Chapter 4 The Promise

The first thing that Charlotte noticed after she came back was Cody being surrounded by her family.

The usual smile on her face immediately disappeared.

With a frown, she said seriously, "Cody, I advise you to leave now. Let me make it clear again that I'm a married woman. I can't marry you. You should give up the thought immediately!"

Noah, who was standing with his back facing the door, couldn't help smiling when he heard that. His excitement quenched the burning fire inside him. It had been four years since he last saw Charlotte.

He had missed everything about her. For several days and nights, he had wished to hear her voice just once. Noah was so excited that he wanted to run up to her and pull her into a squishing hug.

But on second thought, he reasoned that it would be an unwise thing to do.

Back then, he had left in such a hurry that he couldn't say goodbye to Charlotte. He could only leave her a letter. Since he had been in a special force and they were supposed to abide by strict confidentiality, he couldn't contact her all those years.

It goes without saying that Charlotte had to suffer so much alone. Guilt was eating Noah up now.

As the God of War, showing his soft emotions was not really his thing. He always had to put up a calm and collected attitude.

After a brief struggle in his heart, Noah finally summoned the courage to turn over and look straight at his wife. "Hey, Charlotte. I... I'm back!"

The second Charlotte saw the face of the man standing in front of her, her mouth dropped open. She blinked severally, unable to believe that Noah was back.

Her husband who disappeared without a word was standing in front of her.

Charlotte froze on the spot. When her brain finally processed what was happening here, anger and resentment flooded her heart. She glared at him.

"Why the hell are you back now?"

Tears streamed down her cheeks in an instant. She wiped them quickly and cried out loud, "You left without a word, abandoning me and our daughter for so many years. Do you have any idea how tough life has been for us?

Do you know how we suffered? Did you stop to think for a second that those you left behind have been made a laughingstock to the public? Huh?"

On the verge of breaking down, Charlotte rushed up to Noah and rained down blows on his chest with her weak fists.

There was a heavy boulder in her heart. Her punches came from a place of resentment and pain. She had been keeping all that bottled up for the past few years.

"Tell me why! Why did you leave without saying anything? Why?" The more Charlotte demanded an answer, the more emotional she became.

Noah, who was hurt by her sad state, could only wrap his arms around her tightly.

"I'm sorry, Charlotte... It was all my fault.

At that time, I felt less of a man because I couldn't cater to your needs. Before I went to find a better career, I left you a letter explaining things to you.

All that is in the past now, Charlotte. I'm back for good!" He was almost squishing her at this moment.

There was sincerity in his tone, but Charlotte didn't notice it. She couldn't bring herself to believe the words of a man who hadn't spoken to her for four years.

"You left me no letter, Noah. When you disappeared with the three hundred thousand dollars you asked from my dad, I already gave up on you!" Charlotte didn't bother wiping off her tears again. Her voice was filled with intense disappointment and resentment.

What three hundred thousand dollars?

Noah was confused, to say the least. He didn't ask for any money, let alone such a whopping sum.

And he did write Charlotte a letter. Didn't she see it?

It dawned on Noah that things were worse than he thought. Not only did she not see his letter, but she also thought he ran away with a huge sum. He held her arms, looked into her eyes, and said sincerely, "Listen to me, Charlotte. I didn't take a penny with me when I left. I have no idea about the three hundred thousand dollars you speak of."

Julian, who was standing aside, suddenly averted his eyes and blinked awkwardly when the three hundred thousand dollars was mentioned. His eyes swept the living room for where to hide. Unfortunately for him, his awkwardness didn't go unnoticed by Noah.

One look at this man told Noah exactly what happened to the money.

"If you ask me, it seems your father squandered that money on antiques. You can check his transaction records if you don't believe me."

This accusatory suggestion sent another shiver down Julian's spine. He looked around warily and inched backward slowly.

It was well known that Julian liked to buy antiques, and Noah was aware of it.

"Trust me, Charlotte. I didn't take a dime from you or your family."

It wasn't until then that Charlotte noticed Noah's sincerity. As she stared at his eyes, her face softened a little. She sensed something suspicious when she remembered her father's hobby.

At the sight of what was happening, Hazel's frown deepened. She had put in a lot of effort to get Cody to visit and also entertain him like a king. Now, it appeared things weren't going to go as planned. How could she just stand by and let that happen?

"Where are you going, Julian? We can't let these two reconcile. We must do something!" Hazel spat and cursed inwardly, giving her husband a side-eye.

Actually, it was true that Julian had used the money to buy antiques and he was the one who found Noah's letter.

In order not to get caught, he kept the letter a secret and said that Noah asked for money from him and ran away without an explanation.

Taking the hint from his wife's glare, Julian nodded a little. The most important thing they needed to do now was to kick Noah out. After swallowing hard, he stepped forward again and said, "Noah, quit pretending!

You were the one who took that money. How dare you try to frame me in front of my daughter? Huh? Is that what you do after you vanished into thin air?"

Hazel was eager to get Charlotte married to Cody after the divorce was finalized, so she cursed without hesitation, "Yes, I'm also sure that you asked for money from Julian! It has been years, but it turns out that you still haven't changed. It's ridiculous that you still wouldn't admit your wrongs!"

"Charlotte, there's no need to waste your energy on this loser. He ran away without a word. He's not reliable at all. How can we trust whatever he says?"

Julian thought Noah would never come back so his actions would remain a secret forever. But it didn't turn out that way.

Since he had already lied, what other choice did he have? Besides, what would Noah do to him for lying?

With a cold snort, Hazel and Julian folded their arms and stared at Noah with accusatory eyes.

Doubt crept into Charlotte's head again. She shook it with a painful expression. How could she trust the man who had left her with a child for four whole years?

"I see." Charlotte sighed and looked at Noah with severe grief. "You should leave now. You are not welcome here."

Hearing this, Noah immediately panicked. He reached out to hold her, but she moved away from him.

"Get out! Don't you understand? I don't want to see you anymore! Don't show up in front of me. I want nothing to do with you!" Charlotte shouted.

The little girl, who had been silent all along, tugged at Charlotte's dress and asked, "Mommy... Who is this man? Is he my daddy?"

Charlotte didn't know what to say at first. After looking at Gianna's expectant eyes, she nodded slightly.

In the blink of an eye, Gianna ran to Noah and hugged his leg tightly.

"Mommy, I don't want Daddy to leave. He just bought me a toy in the shopping mall. He's not a bad guy. Why are you chasing him away? I've only seen him two times. Will I not see him again? I want him to stay." Gianna cried and grabbed Noah's hand while stamping her feet.

At the sight of her crying child, Charlotte's heart ached. She felt pity for her and also a little bitter.

"Gianna..." Charlotte squatted and sighed. "Baby, come to me, okay? I was just too angry. I won't drive your daddy away."

She blinked back the tears in her eyes and coaxed her daughter while suppressing the bitterness in her heart.

Looking down at the little girl, Noah had mixed feelings.

He felt even more guilty as he thought of how tough life must have been for Gianna due to his absence.

At this moment, he swore to do right by her from now on. He was going to be a good father and make Charlotte change her mind. He also planned to make sure no one wronged them ever again.

Blood was thicker than water.

Gianna seemed to have a connection with her father. She looked up at Noah, wiped her tears with the back of her hand, and jumped. Her big eyes glistened as she said joyfully, "Daddy, you don't have to leave anymore!"

Noah's heart trembled again when she called him her daddy.

He hadn't known that the little girl he met at the mall was actually his daughter. Now, he scolded himself for not recognizing her then.

His hands trembled and his excitement tripled.

Noah picked her up and pinched her cheek lovingly. He then looked at his wife and said firmly, "Charlotte, I promise never to leave you and our daughter again. I will be by your side till death do us part."