Ariana came to the bedside and sat down, sighing, "Annabelle, actually I deliberately kept Ken away because there are some things I must tell you."
"Okay, go ahead."
Although Annabelle couldn't see Ariana's expression, she could sense a pretentious tone in her voice, which made her curious about what she was going to say.
"I looked it up online, there are many blind people who, after adapting, can live just like normal people. These days, I am also helping you find a suitable guide dog. Trust me, everything will get better."
"But Kendrick said that my vision would gradually recover."
Annabelle deliberately acted as if she couldn't accept this fact because she was eager to know what Ariana, with malicious intent, wanted to do.
As for whether her eyes would really go blind, Annabelle wouldn't just take Ariana's word for it.
"Annabelle, Ken was afraid that you wouldn't be able to handle the truth, so he kept it from you all along."
<Ariana said solemnly, "Annabelle, I know this is difficult, but if I were you, I would voluntarily leave him to prevent the man I love from committing a crime."Annabelle raised an eyebrow, finally getting to the point.She sighed and said, "But Ariana, in my current situation, it's even difficult for me to walk out of this hospital room.""Annabelle, if you really wanted to leave, I could help you. After you leave Ken, I would also ensure a worry-free life for you."Annabelle chuckled inwardly, Ms. Murphy did consider things thoroughly, but she underestimated others' intelligence.However, Annabelle still wanted to see what else Ariana had up her sleeve, so even though she saw through her intentions, she decided to continue cooperating with her for a while."Annabelle?""This matter was too sudden; you have to let me consider it.""But don't think too long, because Ken will arrange the surgery for you tomorrow night."L
At this moment, Kendrick's phone suddenly rang, and he said, "I'll take a call first."Annabelle nodded."Jax.""Boss, I have already taken Lisa to the hospital.""Watched over her..."Annabelle didn't hear the rest of the conversation because Kendrick went out into the hallway to answer the call.But what Jax said, Annabelle heard it very clearly, and she felt there was no need to ask anything further.The cornea donor was quickly found within a short period of time. The name of the donor is not disclosed. Meanwhile, Lisa has already arrived at the hospital, and Jax will take care of her.All the information connected together, Annabelle could basically confirm that Kendrick was probably really going to kill Lisa and then transplant her corneas.And Ariana did not deceive her either.Annabelle was in a state of turmoil. If she pretended to know nothing and obediently underwent the surgery tomorrow, she would be a
The other party did not answer immediately, but gently took her hand and said in a deep voice, "Is the wound itching badly?"As soon as she heard the familiar sound, Annabelle almost burst into tears."Master, it's really you! I knew it was you before, right?""Anna, you didn't answer me yet.""Not itchy," Annabelle exclaimed excitedly as she sat up. "Last time you came and applied medicine, my wound got much better."Although she was surrounded by darkness, she could feel Master by her side, which gave her a sudden sense of relief. She didn't have to make decisions on her own anymore; it was as if she could discuss anything with Master.Master helped her remove the bandages from her hands and began carefully applying a cooling ointment."Master, if my eyes do not accept cornea transplant, will I definitely go blind? Are there any other alternatives?"Annabelle had no time to think about anything else, she just wanted to quickl
Master fell silent for a moment and said, "Afterwards, you will have to make the medicine yourself and apply it. I will now tell you the prescription, so remember it well...""Oh, okay..."So Master explained to Annabelle in simple language, and Annabelle carefully and attentively took notes.In the meantime, Master had already helped her change the medicine.Annabelle felt that Master was about to leave, so she hastily grabbed his arm."Master, are you leaving?"The man answered her with silence."When can I see you again?""When the time was ripe, I would appear and take you away openly and honestly, but you still needed to wait for me."Annabelle's heart was filled with sadness because she didn't know when they would meet again after this separation.She could only grip his arm tightly, just like when they parted ways years ago with Master, hoping that this would keep him.Alternatively, Master could sim
Kendrick kissed her neck while asking, "Didn't you miss me at all?"There was surveillance in this ward.Kendrick saw everything that happened after Ryan arrived in the ward.The surveillance only had images, without any sound, but he clearly saw that Annabelle was like a chatterbox, talking non-stop to her Mr. Whitney.The side she showed was something Kendrick had never seen before.And when Ryan was about to leave, Annabelle even held onto his hand, reluctant to let go.And the final kiss.Kendrick saw it all.What did they say exactly? Why does Annabelle have such a conflicted expression?If it weren't for Ryan helping Annabelle with her treatment, he would never have patiently sat in the car, watching the surveillance, waiting for them to finish their affectionate moment before going upstairs.This process was filled with anger, suppression, and torment, only Kendrick himself knew.At that moment, he h
"I couldn't control it..."Blushing, Annabelle answered that, in fact, if it hadn't been for her period, she would have been a little hesitant.She knew that Kendrick had always wanted her.And over the past few months of getting to know each other, Kendrick did a lot for her, and she was well aware of it in her heart.Kendrick once risked his own life to save her. How many people in the world would be willing to give up their own lives for another person?She has never had much confidence in human relationships and has always felt that Kendrick's feelings for her are just a passing fancy, and he will eventually grow tired of her. But from his confession until today, in fact, his kindness towards her has never diminished.Tomorrow she will leave without saying goodbye, and Kendrick can imagine how anxiously he will search for her.So in some corner of Annabelle's heart, she also wanted to give herself wholeheartedly to him, which coul
Kendrick also didn't know what he was expecting, always feeling that she was so serious, she should say something like, "Never leave me in the future..."She smiled faintly and nodded, "Yes."Kendrick squinted his eyes and said, "Stop making any more promises.""Give me back my phone. Although I can't see, I can still listen to music on it. Besides, what are you afraid of? You have arranged bodyguards and caregivers to watch over me. Are you afraid that I will run away?"Kendrick hugged her tightly and said, "Why do you portray me as that kind of person? I arranged my own people to be by your side to protect you. I can give you a phone, but you are not allowed to contact those handsome boys of yours."Annabelle was taken aback. It turned out that this guy had been withholding her phone under the pretext of her eyes not being well, fearing that she would contact other men during her illness.Does this person have to be so jealous...Bu
Kendrick was probably really tired from the day and he talked with Annabelle for a while before quickly falling asleep.Annabelle, however, could not fall asleep. She lay quietly in Kendrick's arms, thinking about every single thing that had happened between the two of them from the moment they met until now.Time flies, fate is shallow... I never expected that, it is about to end.Although it was a marriage of convenience from the beginning, and they knew that there would be a moment of separation sooner or later, with Master's return, Annabelle also had to fulfill the promise she once made to Master and put divorce on the agenda.But plans couldn't keep up with the changes, so in order to prevent Kendrick from committing crimes for her sake, she had to leave early.The only regret is that I could only choose this way of leaving without saying goodbye.Annabelle snuggled up to him again, on their last night, she just wanted to let her guard
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…”