Chapter 71
+15 BONUS
Charles shook his head with a chuckle, while Sean was left speechless, clicking his tongue in mock disapproval before nodding in agreement. “Sounds good to me. I’m free as a bird these days. If you can get Peter to come, it’d be awesome for the gang to get together.”
“Got it!”
Once Sean had left, Charles came up behind Noelle and gave her a reassuring pat on the shoulder.
Noelle spun around, her lip caught between her teeth, “When you say ‘the gang,‘ are you talking about the Four Young Masters of Brookville?”
“Four Young Masters of Brookville?” Charles chewed over the title, a playful glint in his eyes. “Who told you about that?”
“Come on, who needs to be told?” Noelle’s eyes went wide with mock surprise. “In Brookville, you guys are celebrities. Back when I was in school, you were all everyone would talk about.”
“Really?” Charles quirked an eyebrow, clearly amused. “That’s just a label others slap on us. We’re just a bunch of guys with the same hobbies. We’re brothers. We’ve never called ourselves that fancy title, you know.”
They were not bored enough to make up titles for themselves. Then, with a sly grin, he teased, “So, have you had your eye on me since your school days?”
Noelle was speechless for a moment, biting her lip. Sometimes, she thought Charles could be so full of himself. “Are you pulling my leg, Mr. Hoffman? I didn’t even know you back then. It’s just that my classmates couldn’t stop talking about how cool you guys were.”
She had always heard tales of their escapades from her classmates, and she did recall them mentioning how Charles was a genius who skipped grades and studied abroad.
Noelle had not really paid much attention to it at the time and had not connected the dots. Now, reflecting on it, she had to admit Charles was kind of a big deal. 1
“Ah!” Charles nodded, drawing out the word with a knowing look. “It’s getting late. Let’s head home, shall we, wifey?”
“I’m not your-” Noelle’s cheeks flushed at the question, and her heart raced. Before they made it official with a marriage certificate, he had always been so distant, like a chess player thinking ten moves ahead.
Now, it seemed as though he had morphed into someone else, saying things she never imagined he would!
“Aren’t you? We’re married now, legally bound as husband and wife, so you’ve got to get used to the role,” Charles said, his teasing smile fading into something more serious. “I’m not going to introduce you to my brothers just yet. Do you know why?”
Noelle’s eyes widened in surprise. Her gaze lifted to meet his.
Honestly, when Charles had brushed off the conversation earlier, a part of her felt let down. She could not pin down why, but his words left her feeling hollow.
Perhaps deep down, she had already accepted what she and Charles were to each other.
+15 BONUS
“Why?” she asked, her voice laced with confusion.
“I need you to be my Mrs. Hoffman, not just Noelle. Until you’re ready to embrace and recognize what we are to each other, I won’t introduce you to anyone. I hope you understand that,” he explained.
Noelle paused, her mind a whirl of thoughts. “I… I’m sorry!” She didn’t mean to be so distant. After all, Charles was still practically a stranger to her. “I’ll do my best. I promise!”
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