Kendrick's temples throbbed, he wiped away the tears on her face, and said, "Go sit over there for a while, don't look this way."
Annabelle felt the coldness emanating from Kendrick, her scalp tingling, as she stood frozen in place.
"Be good, go quickly."
His tone was gentle yet firm, like a command, directing Annabelle to involuntarily move her legs and turn towards the distant booth.
Did Kendrick want to kill that person?
She had just thought of turning around to look when suddenly there came a loud crack behind her, as if the sound of a joint breaking, and at the same time, Davin let out a scream like that of a slaughtered pig.
Annabelle shivered all over and wrapped Kendrick's coat tightly around herself. Finally, she didn't dare to look back and slowly sat down on the sofa, with her back turned towards Kendrick.
I could only hear Davin pleading in pain, "Mr. Gregory, Mr. Gregory, I really didn't know she was your girl. Are you re
Annabelle had been living with Kendrick for over three months, how could she not tell that he was jealous?Based on past experiences, when Kendrick gets jealous, the next step is to definitely make her jealous as well.So Annabelle quickly changed the subject."By the way, why did you come here too?""Soaked in hot springs."Kendrick said as he carried her into the house and headed straight to the bathroom.Annabelle tutted in her heart; Kendrick is really good at pretending. When could he not go to the hot springs, but had to come on the same day as her, obviously it was intentional.Wasn't he very busy with work? How does he still have time to stare at her so closely?Muttering to himself, Kendrick had already put her in the bathtub, taken off her large suit jacket, and started helping her untie her bathrobe.Annabelle was taken aback and held his hand, saying, "I can handle it myself."Kendrick was taken aback;
Before going to bed that night, Kamila had already learned from her classmates that the man who picked up Anna every day in a low-key Audi was actually Kendrick, the CEO of the Gregory Group.Then she and her classmates searched online, and they knew everything.What Anna? It's Annabelle, Mr. Gregory's flash-married wife. This kind of idol drama plot only happens around them.So Kamila considerately packed Annabelle's luggage and delivered it to her.After all, since the CEO's husband arrived, how could Anna possibly sleep with her?Annabelle opened the door for Kamila and took everything she stuffed into her arms. She looked at the angry Kamila and awkwardly smiled, "I hid it from you guys because I was afraid of being treated differently.""Hmph, go back and help me lose two kilograms, and I will forgive you."Annabelle laughed and said, "Okay, okay."Kamila finally laughed and said, "By the way, we are going mountain climbin
Annabelle's smile froze instantly. Baby? What baby?Immediately, she looked at Kendrick and saw him taking the cushion handed to her by her grandmother, with an innocent expression on his face, as if saying, "It's not related to me at all."Seeing that he didn't clarify, Annabelle asked, "Grandma, how did you know?"Grandma smiled and said, "A while ago, didn't Kendrick tell the reporters that your children were about to be born?"Annabelle sighed inwardly, knowing at that moment that Kendrick had set a trap for her, but she never expected it to explode like this.She glanced at Kendrick again, and this time Kendrick spoke."Every summer and autumn, Grandma used to come and live in the mountains. Even though she lived in the mountains, she would still go online by herself."Annabelle observed the old man in front of her. Her grandmother had a graceful demeanor, dressed simply but with good taste. Clearly, she was not an ordinary farme
Kendrick hesitated for a moment. His grandmother asked him to help carry something heavy, and it was this small bottle?"Grandma, what is this?"Grandma smiled mysteriously and said, "I had prepared this for you and my daughter-in-law a long time ago. It can enhance fertility and make the child stronger. Both of you should take one small pill before bedtime every day. In less than two months, you will definitely conceive."Kendrick rarely blushed, but his grandmother managed to make him do so."Grandma, this medicine, does it have any side effects?""Of course not, would grandma give you bad things? Back then, when your mother had been married for three years without a child, I made her eat with your dad, and look, she gave birth to such a healthy and smart child like you."Grandma's approval made Kendrick happy. "Okay, then I will eat with Anna."Although Kendrick is not sure now whether he will continue to be with Annabelle, since h
Ten minutes later, the two of them arrived at the foot of the mountain where the cemetery was located.Kendrick parked the car and the two of them walked along a stone path, heading towards the mountain.The mountain was not high, but the stone steps were steep. Annabelle climbed with some difficulty, and Kendrick wanted to hold her hand, but Annabelle shook him off."No need, I can do it."Kendrick shook his head helplessly and didn't insist on it anymore.However, just as Annabelle finished speaking, not even a minute had passed when her foot slipped on the slippery moss and she fell to the side.She exclaimed and finally fell firmly into Kendrick's arms."Rely on me a little, and I won't let you lose any weight."Annabelle, her heart pounding after nearly falling, casually said, "The people I have relied on, none of them have come through for me in the end."So everything had to rely on oneself.Kendrick glance
Annabelle was stunned. "Why would Master kill you? Besides, Master doesn't kill people."She had witnessed Master's mercy and gentleness, a man who would release even a mouse trapped on a wooden board. How could he possibly be capable of killing someone?"Kendrick, do you have persecutory delusion?"Kendrick suddenly laughed, never before had he been so happy after being completely shut down by her.Because of her candid gaze and all of her reactions, he could be certain that Annabelle didn't lie.Perhaps, Annabelle did intend to go with her Master, but she neither knew Master's identity nor knew that Master had once planned to assassinate him, nor had she been involved in Ryan's assassination.She was innocent, it was a misunderstanding on my part."Annabelle, actually he...""If you speak ill of him again, I won't go to the mountains with you," Annabelle said angrily.Kendrick pursed his lips and swallowed the second h
Kendrick hurriedly comforted, "What are you afraid of? The thunder is still far away, it won't strike you."However, as soon as the words fell, another lightning bolt struck, followed by the sound of thunder.The thunder and lightning came closer this time...Kendrick's face darkened as he silently glanced at his mother's tombstone, thinking to himself, "I am your own son, are you really going to betray us?"But there was no time to think further, as at that moment the two of them were on the top of the mountain, which was indeed very dangerous.If struck by lightning, tomorrow's news will be lively: the president of the Gregory Group, accompanied by his wife, was struck by lightning and died instantly..."We quickly descended the mountain."After Kendrick finished speaking, he took Annabelle's hand and walked quickly downhill.However, before reaching the foot of the mountain, a heavy rain poured down.The rain kept pou
"I didn't!" Annabelle said, then she arrogantly turned her head away and stopped looking at Kendrick.She wasn't lusting after his body, but rather, from a doctor's perspective, from a biological perspective, sincerely admiring his strong and well-proportioned physique, that's all."Really, you didn't think about anything?"Kendrick had arrived by her side, his warm and enticing masculine presence enveloping her instantly.Annabelle dodged backwards and leaned her body against the nearby stone wall. She placed her hand on his chest, but as soon as her fingertips touched his scorching skin, she quickly pulled back, as if she had touched a burning piece of iron.Annabelle's face suddenly flushed. "Who did you think everyone was like you?"She thought, "You've got sex on the brain all the time!""I won't give it a thought; we have to save our first time for a better place."Annabelle was very clever. When she heard him say this, 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…”