Roxy did not harbor genuine feelings for Laurence.
The O'Connors were most revered in Satbury. Tony once took Manny to the O'Connors in hopes of bringing Manny and Tati together, but that did not end well.
Envious of the O'Connors' success, Tony and Manny wanted it for themselves. Even though they could not take over the O'Connors' wealth, it would be a great help if they could secure a partnership through marriage.
While Isabella appeared to be the head of the O'Connor family, it was Louis holding the reins.
With Louis coming of age, Isabella started handing over the family empire to him bit by bit.
Isabella had now taken a back seat in the family business, mostly running her and her husband's company instead of the family empire.
Louis and Phillip were single in their thirties, making them the hottest bachelors.
Roxy was stuck-up, while Manny and Tony were obsessed with status. If Roxy had to marry, it would have to be a leader, so they set their sights on Louis, the eldest son of the family.
Though Phillip was a great catch as well, he was not the head of the family.
Laurence complimented, "You're smart, Noelle. That's my girl, a total genius like me."
Noelle replied matter-of-factly, "I'm not related to you, sir. I can't take after you.
"Just stay smart, sir. Total geniuses tend to be bald, and it's not a good look on you." Laurence burst out laughing and ran his fingers through his hair. “Relax. I'm keeping my hair."
Baldness was not an option to keep his good looks.
"I'll take them to the office later. Stay here and tidy up the medicine field. I believe Mommy Jane and Lilian might arrive in the afternoon. They don't mess around. They're the type to follow through once they set their mind on something.
They should arrive by tomorrow afternoon at the latest.
As Laurence's bodyguard, Noelle wanted to stick by him at all times. After much thought, she took Laurence's orders for a change instead of following him back to the office.
Laurence could not get used to Noelle's compliance. Still, he kept his mouth shut.
Back in the office, Laurence had a meeting before stepping back into his private room. He removed his mask and took out his phone to call Sonny. It took a while before the call connected.
"Are you busy, Sonny?"
"I was asleep."
"It must be nice to be sleeping at this hour."
It was clear that Sonny was being sarcastic, but Laurence played along anyway.
"Poor me. I had to get back to the office and sort out a few urgent documents, then jump straight into a meeting. I only have time now to take a sip of water. What time is it? Ten.
"When are you coming over, Sonny? I need a break."
"It hasn't even been two weekends. I have loads to get through. You won't see me anytime soon. Don't you have time to knit? The way I see it, you have time on your hands."
Laurence remarked, "Oh, right. I haven't done any knitting today. Chloe gave me an idea to knit a sweater for Noelle. She's bound to love it."
Noelle was too stubborn for her own good to accept an expensive gift.
The sweater was not worth much, but he was knitting it himself. The sentiment went a long way, and Noelle would not say no to it.