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
In the VIP ballroom of the Imperial Hotel in Elfhedge, a grand engagement party was underway."Let's welcome the groom-to-be and the bride-to-be to have their opening dance!"The groom-to-be, Marvin Gregory, burst into laughter after hearing what the emcee said."Opening dance? You might have thought too highly of that ugly creature!"Upon hearing that, everyone turned to Annabelle Sanchez, the bride-to-be, who had just become a laughingstock.Wearing a veil, she stood quietly on the stage.People started to gossip. Some said that Annabelle, the third girl of the Sanchez family, was disfigured by a fire when she was a child, and she had been living in Springvale Temple in the mountains ever since. She never even went to college.Marvin, on the other hand, was the second eldest son of the Gregory family, handsome and influential. It was reasonable for him to disdain her.That being said, Annabelle was from a prestigious family. Everyone assumed that she was probably on the verge of she
Annabelle was stunned, her brows knitting in confusion.She thought to herself, "It's easy to break off an engagement, yet things are much more complicated when it comes to a divorce. Why bother?'She pondered for a second and said, "OK. But I have a demand."Kendrick smiled helplessly and thought, 'That's rich'But still, he said, "Name it. I can't guarantee you a yes, though."He had a playful expression on his face, making him look like a cunning fox. No one could tell what was on his mind.Annabelle frowned and said righteously, "Sex is definitely off the table after we get married."She looked like a soldier trying to defend her territory. Seeing that, Kendrick couldn't help but grin."Seriously, Ms. Sanchez? You think having sex with me is a loss for you?"Annabelle felt that her cheeks were burning. She thought, 'What a narcissist! Who knows what it's gonna be like? Well, it's true that he is handsome, tall, upright, and dignified in every manner. Yet I'm no nympho, and I don't
Annabelle could distinctly smell the faint aroma of cedar, mixed with a faint smell of alcohol, coming from Kendrick. Combined with the dim light in the car, she felt that the atmosphere was way too erotic.She felt her face getting hotter and hotter. When she tried to push him away, he grabbed her wrist.Kendrick clutched her slender wrist as he raised the corners of his lips, looking discontented."Ms. Sanchez, we're getting married, and yet you won't even let me see your face? That's not very sincere. Don't you think so?Annabelle thought, 'It seems that I just can't get away from it. Fine, then. I'll show him what he wants. Sooner or later, he's gonna see it anyway'.She sighed silently and said, "Step back a little, please."Kendrick grinned as he let go of her wrist."What? You don't wanna scare me?"While he was teasing, she had already taken off her veil.Kendrick was stunned.He had a feeling that she wouldn't be ugly, yet he didn't expect her to be that pretty.With fine fea
Kendrick acted seriously and stroked Annabelle's hair. "All done now. Let's go."She pressed her hair which he had tousled while thinking, 'I know that he was about to rub my head. What a cunning fox! He's such an actor!'Holding that thought in mind, she walked into the lobby together with Kendrick.The marriage registration went smoothly. When it came to the wedding photo session, they came to the studio together and were seated in a chair.Kendrick naturally put his hand on Annabelle's shoulder.Annabelle frowned and glanced at his hand, and then she glared at him.Yet Kendrick didn't see any problem. "It's what couples do when taking photos.""Mr. Gregory, it sounds like you're quite experienced."Annabelle said so with a smile, and then she shoved his hand away without hesitation.Seeing the slightly angry look on her face, Kendrick found her just like a gentle kitten who suddenly flashed its claws and scratched his heart.He felt ... a bit itchy. To be more accurate, he felt a b
Annabelle thought about it and realized that Kendrick wasn't asking too much.She thought, 'Now that we're married, even though we're just a couple in name, still, we have to put on an act in front of others. Besides, after spending time with him this morning, I feel that he is kind of reasonable. Maybe he just likes to make jokes sometimes.'While thinking that way, she felt much more at ease."Fine. I'll live at your place."Kendrick couldn't help but smile bitterly.Deep down, he couldn't help but complain, 'Just fine? She sounds so reluctant. Come on! I am the eldest son of the Gregory family as well as the CEO of the Gregory Group. I stand out when it comes to both appearance and family background. Yet why do I feel like I'm not attractive at all to her? Is it because I'm getting old?'The same morning, Kendrick took Annabelle to his villa in the western suburb, showed her around briefly, arranged a bedroom for her, and then went to his office.After he left, Annabelle called hom
Annabelle blushed, and even her neck became reddish. She panicked so much that she didn't even know where to look. She looked away hastily."You... Get dressed.""All right. I thought I had to be naked," Kendrick said, lying through his teeth.Annabelle turned around and had her back facing him. She felt a bit helpless and said, "No. I will only apply medicine to your forehead."She thought, 'The shower only serves to improve his circulation so that the ointment will work better. When did I say it was for his whole body? Never mind. It's probably my fault. I didn't make it clear.'Five minutes later, Kendrick changed into a set of casual loungewear, which looked clean and comfortable. In a plain white T-shirt and light gray slacks, he looked more relaxed, his demeanor softer than when he was in his suit.Annabelle sized him up and admitted that he looked good."Do I look good?"Annabelle felt a bit awkward being seen through by him."Well, I guess so." She looked away coldly and glanc
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
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
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
Suddenly recalling the events of the previous night, Annabelle's face flushed, and she quickly pulled her hand out of his palm. “You eat, I’ll go change.” Watching the little rabbit run away with a red face, Kendrick couldn’t help but smile helplessly. She was still so easily flustered. About ten minutes later, both of them were ready and headed for the hospital. Outside the car window, the cold wind blew, but inside the car, it was warm. Classical guitar music played softly, light and gentle. The man beside her drove quietly, accompanying her to the hospital for her check-up. On her lap was a thermos box with the breakfast Kendrick had prepared for her. She could eat once the check-up was over. When they had just gotten married, she had thought he was arrogant and cunning, but now, she realized he was such a considerate and gentle man. Annabelle couldn’t help but smile. At a traffic light, Kendrick stopped the car and glanced at the small woman beside him. He noticed
Julian looked at his older brother as if he were a dinosaur, smiling. "Aren’t you always so disdainful of me, bro?""Less talk, go get it.""Alright, alright!"Julian went back to his room, and soon returned with one of his photos, signed by him.Scott glanced at the photo, his face dark. "Your handwriting is terrible.""…As long as I’m handsome, it’s fine!" Julian retorted.Scott sneered, clearly mocking him.Julian felt like snatching the photo back, but didn’t dare challenge his older brother.Scott went back to his room, looked at the signed photo, and casually tossed it on his desk before dialing Julissa’s number."Mr. Nichols? It’s late, is there something you need?""Your signed photo, you can come pick it up tomorrow."Julissa paused for a moment, then realized what Scott meant. She felt grateful yet a little embarrassed. "You still remember! Thank you so much."She had almost forgotten about it herself and didn’t want to get too entangled with Scott after the awkward incident
For some reason, when Julissa said this, her heart suddenly felt empty, as though she had lost something important.Zane, however, was pleased. He smiled and said, "Everything will be done the way you like."Julissa smiled back. "Okay.""By the way, here, this is for you." Zane opened the passenger side door, took an A4 sheet from the glove compartment, and handed it to Julissa."What’s this?" Julissa looked at the form, confused."This is my work schedule. From now on, you can check it to see when I'm free. As long as I'm not working, I can be with you."Julissa took the form, thinking that this person was quite straightforward and interesting. "Alright, then next time, when you're off, let’s go watch a movie.""Sure."Despite it feeling like a routine, and despite the fact that their relationship had almost nothing to do with love, wasn’t love supposed to fade away eventually?She had once poured all her enthusiasm into Liam, but now she was content with going through the motions, w
Kendrick’s expression darkened, his anger quickly rising.How dare Ryan talk to her about something like this!And who was that Ryan to think that just because he said they couldn’t sleep together, they had to listen?Annabelle explained why they couldn’t sleep together, the consequences and all.After hearing it, Kendrick felt a bit of doubt creeping in. If sleeping together would really harm Annabelle’s body, then perhaps some restraint was necessary.But then he turned to Annabelle and said, "We’ll go for a checkup tomorrow. Traditional medicine is powerful, but let’s trust Western medicine this time."The main reason, of course, was that he didn’t trust Ryan.At this point, Annabelle had no choice. She couldn’t argue with him. Since Kendrick didn’t trust Young Master and wouldn’t believe him, going for a Western medical checkup was fine.Of course, she also wanted a full check-up.After all, she had been diagnosing herself, but hadn’t noticed anything unusual with her body. It was
Kendrick wasn’t cooperating like he usually did. It seemed like he wanted Annabelle to experience that feeling of desperation—where no matter how hard she tried to comfort him, nothing worked.He pressed his lips tightly together, and Annabelle awkwardly kissed him, trying to mimic how he usually kissed her, attempting to use her tongue to pry open his lips.But it felt too embarrassing, so she only gave his lips a quick lick before turning away, blushing.She had already kissed him, yet he still wasn’t giving in. What else did he want?Frustrated, Annabelle got up, determined to ignore him.But as she tried to walk away, Kendrick stopped her, pulling her back and making her straddle him."Comforting your husband isn’t done like this," Kendrick said softly, his gaze fixed on her lips. "If you don’t comfort me properly, you’re not leaving.""You won’t cooperate," Annabelle said unhappily."Let Annabelle experience what it’s like to be rejected," he continued, his voice pausing with a s
"Of course, I’m concerned," Annabelle muttered, feeling uneasy.Kendrick didn’t look right. Did he find out about her meeting with Young Master?No matter what, she couldn’t let on that she was guilty.She added, "By the way, Julissa and I went to the amusement park. I posted a picture of the two of us, and guess what? Several of my classmates want to meet Julissa."She quickly glanced at Kendrick’s expression to see how he was reacting.She wanted to show that she had been with Julissa tonight, with proof in the photos.Kendrick nodded. "I saw the photos.""Mm! Pretty good pictures, right?"After saying that, she realized how awkward the conversation was. Feeling guilty, she added, "I’m going to change. Don’t drink anymore."Just as she was about to turn around, she heard Kendrick speak quietly. "Was the view from the Ferris wheel good?""…"Annabelle froze, closed her eyes, and sighed. It seemed there was no need to cover it up anymore; he already knew.She turned back around, walke