Fortunately, Jax had dark skin, so his blush was not noticeable. He muttered, "I don't have a girlfriend."Annabelle nodded. Jax was no longer a young man, and being by Kendrick’s side meant he probably didn’t have time for dating. His lifelong affairs had likely been delayed. She thought to herself that she needed to mention this to Kendrick—when attending social events, Jax should be given more opportunities to participate.Keeping him hidden away all the time, how could he meet any girls? Although life isn’t all about love and marriage, wouldn’t it be regrettable to grow old without ever experiencing those things?With this in mind, Annabelle asked Jax, "What kind of girl do you like?"Jax cleared his throat. "Madam, is there anything else you need to buy?"Annabelle was about to tell him not to change the subject when she suddenly heard someone calling her name."Anna!"Turning around, she saw a tall girl in a misty blue trench coat walking towards her.Wasn’t this the girl who wa
Jax reported to Kendrick about his chance encounter with Seraphina at the market and also mentioned that Annabelle had lost her keys, asking if the lock on the gate should be changed.Kendrick was silent for a moment and then said, "Don't change the lock. Just keep an eye on the villa's security. If anyone breaks in, don’t take immediate action. Wait to see what they intend to do.""Yes, boss."Kendrick understood Annabelle well; she wasn’t someone who would be careless with her belongings, so losing her keys seemed unlikely. The fact that she had bumped into Seraphina made Kendrick suspect that the lost keys and Seraphina might be connected, though he wasn’t sure yet about her intentions.That day, Annabelle spent the whole day in her study, preparing a gift for Kendrick. By the time he came home, she was already asleep.For the next two days, they were each busy during the day, and at night they slept separately without anything unusual happening. This made Kendrick wonder, *Could i
Julissa blinked in confusion, her face full of bewilderment."Job entry? What job?"Linda was also momentarily stunned before she smiled and said, "Miss Hickman, aren’t you the new assistant? Didn’t you attend a banquet with Mr. Nichols last time?"It turned out there had been a misunderstanding.Julissa quickly waved her hand and laughed, "Actually, I—"Before she could finish, Scott spoke up, "Linda, you can step out. I need to have a word with Miss Hickman."Linda put down the form, turned, and left the office, closing the door behind her.Now, only Scott and Julissa were left in the room. Scott stood tall, backlit, with an air of authority surrounding him that made Julissa feel small all of a sudden.The key question was: What does he want to talk about?After the office door was closed, Julissa said, "It seems there’s been a misunderstanding. Everyone really thought I was your assistant."Scott remained composed, nodding slightly. "Well, my assistant Linda is getting married and
Julissa tried her best to focus on her work, making an effort not to pay attention to Scott. Right now, he was just her boss, and she didn’t need to think about the past anymore.Having never worked as an executive assistant or in any secretarial role, Julissa soon realized how meticulous and tedious the job was.After shadowing for a day, she began to doubt whether she could really handle the position. But no—*now Scott was her boss*, and she just needed to focus on doing her job well. She wasn’t particularly organized, but she could learn, right?When Linda noticed her unease while explaining the work, she asked if Julissa had any questions.Julissa honestly admitted that she didn’t have any assistant experience, wasn’t very detail-oriented, and was worried she wouldn’t be able to manage. Linda kindly reassured her, "Experience can be built over time. If you were careless before, just be more careful from now on. There’s always a learning process."Julissa was deeply touched. Fo
While Scott was working out, Julissa stood quietly beside him, accompanying him obediently.Out of boredom, her mind wandered.She thought about what she would do once she got paid—eat, drink, and have fun. She'd buy a car, a house, a bag, and maybe a dog. Even though her parents weren’t lacking money, she still wanted to show filial piety. She’d buy her dad a new car and treat her mom to a luxurious beauty package.In short, once she made money, she’d spend it joyfully.The more she thought about it, the better it seemed. Her mood was as good as if she had won the lottery, and she couldn’t help but smile.Scott glanced at her and noticed she was staring at him with a smile on her face. He thought she was daydreaming about him and felt a hint of amusement.She was so open about having a crush on him. She really wasn’t shy.Just then, Scott’s heart rate monitor beeped, indicating that his heart rate was too high and that he should control his emotions.Julissa was startled by the beep
If it weren't for Scott, Annabelle would really suspect that Julissa had been tricked.However, after thinking about it, Annabelle could easily understand. For someone like Scott, money was just a number. What seemed like a large sum to Julissa and herself probably wasn’t a big deal for him.Annabelle wasn’t very materialistic. As long as she had money to spend, she didn’t think much about earning more.Right now, though, she was a bit strapped for cash. She couldn’t help but feel envious of Julissa, joking, "Does Mr. Nichols still need assistants? I want to go juice some fruit too.""Forget it, you already have your own big boss at home. Why are you jealous of us working stiffs?"Annabelle pursed her lips. "What’s his is his. I still want to rely on myself."She thought about it for a moment, and a sudden realization hit her. Was she subconsciously deciding that she wanted a long-term future with Kendrick?After dinner, Julissa dragged Annabelle to the mall.Julissa found a pair of h
Kendrick paused for a moment, then couldn’t help but laugh. "Are you jealous of Julissa? Want to be my assistant too?""You know Julissa joined the Nichols Group?""Ah Yuan told me," Kendrick replied, sitting down on the piano bench with a smile. "If Anna wants to be my assistant, I’ll be happy. How much salary do you want? Feel free to name your price—don’t worry about saving me money."Seeing Kendrick seeming serious, Annabelle quickly shook her head and muttered, "I’m just saying. I can’t be your assistant. Every time I enter your office, I just want to fall asleep..."Whenever she heard him talking to his subordinates or saw those stacks of documents, her eyelids would droop uncontrollably. She almost always fell asleep.Besides, Kendrick already had Jaime, the super-efficient, all-around assistant. There was no need for her.Kendrick smirked and placed his hand on her neck, gently pinching it. "True, Anna has spent quite a bit of time napping in my office."The sudden bold remark
That night, Annabelle received her first practice capital. The amount was roughly the same as what she had saved up before marrying Kendrick.After both of them had showered, although Annabelle was tired, she was full of enthusiasm. She didn’t want to go to sleep; instead, she eagerly wanted to hear how the evil capitalist made money from money.Seeing her so enthusiastic, Kendrick suggested, "Let's go to your study in the suite. I'll explain the basics to you."Annabelle quickly blocked the door to her suite. "Let's go to your room!"Kendrick raised an eyebrow. "Your room is off-limits?""It’s a little messy, I haven’t cleaned it yet. Let’s go to your room."As she spoke, Annabelle grabbed his hand and led him toward his suite.Kendrick was puzzled. When had her room ever been messy? She seemed like she was hiding something—was it related to the gift she was planning to give him?She didn’t say anything, and Kendrick didn’t press her on it. If she didn’t want him to see it, he would
Kendrick unfolded the crumpled painting draft and took a look. It was an unfinished painting that seemed to be intended to depict a sea, a very familiar scene.Annabelle sat up, hugged her knees, and looked depressed."I originally wanted to give it to you as a gift, but I messed it up."Kendrick remembered that when they were in Shadelake, he gave Annabelle a necklace and a jewelry box. At that time, Annabelle said she would give him a gift in return, but he needed to wait a while.Some time ago, she went to the calligraphy and painting market and bought some things. He didn't ask in detail. Now, looking at the picture frame piled up by the wall and the paintings in the room, Kendrick understood.Annabelle was going to paint a picture for him with her own hands. She probably didn't want him to enter this room last night because she was afraid that he would see it in advance.However, it seemed that none of the painting drafts visible in the room was intact."Is it still not finished?
Julissa felt so embarrassed she wanted to die. She cleared her throat and said, "Umm... I actually don't usually read those things. I just bought it out of curiosity. I usually read these books over here."Julissa smiled awkwardly and pointed at the row of classic novels on the shelf, covered in dust.Scott put the book back and came over to her. He took the panties from her hand and raised an eyebrow."Why did you buy such a large size? Do I look that fat to you?""Oh no, I don't have any experience. I thought... I didn't know..."Scott understood and suddenly smiled. As he left the study, he said, "Food and sex are basic human instincts. It's natural, Assistant Hickman. There's no need to hide it. I understand.""..." Julissa rubbed her forehead and said in a dry voice, "Thanks, Mr. Nichols.""You're welcome."What kind of conversation was this? Julissa was embarrassed to the point of madness.Regardless, Scott went back to his room, and Julissa, after a moment of disarray in the st
Although there was a door blocking the view, she could only see half of his chest exposed, and the other half of his body was hidden behind the door. But her door was made of frosted glass.With frosted glass, you can't see anything from a distance, but when you're close... it's very clear, and you can see everything.Julissa swallowed nervously and tried her best not to look, even retracting her peripheral vision. She asked calmly, "What's the matter, Mr. Nichols?""Could these things have been used by your ex-boyfriend?""Don't worry. He never stayed the night here."Scott nodded. "That's good. I don't like sharing these items that come into close contact with the skin with others."Julissa also nodded with a smile, thinking to herself, if he doesn't like sharing items in close contact with the skin, then why is the CEO going to sleep in my bed?"Do you have anything else, Mr. Nichols?""Not for now. If I do, I'll call you."The bathroom door closed again, and Julissa let out a sigh
She glanced at the person in the living room. The CEO was holding a teacup, sipping gracefully, and observing her living room. He frowned at times, twitched the corners of his mouth at other times, and then showed a rather amused expression.Was he making fun of her home being like a pigsty, or was he making fun of her home being like a pigsty?Julissa had seen all these expressions on her mother's face before.Every time her mother came to her place, she would help clean the house while wearing that speechless expression.After washing the dishes and drying her hands, Julissa walked out of the kitchen. Looking at the clock on the wall, she said to the person in the living room, "Mr. Nichols, it's getting late, isn't it?"Scott also looked at his watch. "Well, it's already so late.""Yeah!" So, aren't you leaving yet?Scott looked at Julissa. "By the way, Assistant Hickman, I have something I'd like to ask you for help with."The address of "Assistant Hickman" made Julissa stand up st
Julissa added the Nicholsn Ramyeon to the pot, thinking to herself, *The CEO comes to someone's home as a guest, and he's being so domineering?*As the noodles were nearly cooked, she placed the cheese on the noodles. Once the cheese hit the heat, it softened and enveloped the noodles with a rich, creamy texture. Julissa’s eyes lit up. She took a bite eagerly, and just as she was about to dive in, Scott handed her his bowl."Can you serve me?""??"Looks like the CEO is really good at delegating.Fine, I’ll serve it! Here you go, just eat quickly and leave, my dear CEO.Julissa was furious in her mind but dared not show it. All she did was mutter quietly inside, handing the bowl over to Scott while trying to smile obsequiously, "Take your time eating, it's still hot."This was the power of a 100,000 monthly salary.Scott glanced at her, raised the corner of his mouth, and picked up the noodles to try. He raised an eyebrow, surprised. He hadn’t expected something as ordinary as instant
"Zane, aren't you eating?""I just got a call from the hospital. One of my patients is in trouble, and their wound has reopened. I have to go right away."He was already at the door, and from his anxious expression, it seemed like it was serious."Be careful on the road.""Yeah, you go ahead and continue eating. I really wanted to spend more time with you tonight."Julissa quickly reassured him, saying it was fine, and they could eat together next time.Scott walked them to the door and said to Zane, "Take care, Doctor Carter."Julissa furrowed her brows and looked at the person beside her. Why did it feel like he was the one in charge of the house?And leaving her alone with Scott, what was that about? Didn’t Zane have any suspicions?Lost in thought, Zane turned to Julissa and said, "Julissa, can you help me swipe the elevator card?""Oh, sure."Julissa took the card and stepped outside.When the elevator arrived, she swiped the card for Zane, but he pressed the button to hold the d
Julissa’s apartment, a small two-bedroom, one-living-room layout, was decorated... probably intended to be cozy, but in reality, it was messy and disorganized. Scott felt like he had never entered such a chaotic home.Julissa glanced at him. His discerning eyes and furrowed brows made him look just like the dormitory manager checking for cleanliness when she was in school.She felt nervous, and now, looking at her own little space, she could see everything that was wrong with it.There were delivery boxes piled at the door, still unopened, and clothes that needed washing were scattered on the couch.Oh no, there’s even a piece of underwear!Quickly, she hurried over to pick it up and quietly put it in the laundry basket on the balcony.If she hadn’t tidied up, Scott wouldn’t have noticed. But now that she had, he certainly saw it.It seemed like he really liked black lingerie. She had worn a black one the other night, but it didn’t look like the same one.After taking off his coat and
Julissa hummed in surprise. "It might be the landlord; they said they'd bring me a potted plant a few days ago. Can you take the wine off the stove? It should be warm by now.""Sure." Zane swallowed the rest of his words and headed to the kitchen, deciding to speak later.Julissa went to open the door.When she opened it, she was surprised to see Scott standing there. He was dressed in a black wool coat, standing tall in front of her, his gaze heavy and intent.Although he hadn’t said a word yet, Julissa could already feel her heart racing. She pressed her hand against her chest, silently reminding herself that although it felt like a god had suddenly descended on her humble abode, she shouldn’t let her inner fan girl take over!"Mr. Nichols, is there something you need?" she asked.Scott pulled a pen from his coat pocket. "Your pen was left in my car."Julissa looked at the pen, tilted her head, and reached out to take it. Could it have fallen out when she got out of the car earlier?
Soon after Julissa arrived home, Zane showed up.She opened the door for him, handing him a pair of men's slippers to change into.Zane entered the living room and looked around at her somewhat messy little place. He smiled and said, "You don't seem to be someone who enjoys doing housework, do you?"Julissa scratched her head awkwardly. "My study is very tidy!""Oh? Can I take a look?" Zane teased.Julissa quickly stopped him. "Uh... can you help me out here? I need to wash a lot of vegetables."There weren't actually that many vegetables to wash, but her study was definitely not suitable for showing off. It contained not only legitimate books but also some less-than-legitimate ones. If he saw her collection of adult novels and comics, it would be too embarrassing.Zane bit his lip and gave up on the idea of exploring her study, following her into the kitchen instead.He had always been a firm believer in not getting married and had never been in a serious relationship. When his boss