anything else. I'm just worried your mom might not take to me because of the whole Janet situation." They had been married for quite a while now, and even though it was Noelle who had initially been hesitant about meeting the Hoffmans, she could not shake the fear that they might not think highly of her.Charles could easily read the concern in Noelle's eyes. With a sigh, he reassured her, "Forget about all that. I'm the one who married you, and I'm the one who's going to be with you for the rest of our lives, not them. You

"You've gone too far this time, Clarisse. You're pushing the limit. Getting Janet a spot at the company was already bending the rules, and Charles isn't happy with me. And now you want to fire people? Do you acknowledge Charles' position? He's the big boss of Collosus Group, you know.""Of course I do! Janet is his sister, his secretary, and she gets pushed around by the security guards? What I'm doing is totally fair!" Clarisse would not hear any of Mateo's reasoning. "If we don't stand up for her now, who knows what they might do to her next time?""And did you even bother to ask Janet what she was up to?" Mateo massaged his temples in frustration. "Charles's office is full of top-secret stuff, and he wasn't even there. So why was Janet sneaking in? The guards were just doing their job. Anyone who breaks into Charles's office is asking for trouble. How can you blame them?" Mateo's sharp eyes fixed on Janet. "So, Janet, what were you doing in there after hours without Charles?""I.