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 rubbed her temples, it seemed that she really didn't remember anything about what happened later last night."What if, by the time he arrives, I'm already dead? Then won't you become a young widow?""Kendrick!"As soon as Annabelle heard this, she became anxious and slammed the water cup onto the table, saying, "If it weren't for Gauge yesterday, you would have already been dead."Seeing that he still didn't agree, Annabelle explained the cause and effect to him again.After waiting for a full explanation, Annabelle herself became thirsty and directly drank half of the water poured for her.Kendrick picked up the cup, finished the remaining drink, and said blandly, "What's the rush? Once I get discharged, I'll personally thank him.""You have a conscience," Annabelle muttered.Kendrick did not respond and then fell into deep thought.Seeing him remain silent, Annabelle glanced at him and asked, "Are you thinkin
Annabelle got angry and said she was leaving.Just as I turned around, Kendrick grabbed me.He should have wanted to hold her hand, but because he was lying in bed, he didn't manage to hold it and only grabbed onto a corner of her clothing.Annabelle looked down at the large hand clutching her clothes, with an IV needle still inserted in the back of the hand.Looking at the big man on the bed again, the sharpness and dominance in his eyes were gone, replaced only by a melancholic expression, and even a touch of pitifulness.Annabelle's heart softened as she watched.Originally, there was a bit of nameless anger, but when the words of anger reached my lips, it became a complaining sentence, "Are you not allowed to leave?""Are you angry, or is there really something wrong?""There was really something."As for being angry, there was also a bit.Kendrick avoided her when she answered the phone, which made her feel u
"Are you sure?" Kendrick asked in a deep voice.He knew that Annabelle had her own small apartment. On the first day of their marriage, she said that they could live separately after getting married because she had her own house to live in.After they got married, she should not have gone back yet. This time, she suddenly said she had something to do and went to the apartment to meet Fabian, right?And Fabian was not abroad, right?"Confirmed."Afterwards, Jax passed over a photo.Fabian was wearing a casual suit and carrying a suitcase in his hand, while Annabelle walked beside him, holding a bag that seemed to contain green vegetables.Fabian was tall, and Annabelle walking beside him made her look even smaller, surprisingly matching, like a little couple.Kendrick's blood boiled instantly as he witnessed this scene. While he was sick, she brought another man home and even went grocery shopping and cooked with him?"I
"Here I come," Annabelle replied, and asked Jaime, "Is there anything else?"Jaime quickly said, "Madam, when did you come back? The president wanted to drink the soup you cooked!""I'm not sure, maybe in the afternoon. I have something to do, so I'll hang up first."In the ward.Kendrick's face was gloomy like a stormy day.Busy? Busy with making the bed and putting that kid to sleep?Although Kendrick believed that Annabelle and Fabian were innocent, it was hard to say when a man and a woman were living together alone.Jaime sighed and said to his boss, "Sir, don't mind me speaking out of turn, but if you're really worried, why don't you personally make a phone call and ask the madam to come back, or I can take you there to pick her up."Is face really that important? Now my wife is about to be taken away by someone, President!Jaime felt that he really worried a lot."You don't understand, this is called playin
Annabelle's face darkened slightly, "What did you find?"Fabian looked at her, caressed the back of his phone. He could have flipped the screen right now to show Annabelle what he had truly discovered in his investigation, but after hesitating for a moment, he continued to keep the phone face down on the table."He had been away from the Gregory family for two years. During those two years, everything about him was a blank. No one knew where he had gone or why he had suddenly disappeared for two years."Annabelle pondered for a moment and asked, "What are you worried about?"Fabian leaned forward, looking at her with concern, "You don't know Kendrick, there are too many mysteries surrounding him. I'm worried that you will get more and more involved and get hurt in the future."Annabelle breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing this. She had long known that Kendrick had some stories she was unaware of, so she thought Fabian might be overreacting.
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…”