Annabelle chatted with her grandfather for a while about her endorsement of Lin's Jewelry. Grandpa Gregory reminded her to work hard but not to overwork herself. He also told her that, in the workplace, she would inevitably encounter all kinds of people. Even though everyone knew she was the young mistress of the Gregory family, there might still be some people plotting behind her back. If she ever faced unfair treatment, she shouldn’t be afraid to stand up for herself.His careful advice made Annabelle feel a little emotional. In her grandfather's eyes, she was still a child without much social experience. But since she was ten, she had lost her family's protection. If she hadn’t learned how to protect herself, she might not even be alive today. The current her was no longer the Annabelle who could be easily bullied."Don't worry, Grandpa. I'll take care of myself," she reassured him.Grandpa Gregory nodded in response. Just then, the head chef brought out a new dish. Grandpa invited
Cael stood up first, pulling Ariana's chair back for her and gently guiding her out of the dining room. He looked every bit the gentleman.Charlotte also got up, adjusting her skirt and lowering her head. She shot a shy glance at Cael, her lips pressed together.As Cael passed by her, he boldly reached out and pinched Charlotte’s bottom.Annabelle saw the whole thing.This man was absolutely outrageous!Though she knew there were good and bad men in the world, seeing it firsthand was an entirely different matter.Should she warn Ariana?She debated for a moment. Ariana was engaged to Cael, but she had been pining for Kendrick even after that. Cael and Ariana were both equally at fault in their relationship, so maybe she shouldn't interfere.But as she thought about it, Annabelle felt she couldn’t stay silent. Regardless of her personal grudges with Ariana or whether Ariana was truly in love with Cael, she couldn’t watch another woman marry a man like that without doing something about
The sounds of the couple’s intimacy outside were enough to make Annabelle feel so embarrassed she wished she could just disappear into thin air. What startled her even more were the words Cael had said.It turned out that he and Ariana weren’t really in a romantic relationship, and he had already been secretly involved with Charlotte earlier in the afternoon. Ariana knew about it as well. In other words, there was no need for her to warn Ariana after all.The conversation outside only grew more obscene, with Cael saying things that made Annabelle cover her ears in discomfort. "Why, God? Why must I be forced to witness two shocking incidents in a single day?"Should she go out and interrupt them now? Annabelle felt she would burst from the awkwardness. Should she just wait until they were done? That would surely drive her mad.She needed a way out. After a moment of thought, she took out her phone, cranked the volume up to maximum, and began playing a funny video.Sure enough, as soon
Inside Cael’s car.Ariana’s face was extremely sour."Cael, even if you want to flirt with women, can’t you tone it down a bit? At least don’t do it at the Gregory family’s place."Cael chuckled. "Isn’t it more exciting this way?""You’re really sick.""lol, don’t tell me you’ve never thought about anything dirty. We’re basically the same kind of people."Ariana ground her teeth in frustration and replied, "Don’t mix me with you. I’m just worried you’ll let your hormones get in the way and mess up our plan.""Don’t worry." Cael paused for a moment, then added, "And what do you mean by hormones? I’m just being direct about what I want."Ariana shot him a glare. "As long as you get the job done, you can do whatever you like.""Of course. At the engagement party, I’m the one getting humiliated and cuckolded. I’m risking my own reputation to help you; I’ll make sure it’s a success."Ariana was stirred by the thought of their plan and felt excitement bubbling inside her.She and Cael were
Kendrick led Annabelle to the glass greenhouse in the back garden. He knew Trey had been cultivating various roses, and since Annabelle loved flowers, he had been meaning to take her there for a while. Tonight was the perfect opportunity.They passed through the corridor in the back yard and arrived at a small garden. The garden was filled with various winter-blooming plants along the center and walls, creating a colorful and lively atmosphere.Annabelle admired the flowers along the way, complimenting the vibrant blooms and the care taken in maintaining them.Seeing her in a relatively good mood, Kendrick figured nothing too serious had happened tonight. Otherwise, Annabelle wouldn't have had the energy to enjoy the flowers. But he was still eager to know what she wanted to tell him.The two of them walked along the path and entered the glass greenhouse.Now that they were alone, Annabelle finally took the opportunity to gossip, telling Kendrick everything she had witnessed earlier d
Kendrick was taken aback at first, not understanding why she kissed him, but when he saw the playful glint in her eyes, he quickly figured out her thoughts. Smiling, he pinched her cheek."Anna, you’ve always cared about Ariana, haven’t you?""I don’t!" Annabelle turned her head proudly, pretending to admire the flowers.Kendrick chuckled and gently turned her back around. "Alright, whatever happens between her and Cael doesn’t concern us. We don’t need to worry about it."Kendrick understood that ever since their first meeting, when Annabelle suggested he let the grass pot Ariana gave him overgrow instead of regularly cleaning it, he had known that she was uneasy about his relationship with Ariana.Later, when they went golfing together and Ariana fainted in his arms, Annabelle had clearly been upset.Perhaps from that moment on, Annabelle had sensed something more from Ariana, a kind of hidden intention.But Kendrick hadn’t been perceptive enough to see Ariana’s affection for him, n
At that time, Kendrick must have been very angry and sad. His stepmother had been clearing out his mother’s belongings, not even sparing a few flower pots. She dared to do that, which must have been tacitly approved by Colten.Fortunately, Trey had been there for him, giving him comfort and encouragement. This was probably why Kendrick had always been so close to Trey.After a while, Kendrick smiled and gently rubbed the top of her head. “It’s alright. I’m fine.”Annabelle replied with a soft "Oh..." But she noticed his eyes were red, and she really wanted to comfort him by patting his head."Many people think the epiphyllum has bad connotations. When Lydia threw the epiphyllums away, she said that the flowers were unlucky. Even Father agreed. So why do you like them so much, Anna?"Annabelle pursed her lips and replied, "There’s no such thing as good or bad plants. What people call lucky or unlucky is just something they’ve attached to them. In fact, the phrase 'like an epiphyllum' h
Kendrick's voice had become somewhat sour, and Annabelle responded, "I don’t distrust you...""Then listen to me," he said softly, pulling her into his embrace from behind.Just moments ago, he had almost let slip the name of Ryan. He and Ryan had reached an agreement—temporarily keeping from Annabelle the fact that her Master was actually Ryan. Otherwise, Ryan might tell her about Emilia’s existence.Kendrick wasn’t ready to explain this to her yet. He was afraid she would overthink it, and he hadn’t fully handled the situation himself.Annabelle remained lost in thought, still looking troubled."What are you thinking about?" Kendrick asked."I was thinking about when I’ll get better," Annabelle sighed, feeling frustrated. Every time she thought about her weak body and the poison inside her, things she couldn’t do, it made her feel miserable.Kendrick smiled lightly. "Don’t worry. I was just about to tell you."He took out his phone, logged into the health check center, and showed he
Seraphina understood exactly what Dereon meant—he was suggesting she sleep with the Young Master.But would sleeping with him really make him love her more?Seraphina knew very well: the reason the Young Master still had some affection for her was precisely because she knew her place and respected boundaries.She didn’t want to do anything that might make him hate her.Looking out the cabin window, Seraphina said calmly, “If the Young Master wanted me, of course I’d be willing… but I’m not going to take the initiative to do something so unnecessary.”“How is it unnecessary?!”Dereon slapped his thigh in frustration. Blood was still trickling down his forehead, running past his brow and onto his nose, making him look a little frightening. But his expression was that of a sleazy pimp, and Seraphina found it laughable.“You don’t have to convince me,” she said. “I have my own thoughts on this.”“Seraphina, you don’t understand men,” Dereon lowered his voice. “If you can hold on to the Yo
Ryan said, “That wasn’t the best opportunity just now.”“Why not?”Ryan rubbed his temples in exhaustion. “Can you use your brain before asking questions?”Seraphina quickly jumped in, “Dereon, didn’t you see that Gauge was also there?”“So what if Gauge was there?” Dereon retorted. “That kid clearly can’t fight.”Seraphina patiently explained.First, the Young Master didn’t hide his movements on this trip to South City. Running into Kendrick here was purely by chance.They weren’t prepared. Acting rashly could have led to failure.Even if they succeeded, since their movements weren’t concealed, it would be easy for the Gregory family to trace the incident back to them. And that old man from the Gregory family is no pushover.Second, Gauge was present. He’s friends with both Kendrick and Annabelle. There’s no way he’d stand by and do nothing.If Gauge got dragged into the mess, the Young Master would be making an enemy out of the Murphy family for no reason.The the Whitney Group is j
A private jet bound for Elfhedge took off smoothly from the South City airport.Inside the cabin, Annabelle was lying in a luxurious bedroom.Ryan stepped out of the room and said to Seraphina, who was standing outside the door, “She was poisoned by a type of floral toxin. It causes hallucinations and unconsciousness. She's fine now. Go get a clean set of clothes for her. I’ll help her change.”“It’s already prepared,” Seraphina’s gaze flickered slightly. She tightened her grip on the clothes in her hand and lowered her head. “Young Master, let me do it. This dress is a bit tricky to put on…”Ryan glanced at the dress in her hands, then looked deeply into her eyes. After a moment, he let out a bitter laugh. “Alright… if Anna knew I changed her clothes, she’d probably hate me even more.”Seraphina said nothing. Once Ryan stepped aside, she walked in with her head lowered.She carefully helped Annabelle out of her soiled clothes and put on the dress she had brought with her for the trip
Anna shook her head and smiled. “Nothing really. Let me do the cleaning—you’re definitely not as meticulous as I am. You go wait outside.”“No need…”“Go on, I’ll take care of it.”Annabelle was firm and took the duster from Gauge’s hand.But Gauge didn’t leave. How could he let a girl do the work while he waited outside enjoying the breeze?So the two of them cleaned together.While cleaning the room, Annabelle felt oddly emotional. Her mind was flooded with thoughts.Who was the woman who had once lived here? What kind of story did she have? What kind of mood had she been in when she left the village to live in solitude by the sea?As she wiped the mirror on the vanity, she could almost picture a woman sitting there, grooming herself in days long past.She must have been someone melancholic, yet strong-willed.A sudden wave of sadness welled up from deep within Annabelle’s heart.She couldn’t help but laugh at herself. Am I too empathetic? Why else would she feel so much for a compl
“Let’s go,” Gauge called out to her.Annabelle snapped out of her thoughts and walked toward the small wooden cabin.Gauge pointed to a patch of land behind the cabin and said that it used to be a small garden. There had once been a large tree with a wide canopy, and his father had installed a swing on one of its sturdy horizontal branches.Back then, his father often sat alone inside the cabin, sipping a couple of drinks.Meanwhile, Gauge would sit outside on the swing, watching the sea and listening to music.Looking at the now overgrown garden, Gauge showed a hint of melancholy.“Unfortunately, the big tree was cut down later, and since no one took care of the garden, it fell into disrepair. When my dad came here last year, he said he regretted not being able to maintain it.”Annabelle listened quietly. It seemed Murphy's father had deeply cared about whoever used to live here.Gauge had said before that he wasn’t sure if the person was a man or a woman—he just guessed it was a wom
Annabelle transformed visibly from a sweet little bunny into a puffed-up pufferfish, cheeks bulging with frustration.She got up to leave, but Kendrick pulled her back into his arms. He poked her puffed cheeks and chuckled,"You're really that scared someone’s going to steal me away?""If you could be stolen that easily, then you’re not worth liking."Annabelle wasn’t insecure to the point where a single text message from Kendrick would make her suspicious.But it was late, and the sudden calls and texts clearly meant something was going on.Still… she had to admit, she was just a tiny bit jealous."You jealous of Jaime too? I was on the phone with him," Kendrick laughed as he handed over his phone so she could see the call log.Annabelle glanced at it—sure enough, the call happened while she was playing the guitar. The corners of her lips twitched upward, but she still insisted stubbornly,"I said I was just casually asking."Kendrick then pulled up their group chat—the one with Jaim
Kendrick’s kiss was too passionate—so passionate it was suffocating, instantly awakening every cell in Annabelle’s body.His kiss was also too forceful—so forceful that Annabelle forgot to resist, and didn't want to resist.Because when Kendrick desired her so intensely, she too was equally, fiercely craving him.It suddenly dawned on her—she truly, deeply liked this man above her. She liked his scent, liked his voice, even liked the beads of sweat trickling down his spine.When did she fall this hard?Maybe it started back when they were ambushed and narrowly escaped death… when they lived in the hospital together… when she risked falling just to climb over the balcony and see him.When she brought herself to his bed, faced her feelings for the first time, and accepted him both emotionally and physically—she had already fallen.As for her heart… it had been open to him long before that.Maybe it started with his first kiss. From that moment, her heart had already begun to waver—she j
After his cold shower, Kendrick returned to the room and climbed into bed, but he still felt a bit restless.He gazed at the little woman for a while. She looked exhausted.Not wanting to wake her, he gently pulled her nightdress down and tucked the blanket securely around her.Then he turned around, facing away from her, closed his eyes, and tried to sleep.But in the twenty-something-degree room, Annabelle, now wrapped like a little cocoon, soon got uncomfortable and kicked the blanket off again.Not only that—she rolled over and draped her arm around Kendrick’s waist, hugging him from behind.Maybe because Kendrick’s body was still slightly cool from the cold shower, Annabelle loved the chilly "big body pillow" and even pressed her warm little face against his back.While tightly hugging her “old fox,” she continued her dream, still playing chess with the god of dreams.Kendrick let out a long sigh and gently held the hand around his waist, playfully tickling her palm.She didn’t w
Kendrick chuckled helplessly. “She really doesn’t use her phone much, so there’s no need to worry about her finding out on her own.”He’d seen Anna’s phone interface before—it was mostly filled with practical apps like dictionaries and period trackers. The usual social media apps? She had tucked them all away in a folder labeled "Rarely Used."Thinking of his quirky little wife, Kendrick’s mood lightened significantly.Of course, he knew that in this internet era, Anna might eventually come across the gossip herself. That’s why he hoped, by the time she did, he would have already taken care of everything.Then, when she found out, she’d know exactly where the "arrow" came from—and see clearly what became of the person who fired it.That way, she wouldn’t feel too anxious or wronged. At most, she’d just complain about how shameless the rumor-spreader was.It was the best way Kendrick could think of to minimize the harm.“Alright. I promise,” Gauge said solemnly.“Then that’s all,” Kend