Annabelle thought to herself, "Kendrick, you are quite self-aware!"
"I was afraid that after you died, all those girls and sisters of yours would come looking for me, blaming me for poisoning and killing you."
To be fair, she certainly wanted freedom, but she was not an ungrateful person, and she could see everything Kendrick had done for her.
So, even if I hated him and he acted like a rogue and a scoundrel, I would never curse him to die.
Afterwards, Annabelle took out the grapes and handed them to Kendrick, saying, "These grapes were grown by my grandmother, so they shouldn't have any pesticides. Mr. Gregory doesn't need to be so particular, just eat them directly to replenish your energy."
Kendrick smiled and quietly ate a few grapes.
Annabelle raised an eyebrow in surprise.
I thought Kendrick would say something like not wanting to let her become a young widow or something like that, but to my surprise, he remained silent the who
Kendrick put on Annabelle's clothes, leaned against the stone wall, and indeed felt a bit more comfortable, but still shivered intermittently."Is it still cold?"Annabelle touched his forehead again, checked his temperature, and it seemed even hotter than before."I'm much better now." Kendrick couldn't bear to see her worry, so he lied and then reached out with his big hand, pulling Annabelle into his arms, letting her sit on his lap, leaning against his chest. "But this way would be even better."At that moment, Kendrick didn't think too much, he just felt sorry for Annabelle, after all, she was hardly wearing anything and would only be colder than him.Annabelle did not struggle, she knew that for Kendrick, she was just a little warm baby who could breathe now.Of course, this way she would also feel a bit warmer, truly huddling together for warmth."I don't know when the person who will save us will come," Annabelle worriedly loo
Annabelle rubbed her forehead and said, "Can't I read a book by myself?"This answer gave Kendrick a peace of mind, and he immediately asked, "What kind of books have you been reading? It seems quite comprehensive.""Kendrick, could you please be quiet for a moment?"Being trapped in this cave, Annabelle's mind was already in a mess. And he kept on saying these words. How could Annabelle not go crazy?After being angrily scolded by Annabelle, Kendrick sighed and obediently kept quiet.The man behind her seemed at ease, and Annabelle felt tired as well.She had been mentally tense all along, but now the two of them embraced each other, and she found solace in her heart, and drowsiness swept over her.After dozing off in a drowsy state, I even had a dream.She dreamt of herself eating a cake, the cake was soft, sweet, and had a grape flavor.Wait, why does this cake still have a faint tobacco smell?Annabelle sudden
"I picked it."Annabelle spoke, pulling her wrist out of Kendrick's hand, and lowered her head without looking at him.She couldn't even look Kendrick in the eyes now, nor could she have any physical contact with him, let alone speak to him.Because every time she had contact with him, all the little gestures Kendrick made in the cave would come rushing back to her mind.And, for the past three nights, Annabelle had been dreaming the same scenario every evening - once in her bedroom, once on the beach, and even once in a car. Although each dream was interrupted by Jax's appearance, Annabelle felt that her thoughts had become impure.So, rather than saying that Annabelle ignored Kendrick these past few days because she was angry, it would be more accurate to say that she was actually shy and deliberately avoiding him.Kendrick had no idea what she was thinking. Seeing her looking like she didn't want to be touched by him, he felt uncomfortabl
Upon hearing Fabian's voice, Annabelle was greatly surprised and then glanced at the incoming phone number before bursting into laughter."Great designer, since you missed me so much, why didn't you give me a call even once?"During the time Fabian attended Fashion Week, Annabelle knew he was busy like a spinning top every day, so she didn't bother him and as a result, they hardly had any contact.I suddenly received a call from Fabian from abroad at this moment, which was quite unexpected."I will arrive at Elfhedge tomorrow. There are some things I want to tell you in person. The plane arrives at 8 o'clock in the morning. Do you have time to come to the airport?""Do you have time? What happened?"Annabelle sensed the seriousness in his tone, if it wasn't something very important, why would he want to meet her right after getting off the plane.Fabian on the other end of the phone remained silent for two seconds before saying, "It's
Annabelle did not answer immediately. At this moment, she had already taken his hand and was carefully discerning and judging.Three days ago, they were trapped in a cave. She examined Kendrick, thinking he just had a cold and fever at that time. Now, upon reevaluation, Annabelle realizes that things are not as simple as she thought.Perhaps he had not fully recovered from typhoid fever, but he should not have been so hasty and disorganized."Did you drink alcohol?"Kendrick shook his head, he wanted to drink, but he remembered what Annabelle had cautioned, so he didn't touch a drop.Annabelle looked up at his face again and asked, "Have you had any difficulty breathing recently?""Occasionally."Annabelle pondered for a moment, put away the pat, and helped Kendrick roll down his sleeves."I suggested that you go to the hospital now.""Is it that serious?" Kendrick couldn't help but furrow his brow."Well, I'm a b
Kendrick didn't even look and directly reached out to turn it off, while also shutting down the central control screen. However, his expression became even more gloomy.Annabelle glanced at him, and she also felt a bit puzzled in her heart, "Why didn't he answer? Calling so late, maybe there's an emergency?""Harassing calls, ignore them."After Kendrick finished speaking, he suddenly started coughing violently.This cough, once it started, was a bit uncontrollable.He drove with one hand and covered his mouth with the other, coughing more and more violently."I'm not feeling well, so let's pull over," Annabelle said worriedly.Kendrick shook his head and was about to speak, but as he moved his hand away from his mouth, he discovered that his palm was covered in blood.Annabelle's heart lifted up all of a sudden."Kendrick, stop the car quickly!"At this moment, Kendrick also felt a little overwhelmed. He didn't e
As Annabelle anxiously turned around to flag down a car, she saw a signpost. According to the instructions, the vehicle would enter the internal road of Violet Villa after making a right turn.She suddenly remembered that Gauge had mentioned before that his house was located here.If Gauge could come and give them a ride, the time would be cut in half.Without hesitation, Annabelle took out her phone and dialed Gauge's number.Although it was very disturbing to disturb someone at three in the morning, Annabelle had no choice as it was a matter of life and death. Now, she could only hope that Gauge wasn't sleeping too deeply.Fortunately, the phone was answered after only two rings.Gauge's sleepy voice came through, "Anna?""Gauge, I am on the main road outside your villa area. Kendrick fell ill and needs to go to the hospital immediately, but he can't drive anymore. I couldn't hail a taxi either. Can you give us a ride?"Gauge
In this sentence, Kendrick enunciated clearly, and both Annabelle and Gauge heard it.Gauge glanced at Annabelle silently, a look of concern flashing across his face. He wanted to ask her if something had gone wrong between her and Kendrick.But afraid that she didn't want to speak, she ultimately didn't say anything.Annabelle was also puzzled in her heart. Previously, Kendrick had used some means, quite harsh and decisive, to try to keep her, but she didn't see him in a difficult situation.So this sentence obviously had another meaning, seemingly because of something, it made him have to leave...However, these thoughts only lingered in Annabelle's mind for a moment. Immediately, she remembered that EMS was still on their way here, so she quickly made another phone call to inform them not to come.Afterwards, the three of them successfully arrived at the hospital, and Kendrick was taken to the emergency room.During the wait, Annab
Annabelle felt ticklish and giggled, swatting his hand lightly. “Lie still for a while, or I won’t keep you company.”Only then did Mr. Gregory purse his lips and obediently stop moving.If Anna hadn’t just recovered from a serious illness, and if he himself weren’t still weak right now, otherwise…Sigh! Kendrick let out a gloomy sigh, burying his face in the crook of her neck.After a moment, he asked, “By the way, did your young master say what exactly caused your fainting and shock?”Annabelle glanced at him with amusement. Every time he said your young master, she could smell the thick scent of jealousy wafting off him—but it was kind of cute, his little petty streak.So she repeated everything Ryan had told her, word for word.Kendrick listened carefully and didn’t comment much afterward. He only said, “Looks like you just had bad luck and ran into a poisonous flower.”Annabelle then brought up the scene at the little beach cabin, saying she was curious about what kind of woman h
In Annabelle’s eyes, Kendrick had made the best possible decision at the time—he had put her safety above all else and didn’t let pride get in the way by refusing the young master’s help.It was this kind of maturity and rationality that had always drawn her to Kendrick, giving her a deep sense of grounded security by his side.Looking at the petite woman in front of him, Kendrick suddenly didn’t know what to say.The guilt that had been gnawing at him for the past two days… was completely dissolved by a few simple, gentle words from his little bunny.Especially the phrase “You’re my husband.” That alone was more healing than ten IV drips.Without warning, he rolled over and pinned Anna onto the bed, kissing her more assertively, expressing his feelings in a far more direct way.Annabelle started pounding on his chest with little muffled sounds of protest.This man was crazy! If he kept moving like this, the IV line would come loose!But even sick, Kendrick was much stronger than she
Annabelle looked like she'd been caught red-handed, flustered and wide-eyed, staring at Kendrick at such a close distance.He, too, had his eyes slightly open, emotions deep and complex pooling within them.The anxiety and torment he’d endured these past two days—it all seemed to be captured in that one gaze.Kendrick moved the hand that had been resting on her back up to cradle the back of her head, and kissed her even deeper.Annabelle slowly closed her eyes, not daring to move, afraid of tugging at his IV line and causing the needle to slip out.Of course, she didn’t want to pull away either…So, what started as Kendrick kissing her forcefully ended up with her being more proactive and passionate instead.Coco, lazily glancing at the two people locked in an intense kiss, yawned, jumped off the bed, and followed the scent of its cat food to go find Uncle Trey.The little white cat trotted to the door, jumped up at the handle, hooked its front paws around it just right, then used its
"I'm heading over now."Just as Annabelle was about to hang up the phone, she heard Uncle Trey call out again, “Young Madam, wait a moment!”She brought the phone back to her ear. “What is it?”“When you come from home, could you bring Coco’s food and litter box? Young Master brought the cat over the night before last, but he didn’t bring any of its stuff. I’ve been too busy to go pick them up myself. It’s not starving or anything, but the poor thing has nowhere to go to the bathroom. It’s been squatting in the big flower pot every day…”Annabelle: “…”A vivid image popped into her mind—Coco tucked awkwardly under Kendrick’s arm, eyes wide with panic, meowing nonstop in complaint the entire way.She could just imagine it—one big, one small, both of them looking lost and homeless, wandering around like pitiful strays.But no matter how disoriented they were, how could they forget the cat food and litter?!Annabelle quickly gathered Coco’s things and drove to the old Gu estate.Just as
Ryan gave a small nod, unbuttoned a few buttons on his shirt, and lay down on the bed, quickly falling asleep.Only after hearing his steady breathing did Seraphina return to his side. She carefully removed his outer shirt, then used a warm towel to wipe his face, and then his chest—where the alcohol had spilled. Sleeping like that would definitely be uncomfortable.Finally, she pulled the blanket over him.Seraphina stared at the man in bed for a long time. Then, for the first time, gathering all her courage, she leaned down and placed a light kiss on the lips of the man she loved.He didn’t love her. In his eyes, she probably lacked even a trace of a woman’s charm—perhaps she couldn’t even stir up a shred of desire.But he had given her the utmost respect. Could that be considered a form of caring?Seraphina gently touched his lips with her fingers, her heart full of bitterness, but in the end, she smiled softly.Maybe… that’s enough.…Annabelle had already arrived at the the Grego
The Young Master was drinking?Seraphina quickly set the breakfast tray on the foyer cabinet and rushed inside. Not seeing him in the outer living room, she headed toward the inner rooms.She paused as she passed through the dining area.The vase had been knocked over, shattered glass scattered all across the floor, and the flowers lay strewn in disarray.Seraphina’s heart pounded. She carefully stepped over the broken shards and headed toward the bedroom.The curtains were drawn tight, casting the room into darkness. The Young Master was sitting on the carpet at the foot of the bed, his head leaned back against the mattress, seemingly asleep.The top two buttons of his shirt were undone, a large alcohol stain spread across the front, and beside him sat an almost-empty bottle of strong liquor.Looking at him like this, Seraphina felt her heart shatter.The Young Master had endured so many blows in his life, but he had never fallen into despair like this. He had always gritted his teet
The taxi pulled away from the hotel entrance. Annabelle rolled the window up and gave the driver the address of the the Gregory Group headquarters.She turned back to look at Seraphina, who was still standing there at the entrance, gazing in her direction.When Seraphina had said, “Actually, I should be the one thanking you,” her expression had looked sorrowful—with a touch of self-mockery. That made Annabelle even more certain of one thing:Seraphina must have feelings for the Young Master.So she had thanked her… because Annabelle was leaving him.Annabelle suddenly wanted the driver to turn around. She wanted to personally tell Seraphina that she would never fight her for the Young Master. If possible, she’d even be willing to help them get together.But she couldn’t interfere in the Young Master’s love life anymore.That would only be rubbing salt into his wounds.Not willing to be with someone, yet still trying to introduce them to someone else?That wasn’t right. And Annabelle k
Annabelle’s pale face finally flushed with a hint of red. She covered her stomach in embarrassment and smiled.“I won’t eat—Kendrick must be really worried about me. I want to go back as soon as possible.”With that, she headed back to the bedroom, grabbed her own clean clothes from the bench at the end of the bed, and went into the walk-in closet.It was the summer outfit she had worn back in the small fishing village. Elfhedge’s weather was still far too cold for dresses, but she didn’t want to wait for the Young Master to find her something warmer.All she knew was—Kendrick must be worried sick.And knowing that she was here, with the Young Master… he was surely feeling awful.She had to get back—immediately.Annabelle changed into her clothes and stepped out of the closet. The light summer dress and linen sandals made her look fresh and airy as she walked up to the Young Master.“Young Master, I’m leaving now.”Ryan looked her up and down but didn’t say anything more. He simply re
The Young Master said it as if he were joking, but Annabelle couldn’t help taking it seriously.He had once given her the courage and will to live. He had spent years meticulously nursing her back to health, restoring her appearance. Even after they reunited, he had saved her life several times.The grace and kindness he had shown her weren’t things that could be repaid with just a few words.So before she met Kendrick, before she accepted his love, Annabelle had always thought—One day, she must repay the Young Master.How?Anything she had, anything he wanted.But now that she was with Kendrick, she could no longer say something like that so casually.She couldn’t betray her commitment to Kendrick just to repay the Young Master,Nor could she forget the Young Master’s kindness just because she had Kendrick now.Her only hope was that the Young Master would ask for something she could give—As long as it wasn’t something like, “Stay with me.”Caught in this internal struggle, Annabel