The Cherished Wife

"Didn't you want to come?" Peter shot Sean a cool look. "You chose this. You can't blame anyone else for your misery." His tone was icy, and he did not bother to sugarcoat his words.

After being subjected to Charles and Noelle's lovey-dovey act and now getting a verbal jab from Peter, Sean decided he had had enough. He was done with this hangout. With his head held high, he walked off. Peter squinted, taking in his surroundings as memories of Tania flooded his mind. They had ridden wildly here once, and she had promised to stay by his side forever.

Tania, Tania! Three years had gone, but she was still not back!

Charles picked out a super calm horse for Noelle since it was her first time in the saddle. He was worried she might freak out or not be able to handle the horse, so he stuck close, holding the reins. Noelle, perched on the horse, gently patted its neck. "Charles, this one's a sweetheart!"

"Yep!" Charles glanced up, seeing Noelle's grin. "Should I let go and see how you do?"

"Sure!"

With Charles cheering her on, Noelle took the reins and rode a bit on her own. She was not nearly as terrified as she thought she would be. The horse seemed to understand her, and it was pretty friendly, too.

Suddenly, a gust of wind whipped by. When Noelle snapped back to reality, she saw Sean and Peter tearing across the ranch like they were in some epic showdown. The rush of it sent a thrill through her. "Charles, it looks like Peter and Sean are racing. Who are you betting on?"

Noelle peeked over at Charles, who was strolling behind her. "Charles?"Material © of NôvelDrama.Org.

He looked up. "Peter, for sure!"

"Really? How can you tell?" Noelle's

eyes

Wdited between Charles and

the distant duo. "Is Peter that good?

Ron

the better rider between you

Charles raised an eyebrow, his eyes playfully sweeping over Noelle's face. "Why? Do you think I should throw down a challenge?"

"Do you want to?" Noelle seemed pretty stoked.

el

She was having a blast since her first time on horseback was going very well. Charles could tell that Noelle was not passionate about horse riding; it had been just a fleeting curiosity. He offered his hand to help her off the horse. "Sure! Let's check in with Peter and Sean first, though."

"Okay. Let's head over!"

Charles watched Noelle's cheerful face light up and could not resist tousling her hair. "You look like you're having even more fun than me."

"Obviously!" Noelle had giggled, grabbing Charles's hand. "I can't wait to see how awesome you really are!"

Charles looked at her with a fond smile. "And what if I end up losing?"

"Losing?" Noelle bit her lip, feigning concern, then shrugged. "Who cares? It's no biggie!" She had not really thought about Charles losing, nor could she picture it. However, Peter seemed pretty skilled, and losing to the best was nothing to be ashamed of.

Noelle's curiosity was left unresolved as Charles suddenly got a call from the Hoffman family estate asking him to return immediately.

Charles ended the call with a slight frown. Noelle noticed his concern. "Did something urgent come up?"