Wife 20
The Cherished Wife
got it
Chapter 20
Noelle managed to get rid of Larisse and rubbed her temples, feeling a headache coming on. She
had been putting on a brave face all week, but seeing Xavi and Joseph in the meeting room today
hit her hard.
Joseph had shared a meal with her in secret just a year ago, hinting that he hoped she would end
up marrying Xavier. Noelle could never have guessed that things would spiral into the mess they
were in now.
âMs. Shaw, Mr. Harris would like to see you,â Josephâs secretary said through the phone, catching
Noelle off guard. She quickly recovered. âSure, Iâll head over now.â
After tidying up her papers, Noelle made her way to the presidentâs office.
She rapped lightly on the door and heard Josephâs voice from inside. âCome in.â Pushing the door
open, Noelle found Joseph lounging on the couch, flipping through a financial magazine. He looked
up and gestured for her to come closer. âAh, Noelle, youâve arrived!â
âMr. Harris!â Noelleâs tone was polite but distant, a clear sign she was not about to forget what had
transpired. âWhat did you need?â
Joseph let out a soft laugh and shook his head. I was just thinking that itâs been a while since we
caught up. Youâve just returned. How is the job treating you?â
âItâs going alright.â Noelle managed a tightâlipped smile. âIâm a bit out of practice, but Iâm holding up.
No need for concern, Mr. Harris.â
She kept the formality with âMr. Harris, putting up a wall between them.
Josephâs eyes narrowed slightly, a flicker of sharpness passing through them before he smiled
warmly. âGood to hear. I actually wanted to discuss something about you and Xavier. As you know,
Xavier and your sister Winter, wellâ¦â
âMr. Harris, weâre at the office, and itâs work hours, Noelle cut off Joseph midâsentence, her face
tensing up as she spoke. âBesides, Xavier and I arenât a thing anymore.â
A knowing glint passed through Josephâs eyes for a second when he heard Noelle, then he
squinted and cracked a smile. âRight. Noelle, youâre one sharp kid!â
Noelleâs words had put Josephâs mind at ease.
Truth be told, he had always liked the idea of Noelle as his future daughterâinâlaw. She was smart,
had a mind of her own, and could be a real asset to Xavier in the business world. However, she had
made the mistake of falling out of favor with the Shaw family, which only complicated thingsâ¦
Josephâs face went back to business as he gave Noelle a onceâover. Sure, she was impressive, but
there were bigger fish to fry. After all, Winter was the Shaw familyâs golden
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girl. If Xavier ended up marrying her, the Shaw fortune was practically in the Harris familyâs pocket,
right?
i was
Relying on the Hoffman familyâs influence was all well and good, but not the same as owning it
outright. Joseph was not about to spend his life depending on someone elseâs charity. That was
why he had turned his attention to the Shaws. They might not be as high up the social ladder as the
Hoffmans, but they were still a catch.
âSo, Noelle, doesnât this mean you should swing by the Shawsâ place? Iâve heard you havenât been
back since you returned. Theyâre still your family, right? Even if youâve moved out, youâve got to
catch up with them sometime, donât you think?â
Noelle caught on to Josephâs game in a heartbeat. All her years in Frotconn had at least taught her
to be alert like that. She let out a silent, mocking laugh. Winter was the golden child of the Shaw
family, and to top it off, the year Winter turned eighteen, Julian had handed over a sweet fifteen
percent of the company shares as a comingâofâage present. Noelle, on the other hand, did not
even get a crumb of the company or the smallest gig there. 1
After Noelle graduated, Jade had insisted she find her own job, dressing it up as a lesson in
standing on her own two feet and toughening up. Everything Noelle had paled in comparison to
Winterâs, and at times, she seriously questioned whether she was even a Shaw.
âMr. Harris, your advice is spot on. I do have to head back, but Granddad said I should hold off for
now.â
D