Marvin asked his mother at that time how she planned to help.The mother did not answer him, she just said to wait and see.In short, once he had prepared for a lifelong battle, he was no longer as impatient as before, as long as he ensured to live a healthy life, living longer than Kendrick would be enough.Twenty minutes later, the car drove into the parking lot of the Gregory Group.Afterwards, Marvin and Annabelle took the president's private elevator together and arrived at the floor where Kendrick's office was located.After he planned to drop off Annabelle, he happened to meet Jaime right after getting off the elevator. He handed Annabelle over to Jaime and left to attend to his own matters."Was Kendrick busy? I need to talk to him.""The president was in a meeting.""Then I went to the office and waited."With that, Annabelle headed towards the president's office, while Jaime hurriedly followed behind, carrying two large bags, thinking that the president must be having a meet
He had a serious expression on his face, which made Annabelle a little nervous.And the people in the conference room behind him were also gossiping and looking at them at this moment. Although there was a glass door separating them, Annabelle couldn't help but breathe lightly and whispered, "After shopping at the supermarket, I wanted to come and have lunch with you."She didn't want to bring up the matter of learning to drive now, nor would she bring it up now.Kendrick frowned and glanced at her for a moment. Based on his understanding of his little wife, with her introverted and mildly socially anxious personality, it was impossible for her to suddenly come to his company to have lunch with him.So there must be something, maybe just not convenient to say it now?No matter what the reason was, Kendrick was very happy to suddenly see her.So he took her little hand and held it, not cold.Knowing that she was not cold, Kendrick grabbed the yarn ball on her hat and took off her hat.
Annabelle quickly sat up and checked the time. It was already half past twelve, and she felt a bit sleepy."Did you have lunch?""No, I was waiting for you," Kendrick hooked his arm around her waist, almost trapping her on the couch."What were you doing..."Kendrick glanced at her lips and asked, "Jaime said you came with Marvin?"Annabelle nodded and said, "After coming out of the supermarket, I ran into him on the roadside. Since I couldn't catch a taxi, I asked him to give me a ride.""Did you guys have a good connection?"Annabelle chuckled, "Yeah, I think so too..."What she thought was that Ariana and I were the ones who truly had a connection.Kendrick didn't know what she was thinking, but after listening to her, he directly bit her lips."Hiss!""Do you still feel destined to be with Marvin?"Annabelle shook her head vigorously.Kendrick finally felt more comfortable and temporarily let her go."By the way, why did you suddenly come to see me?""I have made up my mind, I wan
Because Kendrick mentioned Jax, Annabelle said, "By the way, I have something to give to Jax, but I don't usually see him much. Can you help me pass it on to him?"Kendrick was slicing the steak with a knife, then he looked up and said, "For Jax?""Hmm." Annabelle took out a small black velvet box from her bag, about the same size as a glasses case.Kendrick acidly took it over, giving her a faint glance, "What is it.""You can open and take a look." Annabelle was still a little excited.Kendrick was not polite and opened the box.It was a very delicate harmonica.Taking another glance at the little woman across from him, he saw her looking at him with anticipation, as if waiting for him to evaluate how the gift was.Kendrick's sour feeling increased exponentially, and his complexion became increasingly unpleasant."Why did you give him this?""I noticed that at least three notes on his harmonica were out of tune. It must be due to damaged reeds. I guess he doesn't have time to buy th
This was the place where he initially practiced driving. The road was wide and there were very few vehicles. The scenery on both sides was also beautiful, with green slopes on both sides. On one side, beyond the green median strip, there was a beach, and in the distance, there was a boundless sea.The winter sea, although not as azure and bright as it appears in spring and summer, was a beautiful sight on this day. The gentle breeze and sunny weather made the sea glisten like a layer of diamonds under the slanting rays of the setting sun.But Annabelle was not in the mood to enjoy the scenery, she was feeling a bit nervous at the moment."Did I go on the road directly on my first day of learning to drive?"She couldn't even tell which one was the accelerator and which one was the brake.Wasn't this joking about someone else's life?"Today, I will take you to a scenic place, talk to you about car structures, and enjoy the sea breeze. Starting tomorrow, we will go to a dedicated trainin
In the cramped space, Kendrick's breath instantly enveloped her, his handsome face magnified infinitely, making her feel as if she had been immobilized by a spell, unable to move, her heart pounding.A few brief seconds later, he released Annabelle. "This is the tuition fee for each day, but next time you have to pay it voluntarily."Annabelle blinked her eyes and said, "Is that all?"Kendrick glanced up and asked with a smile, "So what else do you want?""No, no, just like this is fine!"Although this person took advantage of her at every opportunity, which was very dishonest, Annabelle could still accept it if it was just a kiss. After all, it wasn't the first time, and that's probably the scary thing about habits...Kendrick restarted the car and drove south along Graflet Avenue.This was not the way home; Annabelle curiously asked him where they were going next.Kendrick chuckled, "Let's go to a nice place, it's probably another half an hour away. If it gets boring, we can listen
Annabelle took a deep breath and looked into the distance. The vast sea was covered with the warm, slanting sunlight, hiding the turbulent undercurrents beneath the water's surface. In his warm embrace, Annabelle momentarily forgot that it was still winter."Are you the one who brought me here specifically to see the sea?"Kendrick gently rested his chin on her head, "In the past, when I felt down or when the pressure was too much, I would come here to look at the sea. I remember you said you really liked the ocean, so I had wanted to bring you here for a long time."Annabelle did indeed like this place, but what surprised her even more was that Kendrick, who had always been calm and composed, would also have moments of frustration and great pressure."I thought you could handle everything with ease.""It is only through experiencing more that one becomes at ease," he paused and smiled, "But since we got married, I haven't been here."Annabelle was staring at the sea absentmindedly an
After Kendrick finished speaking, he kissed Annabelle again.He kissed passionately, as if it didn't matter whether it was under the barrel of a gun or on the edge of a cliff, as long as he was doing this, he could give it his all...Annabelle sighed inwardly, for at that moment her heart was almost leaping out of her throat.She slightly opened her eyes and looked past his shoulder at the giant rock he was talking about.A gust of sea breeze blew over, messing up Annabelle's hair and obstructing her vision.Annabelle didn't even dare to touch her hair, afraid that it would seem unnatural and let the killer know that they had already discovered him. If she panicked and fired a shot, it would be all over.So Annabelle turned her head to the other side, unaware, truly believing that she and Kendrick were passionately and wholeheartedly kissing.After turning his head towards this side, he casually flicked away the hair that was obstructing his view.Annabelle saw clearly.There was real
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…”