Annabelle really didn't move anymore.
Because she sensed that Kendrick's mood was off and remembered that he had left in the morning with a heavy heart, she worried that something had happened.
After holding him for a while, Annabelle felt that Kendrick's breathing had calmed down a bit, so she asked, "What happened?"
Kendrick fell silent for a moment and said, "I went to the auditorium to look for you just now, but you weren't there. I was a little worried."
I was just worried about her...
Annabelle had just wanted to tell him that the reason she ran out was because the teacher who taught her medical skills had arrived. She had followed the young master out, but unfortunately, she didn't catch up.
But as the words reached her lips, Annabelle swallowed them back.
She seemed to have no need to tell Kendrick about these things regarding the young master.
After holding her for a while, Kendrick finally let go of her. Annabelle the
Annabelle also didn't know why she had to lie and deceive him, saying that the bouquet of flowers was a gift from her boss.Just thinking, Kendrick would definitely be very unhappy if he knew that the flowers were sent by the young master.Kendrick took the flowers from Kamila's hand and handed them to Annabelle, saying, "Here, take these."After saying that, he turned around and showed her his back again.Annabelle lowered her gaze and, with one hand holding onto something and the other clutching his shoulder, she once again leaned on his back.Kamila watched the backs of the two people leaving and sighed enviously.I wish I had a caring older brother like that...She was about to return to the auditorium when she happened to see Gauge walking out."Didn't you watch the performance?" Kamila asked."Well, it's nothing special," Gauge said as he walked down the stairs. After taking a couple of steps, he turned back to Kam
"You, hurry up and take your medicine, stop talking."Annabelle was so angry that her voice became hoarse. She turned her face away and refused to look at Kendrick anymore.Now she couldn't look directly into Kendrick's eyes anymore, because whenever she met his gaze, she felt like she wasn't wearing any clothes...After giving Annabelle her medicine, Kendrick carried her back to her own room, but Annabelle never looked into his eyes."Rest early."Annabelle lay on the bed, facing away from him, and waved her hand.Kendrick glanced at her deeply and closed the door.He had noticed long ago that Annabelle was shy. She didn't dare to look at him at all. Her small face, about the size of a palm, turned pink, which was very cute and made him feel a little better.After arriving on the first floor, Kendrick dialed his father's phone number."Father, I have returned from the mountains," Kendrick reported."Is your grand
On Annabelle's side, although she returned to the room and got on the bed, she did not feel sleepy.After Kendrick returned to her room, she limped downstairs.The bouquet that the young master gave her, she hadn't put it in a vase yet. She's afraid the flowers will wilt severely if she waits until tomorrow to do so.Just now Kendrick was here, she didn't want to bother him, and also because discussing the topic of him helping her change her underwear made her so embarrassed that she wished she could hide in a hole.So I sneaked down here just now, thinking of simply tidying up the bouquet of flowers before going to sleep.To Annabelle's surprise, Kendrick had already unwrapped the packaging and had placed the flowers in a vase.That annoying sense of guilt once again emerged from Annabelle's heart.If Kendrick knew that the person who was sending her flowers was about to take her away from him, would Kendrick still do these things?
Annabelle was afraid of pain, so she immediately backed away and stared at Kendrick, saying, "Why did you pull my hair?""Where did you go and for how many days?"Kendrick let go, but the low air pressure made Annabelle feel suffocated."Stonebay Resort, three days."After spending so much time together, Annabelle now knows better and tries her best not to provoke Kendrick, so she answers very quickly."Understood, stay safe."Annabelle blinked her eyes and quietly breathed a sigh of relief. It turned out that they didn't want to stop her. Phew, what a false alarm.After Annabelle left the study, Kendrick made a phone call to Jaime: "I will be going out for the next three days. I have a meeting with a business partner the day after tomorrow. I will inform the vice president and you should cooperate fully. As for other trivial matters, I will handle them after the Golden Week is over.""Yes, President.""Also, book me a p
Annabelle slowly walked into the lake, gently paddled her arms, and swam freely and joyfully like a happy fish.Kamila was not good at swimming, and combined with her poor figure, she didn't like wearing revealing clothes. At the moment, she was lying on a wicker chair by the lake, sipping on some juice and enjoying the gentle breeze. It was quite pleasant.Until she heard someone approaching, she slightly opened her eyes and realized it was Gauge."Hi!"Gauge nodded in response and then took off his bathrobe, stepping into the lake. Kamila watched Gauge's well-proportioned and muscular figure and couldn't help but swallow her saliva.Tsk tsk tsk, it's a pity this guy didn't become a model.Then she pinched the flesh on her stomach and for the N+1th time, she felt the urge to lose weight.Immediately, she saw Gauge swimming towards Annabelle.Kamila immediately felt that the two of them were a perfect match and quickly took out
As the time underwater increased, Annabelle began to feel a slight tightness in her chest.She didn't know how long she could hold on, but when she looked at Gauge, she realized that he was completely fine.Is this person a fish?Not only Annabelle was anxious, but Kamila on the shore was also panicking at the moment. They have been underwater for so long without resurfacing, could it be... that they are dead?But fortunately, the pool water was clear, and Kamila could see that both of them were still moving, so she restrained herself from calling for help.In the distance, Kendrick had already used a telescope, and his temples were pounding.As soon as Kendrick saw Gauge also entering the lake just now, he couldn't sit still.Later, watching them swim to the other side of the lake together, I realized that the two of them were probably competing, which made me even more bitter.The two of them had elegant swimming styles, with
Annabelle came to the hot spring area alone, chose an empty pool, walked in, and then comfortably closed her eyes.Not long after, other classmates also arrived.There were several more people in the pool, including both girls and boys. Annabelle looked around and noticed that there were still several empty pools. She wondered why everyone had to squeeze together with her.If she were to get up and change pools now, it wouldn't be impossible, but it would seem very impolite, as if she were disdainful of her classmates.So she moved a little away from others.Gauge didn't go into the pool because he didn't like sharing the pool with others. So he sat on a chair nearby, listening to music, planning to have a snack and then go back to his own suite.He lived in a small detached villa with a private courtyard, which had his own private hot spring pool. Actually, he could have gone straight back to his room, but he couldn't help but walk over to
Annabelle just arrived at the bar and ordered a hot coffee from the waiter.While she waited, it felt like a big, heavy person had just sat down next to her.Annabelle glanced at him with a sidelong glance and immediately knew what he was thinking, so she got up and left.When dealing with a thug, you can't be too careful. The sooner you get away, the better.But even so, her shoulder was still held down by the man."Miss, why didn't you take the order after you placed it?"The waiter had already placed the hot coffee on the bar counter. The man pushed the cup towards Annabelle and glanced at the waiter, saying, "Just leave it. You can go now."The waiter hesitated for a moment and then retreated to the backstage.Annabelle looked around and realized that there were no classmates of hers in the bar. In fact, it was just her and this man.The waiter had already left, so even if he heard any noise, he wouldn't pay attention to her.After all, Annabelle was just a student, while this per
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…”