Kendrick stared out of the porthole, recalling every detail from before.
Looking back on the past few days' itinerary, Annabelle did indeed display many abnormalities.
In the concert hall, she was absent-minded. When she arrived at Witchport Manor, she was even more restless and almost mistook someone.
No matter what, he needed to investigate these matters thoroughly.
After a moment of contemplation, Kendrick said to Jax, "Investigate the identities of the guests in the second-floor VIP room during the concert that night, and see if there were any suspicious individuals."
"Okay, I went to deploy immediately."
"Wait," Kendrick called out to Jax again, "investigate all of Annabelle's previous experiences before she came to the Gregory family, including everyone she had ever been in contact with."
"Yes. So, Tanner, how would you like to handle it?"
Kendrick considered for a moment, "You don't need to worry about this, I'll handle
When Kendrick entered the bedroom, Annabelle had already tucked herself back into the blanket, with only half of her head exposed, watching him approach the bed.He was wearing a camel-colored casual shirt, his complexion wasn't great, but he walked steadily, seemingly without any major physical issues, which made her slightly relieved."Your injury..." Annabelle hadn't finished speaking when Kendrick came to her bedside and gently kissed her lips.Okay, no need to ask, it seems like there was nothing wrong."Where are my clothes?""Wet, washed."Annabelle felt uncomfortable as Kendrick stared at her. She could feel his intense gaze burning two holes into her."Did you... undress me?""Come on, I've seen you without clothes before, why are you so afraid of me looking?" Kendrick teased her.Annabelle's face turned even redder as she puffed out her cheeks and tucked half of her face under the blanket, leaving only her two
After speaking, Kendrick's kiss landed on her neck.Annabelle didn't seem to be lying, and Kendrick no longer cared about the truth. Since she claimed not to know Ryan, he hoped she would never admit it and would always keep her distance from Ryan.Annabelle had no idea about Kendrick's thoughts. She was tense all over, feeling as if her throat was being bitten by a lion, and she even forgot to push him away.But suddenly she thought of something else, very important."Tanner was not a good person, it was him who helped Lisa kidnap me!" she pushed Kendrick's shoulder.Kendrick looked up and bent down to look at her, "Why do you say that?"Although he already knew that Tanner was involved, he was curious about how Annabelle found out.So, Annabelle used aromatherapy in the room to try to sedate both of them, as well as sharing her suspicions about Tanner letting Lisa go with Kendrick.As she analyzed meticulously and astutely no
Annabelle chuckled and thought to herself, "Isn't she naughty?"She was clearly an innocent little white rabbit, but she fell into Kendrick's trap and couldn't escape from the marriage. She was constantly harassed and taken advantage of by him.Now, Mr. Gregory shamelessly claimed that he wouldn't do anything to her."I wanted to get up, give me my clothes!"Kendrick saw her suddenly get angry, but he didn't argue with her. He turned and went into the wardrobe, and brought her a set of clothes, from underwear to pajamas.Blushing, Annabelle said coldly, "Just leave it there, you can go now."Kendrick pressed his tongue against his gums, was the rabbit's tone a bit too arrogant?Relying on his affection for her, she actually treated him as a servant."Shall I assist the lady in dressing?"His slightly mocking tone made Annabelle break out in a cold sweat. How could she forget? This person is both cunning and vengeful, and
Annabelle noticed that the bandage she had just tied was wet, and fresh blood had seeped through the gauze."Didn't you avoid the wound?"Quite a grown man, how can he still not handle such matters properly? Is it intentional?But considering the fact that he had risked his life to save her before, Annabelle decided not to argue with him.She sighed and approached Kendrick. Without looking away, she picked up a towel next to her and wrapped it around his waist, then rebandaged him.This operation was smooth and seamless, Kendrick didn't make any mistakes, yet he still felt a bit disappointed."Could you help me pour half of the hot water? I will sit in the bathtub and wash myself, so that the wound won't get wet."Annabelle was annoyed by his pestering and agreed.After emptying the water, Annabelle bent down to test the temperature and caught a glimpse of him undoing the towel.Annabelle closed her eyes and looked strai
Kendrick was already waiting for her outside the villa, standing by the car door, wearing a pair of dark gray sunglasses, and talking on the phone.Annabelle glanced at him and, to her surprise, the old fox looked quite stylish in his outfit.Then she looked at their clothes again, both wearing Polo shirts, with the same style and brand, one black and one white, surprisingly matching couple outfits.Is this his little trick? I didn't expect this grown man to be quite childish.At this moment, Kendrick finished his call and looked at the refreshing little girl in front of him. He felt happy and couldn't help but reach out and stroke her pretty ponytail."Get on the car."Annabelle furrowed her brows and tidied her hair.Although only her braid was touched, she suddenly felt her face getting hot for some reason.She patted her cheek, suppressing the discomfort in her heart, and got into his car.Silent all the way, the two
Annabelle noticed Ariana's uneasiness and asked, "What's wrong with Ariana? Not feeling well?""I was just scared," Ariana said, her eyes turning red. "I heard that my sister-in-law was unconscious for two days, it was really terrifying. Is she okay now?"Annabelle smiled and said, "It's not serious, I've just been feeling tired lately. I spent a long time swimming in the sea that day, so I was a bit exhausted."She realized that Kendrick didn't want to bring up the topic of Milan in front of their friends, so she also tried to downplay it as much as possible.Kendrick pulled her hand and held it in his palm."However, my dog Anna is really good in water. Thanks to her, I was able to escape that day. I owe Anna my life now."Annabelle pursed her lips and thought to herself, "You cunning fox, you should be grateful. I risked my life that day to pull you out of the sea level, and even in that situation, you took advantage of me. Just thinking
"Of course," Kendrick nodded.Ariana carefully untied the ribbon, opened the gift box, and inside were a pair of exquisite and unique emerald earrings, clearly crafted by a master.In Ariana's eyes, when a man gives a woman jewelry, it also implies a lot of ambiguity, especially when it is done in front of Annabelle. This made her secretly proud."Do you like it?" Kendrick asked.Ariana was about to say that she liked it, but she heard Kendrick say, "Annabelle helped you pick it."Did Ariana choke on something that Annabelle picked?Originally, this was not Ken's intention, it was just a formality...When Ariana looked at the emerald in the box again, she felt that the faint green light was exceptionally dazzling."Like, very pretty," she snapped the box shut and looked at Annabelle, "Thank you, sister-in-law."Annabelle took a sip of tea and smiled faintly, "You're welcome."At this moment, the club manager appro
Ariana chatted with Seamus and Scott while keeping an eye on Annabelle and Kendrick. Although she always had a smile on her face, only she knew that her mouth was stiff.She remembered when she used to learn how to play golf, she also wanted Kendrick to teach her.Kendrick, however, directly hired a professional player as her coach. He taught her well, but what she wanted was just to be held in his arms and taught hand in hand like this!Afterwards, Kendrick took Annabelle to play two strokes and said, "Why don't you give it a try?""Okay."Everyone has a competitive spirit, including Annabelle, who, despite lacking natural athletic talent, is determined to independently excel in this sport.So the little rabbit seized the opportunity and took two swings while the iron was hot, and the result was...None of them won.Annabelle pouted and looked at Kendrick, who was laughing beside her."The first time playing ball, it's
What Gauge wanted to discuss with Kendrick was a strategic collaboration between their two companies.Since stepping into the family business, Gauge had discovered a series of issues.Although Lin Jewelry appeared to be thriving, its narrow focus on a single line of business had left it vulnerable to serious challenges.Therefore, Gauge was planning to expand the jewelry and watch business within the next five years into leather goods, fashion products, and the perfume industry.He also proposed merging the group's original real estate construction division with a subsidiary of Gregory's Group. Murphy's Group would retain only a small share—essentially, a disguised sale to Gregory's.But the reason they couldn’t call it a sale outright was because Murphy's Group had started out in the construction industry. Gauge’s father, Simon, still held an emotional attachment to that legacy and couldn’t let go entirely.After the merger of the construction branches, Gauge hoped to acquire Gregory
At first, Annabelle didn’t understand what he was up to. It wasn’t until they were back inside the house that she realized—Kendrick thought she looked a little too sexy wearing his oversized T-shirt, especially since it made it seem like she wasn’t wearing anything on the bottom. It sparked a lot of imaginative thoughts.Annabelle was both amused and exasperated. She lifted the hem of the T-shirt to show him: “I am wearing shorts! They’re just... a little short. But still totally decent!”But Mr. Gregory was persistent. In the end, Annabelle gave in and changed into her own clothes.Once they were both dressed, they returned to the courtyard.Annabelle noticed Gauge hadn’t touched the watermelon and asked why—after all, it was set aside just for him.Gauge pulled a ten-hole blues harmonica from his pocket and said, “If I eat now, I won’t be able to play.”She knew harmonica players had to keep their mouth clean before playing.Then, Gauge handed her his guitar. “Since we’re just hang
While Kendrick was cutting the watermelon, Annabelle couldn’t take her eyes off him.How strange—why did everything this man did seem so charming to her? Even slicing a watermelon looked handsome.It was as if her brain had automatically applied a beauty filter to him.Annabelle placed a hand over her chest, trying to calm her racing heart. But the more she tried, the faster it beat. The sweet words he had just whispered, every little expression and gesture of his, were now playing back in her mind like a movie…Kendrick held out the watermelon to her with a grin. “Little fangirl, stop staring. This handsome guy is your husband—100% confirmed.”Annabelle glared at him with a flushed face. “Narcissist!”Then she lowered her head, scooping out a bite of watermelon, determined to focus on eating.Just as she was about to take a bite, she noticed Kendrick had sat down.The other half of the watermelon was still sitting on the small stone platform by the well.“Aren’t you going to eat?”“Y
Annabelle smiled softly, her eyes twinkling with a mix of amusement and affection. "Why do you always have to compare everything?" she asked, her voice gentle and teasing."I just want to know," he replied, his voice low and earnest. He reached out and tucked a strand of Anna's hair behind her ear, his touch light but intimate. "What it feels like for you to be with me."Annabelle fell into deep thought, her gaze drifting away as she considered his question. The room was quiet, filled only with the soft sounds of their breathing and the occasional rustle of the sheets beneath them. After a while, she still hadn't answered. Kendrick sighed, a hint of frustration in his voice. "Is it really that hard to answer?""Hmm... it’s hard to describe," Annabelle murmured thoughtfully, her fingers playing with the edge of the blanket. "Before, when I was with you, just seeing you would throw my heart into chaos. My pulse would race, and I could hardly catch my breath. But now…” She trailed off, h
Annabelle hadn’t slept so soundly in a long time.When she lazily opened her eyes and looked out the window, she realized it was already dark.Ever since arriving at her grandma’s house and staying in this quiet little fishing village—far away from her usual life—it felt like she had escaped to another world. Her entire being relaxed, with nothing left to worry about.Kendrick didn’t have to stress over the corporation anymore either.Their biggest daily dilemma had become: what should we eat for the next meal?If only life could always be this carefree...Annabelle slowly sat up. After sleeping for so long, her whole body felt soft and mushy. She got out of bed and wandered into the courtyard, where she saw Kendrick sitting at the small table, smoking.When he heard her, he turned around.“Awake?”Kendrick stubbed out his cigarette and patted his thigh.Annabelle walked over without hesitation or shyness and naturally sat on his lap, arms around his neck, resting softly against his s
Kendrick’s face darkened. “It’s better to date someone older. Look at Mr. Murphy—he’s too young, can’t even cook. How’s he supposed to take care of a girlfriend?”Annabelle raised her eyebrows and gave the sly old fox a glance. Flicking the water off her hands, she smiled and said, “But younger guys are energetic—and no generation gap!”Kendrick let out a sharp “hmph.” “You think there’s a generation gap between us?”“I didn’t say us,” Annabelle teased, eyes twinkling. “Why are you jumping to conclusions? Having a midlife crisis already, Uncle?”The little bunny was obviously up to no good with that mischievous grin.Kendrick glanced at the loquat tree in the courtyard, then squinted at the sunlight filtering through its leaves, trying hard to stay calm.After all, he was turning 31 after the New Year. Couldn’t let a little girl get under his skin, right?But midlife crisis? Really?He was in his prime. A young man!So this young Mr. Gregory looked into the reflection on the glass. He
So Annabelle thought to herself—was Mr. Gregory being a little too proactive?Kendrick asked lightly, “So, do you want to go swimming with him alone?”He deliberately emphasized the word “alone,” as if suggesting she had ulterior motives. Annabelle could only respond, “...I never said that!”“Then that’s that,” Kendrick said calmly, taking her hand and leading her into the house.After a short rest, the three of them began preparing lunch.Gauge was every bit the privileged young master—clearly someone who’d never cooked at home before. He practically didn’t know how to do anything.He was too rough when washing vegetables, to the point of mangling the leaves.Then they had him try chopping vegetables—but the young master, with his obsessive need for precision, insisted on cutting everything perfectly uniform, each slice as neat as the next. At the rate he was going, they’d probably be eating tomorrow’s lunch.Kendrick and Annabelle didn’t even bother expecting him to cook anything. T
Afterward, the three of them returned to Grandma’s house first.Gauge waited in the courtyard while Annabelle and Kendrick brought the things they bought at the market into the house. After grabbing the ingredients they needed for lunch, the three of them headed to Gauge’s place together.When they arrived in front of the white guesthouse, Kendrick couldn’t help but chuckle.That morning, he and Anna had passed by this very spot. He had been wondering at the time—the place had a fresh, elegant architectural style. But there was no signboard, so maybe it wasn’t a guesthouse after all. If it was just a private residence, then it probably belonged to someone with means.Sure enough, his guess wasn’t far off. What he didn’t expect was that this would turn out to be Gauge’s home.After stepping through the front gate, Annabelle couldn’t help but marvel.To build such a charming little courtyard on this sloped hill must’ve taken a lot of thought and care.“Come in, rest a bit. Have some wat
As Kendrick was lost in thought, Annabelle called out to him, “Let me help you carry a couple of those.”Just moments ago, Kendrick had taken all the shopping bags from her hands—he was carrying everything by himself now.Seeing his forehead glistening with sweat, Annabelle, who now had empty hands, felt both guilty and worried.Kendrick looked back at her, smiled, and said, “I could carry you on my back too, no problem.”“Stop messing around, give me two bags.”Seeing how serious she looked, eyebrows furrowed and all, he finally gave in and handed her two of the lightest ones.But as soon as she took them, Gauge casually took them from her without saying a word.Annabelle: “…”She felt like she’d just become the middleman in a hand-off.Kendrick glanced at Gauge. “Thanks, Mr. Murphy.”His tone and look were both laced with provocation.Even Annabelle thought he was kinda asking for a punch right then.Gauge snorted coldly, “Don’t thank me. It’s not like I’m helping you.”“Tsk, brat…”