The Cherished Wife



Ronald and Lareal snapped to attention. "Mr. Lennon!" they exclaimed.

Charles glanced up at Peter. "What are you doing here?"

With a sly smile and a quirk of his eyebrow, Peter leaned casually against the door. "I haven't seen you lose your temper like this in years," he said, his eyes hinting at something deeper.Property of Nô)(velDr(a)ma.Org.

Charles scowled at him. "What's your point?"

Peter just shrugged. "She's a woman. Don't you think you're being a bit harsh?" He then caught the sharp look in Charles's eyes. "Oh? Seems like you haven't changed since you treated my sister's foster mother the same way three years ago."

Peter's expression darkened, and the air around him grew tense. He locked eyes with Charles, and without a word, a fierce showdown began.

The two men were evenly matched, and it was hard to tell who would come out on top. Meanwhile, Ronald and Lareal were caught in the middle. They exchanged helpless looks, silently wishing they could just disappear.

Finally, Peter let out a disdainful huff. "Don't think for a second I won't hit you, Charles!"

Charles gave a small, knowing smile, tapping his knee lightly with his long fingers. "You're talking to me like that? Aren't you worried I'll say something bad about you to her?"

Peter's eyes flashed with anger, but he quickly calmed himself. "She's gone!" he said, with a barely-there smile. "I'm warning you! This is the last time I'll let it slide." He paused before adding, "Cody's here!"

Charles looked up, his stormy eyes settling down. He got up, walked over to Peter, and gave him a reassuring pat on the shoulder. "My aunt and uncle are waiting for her too. If you're not ready to give up, just keep waiting. She'll come back someday."

Charles dropped his hand and glanced at Ronald. "Give Annie back to Cody."

Ronald was confused. "We're just letting Annie off the hook?"

He could not make sense of it. With what Annie had done today, she would not have stood a chance with Charles's usual approach. It was the first time he had seen Charles show any mercy. "Mr. Hoffman, but she..."

"Let her go Charles said firmly, massaging his wrist. "Tell him that if he can't handle her, I won't hesitate to step in." His voice was icy as he turned back to Ronald. "AndCut ties with the Adams Group."

Ronald's eyes snapped up, and he got it in a flash. He jumped to his feet and said, "I'll go right now and take the person back to Cody. I won't let Mr. Hoffman down." With that, Ronald hurried away.

Peter, on the other hand, had a skeptical expression and eyed Lareal. "Just whose team are you on?"

Lareal stood up straight, all smiles. "I'm on your team, of course, Mr. Lennon! Haha!"

Peter squinted and shot a look at Charles. "I was starting to think you were looking for a new boss."

"I wouldn't dare!" Lareal was on the verge of tears. "Mr. Lennon, you were the one who told me to stick with Mr. Hoffman for a while and help him out!"

Charles coughed, giving Lareal a stern look. Lareal clammed up right away.

Peter smirked and gave Charles a reassuring pat on the shoulder. "Don't stir things up too much. Your grandpa doesn't know you're getting married yet, right? Aren't you worried about him finding out with albthis commotion?"