The Cherished Wife novel Chapter 523

"Okay, okay, I'll take her away right now. Charles, just cool down, okay? You know she... she didn't mean any of this. Don't hold it against her," Clarisse said, rushing over to grab Janet's hand. "Janet, cut it out, come with me." She leaned in and whispered something that made Janet's fierce gaze flicker with doubt. "Aunt Clary, are you for real?"

"Have I ever lied to you? Come on. Let's head home."

It took some doing, but Clarisse managed to lead Janet away. Charles squinted, giving the area a quick once-over. The crowd that had been rubbernecking scattered, cowed by Charles's commanding vibe.

Charles's scowl lingered until Clarisse's car was out of sight. Then he tapped on the car door. "Open up, Noelle!"

Noelle had been in the middle of changing in the back seat when Janet came charging over like she had lost her mind. It freaked Noelle out so much that she froze, not even daring to breathe too loudly. Her heart was pounding in her throat, especially after hearing the crazy stuff Janet had been saying. She was half-expecting Janet to go berserk and smash the car window. Thankfully, that did not happen.

With a sigh of relief, Noelle quickly straightened her clothes and opened the car door.

Charles noticed the door opening from the back and quirked an eyebrow. "Why'd you move to the back?"

Noelle's cheeks were pink as she glanced at her outfit. "The front seat's too cramped. It’s not great for changing!" she explained, then quickly added, "It’s all good now."

"It's not that surprising," Charles explained. "She didn't have the best upbringing. I've mentioned before that her mom was my uncle's first love. Her mom had her own struggles with mental health, probably something passed down in the family. That's why the Bakers originally didn't want her with my uncle. Eventually, my uncle settled down and started his own family, and Janet's mom moved on too. I'm not sure what went down after that, but my uncle ended up bringing her back to the Bakers, and she's been with us ever since. She seemed pretty normal back in the day, but lately, she's gotten really paranoid about everything."

"Paranoid about you?" Noelle blurted out. "Has she had a crush on you since she was little? Is that why she won't leave you alone?"

Charles's brow creased, and he hesitated before nodding. "Yeah."

"And your mom..." Noelle hesitated. "Does she know what's going on with Janet?"