The Cherished Wife



"No worries, we're the guests here. No need to fuss over us, Noelle!" Peter chimed in as he shrugged off his coat and made a beeline for the kitchen. Noelle parted her lips to protest, but Peter was already on a roll, so she just let him do his thing. She could not help but raise an eyebrow at how effortlessly he moved around. "I was already taken aback when I found out Charles could whip up a meal, but you too?"

With a casual nod, Peter replied, "Yeah, I grew up overseas. You end up having to fend for yourself a lot, so you pick things up along the way." He was already rinsing the veggies with practiced ease. Then, he grabbed some mushrooms and added, "Don't you cook too, Noelle? I mean, coming from the high and mighty Shaw family, I kinda pictured you as someone who wouldn't even need to lift a finger."

Noelle's eyes flickered with a touch of sadness. "I had to fend for myself too." She cracked a smile. "I've been on my own since I was pretty young, renting my own place and all. In college, my dorm mates and I would often cook together."

Peter furrowed his brows thoughtfully. "That makes sense!" He glanced at the mushrooms. "Need these chopped?"

"Oh? Just set them down. I've got it!"

"Really, Noelle, there's no need to be so polite with me. Just be as chill as you are with Sean."

Noelle noted that Peter was surprisingly easy to get along with. Maybe she had mistakenly assumed he would be a tough nut to crack.

In truth, Noelle was right. Little did she know that Peter was not the type to charm the ladies. In fact, Steven was the only person he had ever really connected with. Right now, Peter's attention to Noelle was all about digging for gossip.

Rowena and Teresa were taken aback when they saw Sean at the door instead of Noelle. Rowena was quick on the uptake. "Hey, wasn't Noelle the one who invited us over for dinner? What's Mr. Smith doing here? Are you trying to crash our party?"

Sean gave a sly squint. "Looks like you're not thrilled to see me, huh?"

Rowena rolled her eyes. "You've got it all wrong."

Teresa, ever the polite one, chimed in with a cheerful "Hello!" to Sean and then gave Rowena a little tug on the sleeve as if to say, 'Cool it!' Rowena reluctantly stepped past Sean into the living room, calling out, "Where's Noelle? Noelle, you here?"

Meanwhile, Noelle was bustling

around the kitchen. Overhearing

Rowena's booming voice, she shot Peter an awkward look. Peter

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narrowed his eyes. "Go hang out with your friends, Noelle. I've got this covered."

"You sure?" Noelle asked, a touch worried. Peter just nodded confidently. "Piece of cake."

Reassured, Noelle headed out to greet her friends just as Teresa was gently reminding Rowena to keep it down. "Noelle's here!"

"Noelle, I've missed you like crazy!"

Rowena burst in, nearly bowling over Noelle, who stumbled back a couple of steps before catching her balance. She could not help butProperty of Nô)(velDr(a)ma.Org.

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laugh, even as she her head. "Rowena, don't you think you're laying it on a bit thick? It's not like we've been apart for ages!"

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"You ghosted us for ages, then you invited us to dinner with this random dude!" Rowena said, playfully tapping her nose before darting off "Where's your hubby? Is he whipping up something in the kitchen?" Without waiting for an answer, Rowena zoomed toward the kitchen, calling out, "What's got you in a good enough mood today to host a feast for us?"