"Hey Kendrick!"
Annabelle stood up and was about to snatch her paper back, but Kendrick immediately pressed his hand on top of her head.
"Wait a moment, let me check."
Annabelle immediately shook her head, freeing herself from his grasp.
Then Kendrick took the pen from her hand, looked at the bitten pen barrel, and frowned as he rubbed it on his own clothes. "What's wrong with this, it's like being in elementary school, aren't you afraid of bacteria?"
Annabelle, who was being looked down upon, felt extremely embarrassed and slightly annoyed. "What we are learning now is different from what you learned ten years ago. You probably won't understand."
Kendrick glanced at her, feeling upset after being criticized, and then attacked her age.
"Do you think I have gotten old?"
Annabelle gave a faint smile and said, "I dare not."
Kendrick clicked his tongue, clearly expressing his disdain.
"Do you know that older men are t
Annabelle understood the reason, but she had thin skin and couldn't bear his constant teasing."Are you really going or not?" Annabelle asked, her face turning red.Kendrick sighed helplessly and didn't tease her anymore. Afterward, the two of them went out together.Because Annabelle loved to eat fish, Kendrick took her to the best traditional restaurant in Elfhedge, the Coastal View Restaurant, where the fish fillet was very famous.Annabelle remembered that Kamila had said that Coastal View Restaurant was expensive and always fully booked. She said that if you wanted to eat there, you had to make a reservation three months in advance. She also mentioned how delicious the fish fillet was, and as she spoke, Kamila's mouth watered, imagining the day when she could indulge in a meal at Coastal View Restaurant."How long did you wait to book a seat?" Annabelle asked."I made a phone call and made a reservation.""Isn't it supposed to ta
Annabelle thought Kendrick was in the same mood as her, so she handed him her phone.Kendrick flipped through and said lightly, "I don't like houses that others have lived in. Let's not consider Violet Villa anymore. Let's find another neighborhood.""No one has ever lived in it; it has been empty since it was bought.""Did you believe it just because someone said they haven't lived here before?"Annabelle pouted and couldn't continue the conversation."Do you really want to move next to Gauge's house?" Kendrick couldn't help but ask.Annabelle thought to herself, "Why does Kendrick always ask like this?""I simply liked the environment of that neighborhood.""Perhaps you liked other places as well.""Are you really not going to buy?" Annabelle frowned in frustration.Kendrick took a deep breath and looked at her in front of him. At that moment, he realized how deeply this little woman had been moved.If he
Annabelle heard footsteps coming from the hallway, and she wanted to shout for help.Lisa immediately covered her mouth and said sinisterly, "I had already placed the maintenance sign, no one will come to save you."Annabelle's heart sank, and at the same time, she felt a deep regret. Why didn't she let Kendrick come when he offered to accompany her just now?Could Kendrick detect that she was in danger in time?She couldn't see anything because her eyes were too painful, and she had almost no resistance. She only vaguely felt herself being dragged into a restroom cubicle by Lisa."I will ruin your face right now and see if you can still seduce men."Lisa gritted her teeth and finished speaking, then took out a dagger and stabbed Annabelle in the face.Annabelle immediately went to block with her hand, "You ruined me, Kendrick won't let you get away with this!""Hahaha... Since I dared to do this, I was no longer afraid of anyt
As soon as Annabelle heard Kendrick's voice, her tightened heart relaxed a little."Kendrick, are my eyes... blind?"This was the problem she was most worried about.Kendrick's eyes darkened, then he smiled faintly and said, "No, it was washed off in time, and it will fully recover after a period of rest."His voice was deep and gentle, as his large palm lightly caressed her shoulder, soothing her emotions.But Annabelle felt uneasy, she smelled alcohol at that time, and it was very pungent. She suspected that Lisa had splashed something on her face, most likely something like industrial alcohol.And that kind of thing contained formaldehyde, which could cause blindness."Are you comforting me?""Of course not, besides, how long can I deceive you with such a thing?"Annabelle thought for a moment and realized that if she had really gone blind, she would have known soon enough. Kendrick had no reason to lie about it.
Annabelle immediately withdrew her hand and frowned, saying, "I was just curious why you, a workaholic, would be willing to not go to the office.""The company did not consider you important."Although this statement is cheesy and old-fashioned, Annabelle found it pleasing to hear and forgave him for his flirtatious behavior."You have been sleeping for two days. Are you hungry? Let me help you sit up and have something to eat."Annabelle shook her head and said, "I didn't have an appetite."However, Kendrick had already helped her raise the bed halfway so that she could sit up and eat, and he also scooped a small bowl of red date porridge from the insulated food container for her."I really didn't want to eat...""You should also eat a little more, which is beneficial for recovery."Kendrick spoke as he scooped up a small spoonful of porridge and blew on it at the edge of his mouth.Annabelle's mouth was full of bittern
After eating porridge, Annabelle felt a little thirsty. Kendrick helped her by handing her a glass of water and considerately placed a straw for her, preventing her from not being able to see it and drink properly.However, after consuming the porridge and water, it didn't take long for Annabelle to sadly realize that she needed to use the restroom.She pursed her lips and said, "Kendrick, could you please call the nurse in?""What happened?"She bit her lip again, finding it difficult to speak."You went and called, that's all."Kendrick squinted his eyes and looked at her, "Anna, did you want to go to the bathroom?"Did Annabelle blush? Was her expression so obvious?"So you quickly went to call the nurse, or the caregiver would do."Kendrick laughed and said, "Why bother someone else, I'll just carry you.""Absolutely not, absolutely not!" Annabelle shook her head quickly, how could she let Mr. Gregory attend t
When Lisa mentioned Annabelle's eyes, Kendrick's gaze grew darker.Indeed, it is highly likely that Annabelle's vision will never be restored.But he didn't want to give up, as long as there was a glimmer of hope to save her, he would definitely do his utmost.As for Lisa...If Annabelle had even the slightest mistake, Kendrick wouldn't dare to guarantee what crazy things he would do."You had better pray that Annabelle gets better soon."Kendrick's voice was faint, but the murderous tone in his voice made the dim wine cellar even colder and more terrifying.Lisa looked up and gazed at the man she had always desired.At this moment, Kendrick stood against the backlight, resembling the Grim Reaper, gazing at her.It seems that her time of death has come.And when she went to destroy Annabelle, she anticipated that this day would come.But suddenly, a wave of sadness surged up in my heart.She had put
Kendrick raised his hand, and Jax let go of Lisa."Whose phone is it?" Jax asked."I didn't know who the person was... They were using an anonymous phone... And they had a voice changer."She knelt on the ground, clutching her throat, gasping heavily and coughing violently.This secret, indeed, was told to Lisa by an anonymous person through a phone call, so she also didn't know the identity of the other party.Kendrick pondered for a moment, no longer glancing at Lisa, and instead walked away."Kendrick! You only had three days! Divorce Annabelle!" Lisa shouted fearlessly.Kendrick paused, turned his face slightly, and said coldly, "If you have the strength, recite some scriptures to yourself and transcend yourself in advance."After saying that, Kendrick left the basement. As he closed the door, he could hear Lisa's unwilling shout from inside.Kendrick said to Jax, "Keep an eye on her, we can't let her die right now."
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…”