Marvin wrote a check for Linda, who reached out to take it. However, Marvin suddenly raised his hand, stopping her. "Don’t even think about running. I’ll have people keep an eye on you until you bring Emilia to me."
Linda smirked. "Don’t worry, I’m not that stupid. Besides, who would turn down money?"
Marvin snorted. "It’s best if that’s true."
He reached for his glass again, but Linda grabbed it out of his hand.
"Mr.Gregory, you need to get a grip. Stop drinking. It’s a troublemaker, didn’t you learn your lesson the last time you got humiliated?" She glanced at his lower abdomen and winked.
Teased again, Marvin grew angry and annoyed, reaching out to grab her chin. But the little woman quickly dodged and slipped away.
Linda left the room, and the place fell quiet.
Marvin took another sip of his drink.
He couldn’t help but imagine the future.
When Annabelle sees Emili
As Kendrick had expected, Seraphina indeed showed up.He glanced at Jax and signaled him with his eyes. Jax tore the tape off Seraphina’s mouth.Kendrick approached Seraphina. "Miss Seraphina, I apologize for treating you so roughly."Seraphina gave him a cold look."How did you know I would come?"Kendrick curled his lips slightly. "It was fairly easy to guess."The day Annabelle visited the calligraphy and painting market, she had an accidental encounter with Seraphina, and coincidentally, she lost the key to Lavender Villa that day.Kendrick didn’t believe it was a coincidence. He suspected that Seraphina had stolen Annabelle’s key.If Seraphina had stolen the key, what did she want to do with it?Kendrick had considered many possibilities—was she planning to infiltrate Lavender Villa and assassinate him? It was possible, after all, Seraphina was under Ryan, and she might be carrying out an ass
“This medicine really can help detoxify Miss Sanchez’s body. The one she’s taking now, however, is actually toxic,” Seraphina said.Kendrick lightly shifted the small bottle in his hand and gave Seraphina a sharp look.“But the results of Annabelle’s physical check-up are already out, and there’s no sign of any toxins in her body. She doesn’t need detoxifying,” Kendrick responded.Seraphina smirked. “The doctors don’t even know what kind of poison she’s been exposed to. There are hundreds of types of neurotoxins. If there’s no clear history of poisoning or obvious symptoms, they can only rule them out one by one. By the time they find out what it is, the person might already be gone. The screenings you’re doing now are far from thorough.”Kendrick tightened his lips.That was actually true. Dr. Jay, an immunology expert, had said the same to him.Based
Kendrick's gratitude toward Seraphina was genuine. At the same time, he wanted her to understand that in the battle between him and Ryan, if Ryan ultimately lost, he would let her go and not make her do anything harmful to him or Annabelle out of desperation.Seraphina was momentarily stunned, then smiled faintly. "The likelihood of me needing your help is low, but I do appreciate your words.""There's no need to speak too soon, but this is my promise to you."After saying this, Kendrick gave a brief glance at Elio. "Elio, take Miss Seraphina away."Elio nodded in acknowledgment and shot a cold glare at Seraphina. "Go."Seraphina gave a sly smile to Elio. "The stone outside Lavender Villa's gate has a listening device. I installed it. You might want to take it down soon."Elio froze for a moment, his face turning red in both embarrassment and anger."Got it!" he muttered back.After Seraphina was sent away by Elio, Kendrick too
Annabelle remained unaware of everything that was happening around her.However, she overheard Kendrick talking on the phone with Dr. White and learned that the analysis of the medicine the Young Master had given her had been completed.Concerned that Annabelle might discover the ingredients, Kendrick decided to tell her the components of the non-toxic medicine.Annabelle sighed after hearing it, telling Kendrick that she had originally intended to learn how to make the medicine herself by analyzing its components, so she could continue managing her health in the future. But after hearing the names of the trace elements, she realized it would be impossible to do it herself.With modern medical techniques, the elements in traditional medicine can be analyzed, but without a prescription, it is impossible to recreate the medicine. This is one of the mysterious aspects of Traditional medicine.She could try asking the Young Master, but since he hadn't
Kendrick held Annabelle tightly, his entire body tense, and Annabelle could even hear his rapid heartbeat from the tension.“Did you have a nightmare?”“I dreamt that someone took you away.”Annabelle smiled softly, her gentle fingers slipping into his hair, helping him press on some pressure points to relax him.“You’ve been too tired lately. You should get some rest.”“I’ll go to sleep now. If you’re willing to wait for me for ten minutes, we can go to bed together.”He kissed her ear, seemingly thinking she just wanted to know what time he’d go to sleep.Annabelle pressed her lips together and said, “Actually, I came here to confess something.”“What bad thing did you do?”Feeling a little guilty, Annabelle scratched her head and said, “Someone just sent you a message. You should reply first.”Kendrick gl
Annabelle felt like there was something Kendrick wanted to say to her.Suddenly, she realized something and stared at him, asking, “Kendrick, could your friend be…?”“What?” Kendrick’s expression turned serious for a moment.“Is it that the father of the child isn’t around, or she doesn’t feel comfortable discussing it with the father?”Kendrick’s expression softened, but a hint of confusion appeared on his face.“Why do you ask?”“If that’s the case, why would she come to you to discuss whether or not to have the baby? Shouldn’t she be talking to the father?”Kendrick suddenly smiled and ruffled her hair.Annabelle, while smoothing her hair, asked, “Did I say something wrong?”“She messaged me earlier about something else,” Kendrick pulled her into his arms, “I know she has a heart conditi
Kendrick smirked, "If it happens this time, then we’ll keep it.""Who’s going to have a baby for you?"Annabelle blushed and pushed him away, heading for the bathroom. Kendrick followed her in, shamelessly trying to crowd under the shower with her to fight for the warm water, still asking, "Is it going to happen?"Annabelle answered firmly, "No!"She was well aware of her own menstrual cycle, and that's why she had allowed Kendrick to not take any precautions.Kendrick pursed his lips in disappointment, "Then I'll try harder next time.""..."That night, Annabelle was exhausted. After a shower, she quickly fell asleep.By the light of the moon, Kendrick stared at her peaceful and beautiful face.He had really wanted to tell her about Emilia earlier, but he wasn't sure how she'd react—whether she'd get angry or upset.Annabelle had been abandoned by her family before, and she was always cautious a
Marvin tugged at her collar and pulled her back."Where do you think you're going?""Mr.Gregory, I have no more value to you," Linda replied, her expression showing guilt.Marvin smiled faintly. "Not necessarily."An hour later, Marvin walked into the café with Linda.Annabelle had already arrived, sitting by the window in a loose ivory-colored turtleneck sweater. Her hair fell softly over her shoulders as she held a cup of hot coffee, staring out the window in quiet thought.Marvin paused for a moment, mesmerized by her.No matter how many times he saw her, every time he looked at Annabelle from a distance, he was struck by that same rush of emotions, just like the first time they met—his heart felt as though it was taken by her completely.He truly wished that Annabelle was his.Linda nudged his arm, pulling him out of his thoughts. He looked at her, irritated.Linda gave him a suggestive look. "Mis
Ariana had been worried that Kendrick might suddenly back out and not attend the engagement party. After all, their relationship was no longer what it used to be, and she could feel his deliberate distance.But seeing him arrive, Ariana immediately felt at ease, silently cursing herself for being overly anxious. Brother Kendrick had always kept his word, and if he had promised to come, he would definitely show up.Moreover, their relationship hadn’t reached the point of no return. Kendrick would still attend her engagement party out of respect for their past friendship.However, something felt off. Ariana couldn’t shake the feeling that something was wrong with Kendrick today. His brows were furrowed, his expression cold, as though he were angry.Annabelle, walking next to him, looked equally indifferent.They were walking side by side, yet there was no hand-holding or arm-linking.Ariana, ever observant, picked up on these small
Julissa couldn’t help but wonder if Scott had also held Linda’s hand, guiding her on how to pour the water in circles just like he did with her.She stared at his face, waiting for him to respond.Scott, however, remained indifferent. "I usually have her make instant coffee or buy coffee from downstairs. If I want pour-over, I make it myself."What?Why was he so lenient with Linda, but so harsh with her, Julissa?A surge of dissatisfaction bubbled up inside her, though she didn't dare to voice it strongly."Then why did you want me to learn?" she asked, trying to keep her tone neutral."Sometimes I just want to be lazy," he replied, raising an eyebrow and looking at her. "You said you really like learning new things and challenging yourself, right?"Julissa: "..."At that moment, Julissa felt like Scott was deliberately toying with her.She remembered how she had been docked half her salary for being late due to
Julissa felt the pressure of his gaze, her scalp tingling as if she had been caught daydreaming in class and was suddenly called on by the teacher.She stammered, "You... you just said to put the coffee grounds on the filter paper..."Scott pressed his temple. "Did I really need to say that?"Julissa realized she had just said something pointless. She wiped the cold sweat from her brow and continued, "Then you don’t need much water at first, just wet the coffee grounds, and then... wait a moment?""That step is called blooming. Continue.""Oh, blooming... then we add water!"Scott sighed in exasperation. "The scale has a timer. Remember, the blooming time is 30 seconds."Julissa nodded quickly. "Oh, got it! Then we add water, using the pour-over kettle in a spiral motion, just like you're doing, right?""160 ml of water, add it in two stages. Once the first batch of water has fully filtered through, begin the second." He
Not long after she participated in the competition, she had the car accident, and since then, she hadn't been able to return to the stage.Julissa gazed at the painting of herself, feeling a sense of fate between her and Scott. At the same time, her heart was filled with a strong desire—she longed to be that little swan on the stage again.But she knew it was no longer possible."I remember Assistant Hickman used to dance ballet. Do you know this dancer?" Scott asked, gazing at her profile."...No," her voice was hoarse, tinged with a slight nasal tone.She didn’t want Scott to know that she was the one in the painting. If he found out, it would be terribly awkward for her. He might think it was embarrassing—how could he hang a picture of his assistant on his wall? He would probably take it down.Julissa sniffed and smiled at him. "Mr. Nichols, your time is valuable. Let's get on with the coffee brewing lesson."Righ
Julissa froze for a second. Was Scott teasing her?Sure enough, men who were usually so reserved had a hidden mischievous side.Wasn’t this a form of workplace harassment, though?She decided to play dumb—after all, Scott was her employer now, her "bread and butter.""I was just looking at that painting," she said, taking a step back and subtly pulling her arm away.Scott casually slipped his hands into his pockets, unfazed."Well then, come up and have a closer look."He started up the stairs first, and Julissa, reluctantly, followed him.As she walked behind him, heading toward his bedroom, the feeling of being “taken advantage of” intensified.He had already shown a flirtatious side before, and now it seemed like he had finally decided to make his move. Was this the moment he was going to take advantage of her?What if someone walked in and caught them? The office door wasn’t locke
Julissa was close to tears. Although half of her salary was being deducted, she still had 50,000 left, but it felt like being sliced open—it was painful."This is just inhuman..." she muttered under her breath."Even if it's for the money, you better start coming to work on time from now on!" Linda said with a smile, patting her on the shoulder. "Mr. Nichols wants some coffee, go make him a cup, and don't mess up again."Julissa quickly agreed and, after putting down her things, headed to the breakroom.Linda watched her leave, feeling helpless. The new rules that had been implemented were something Scott had come up with on the spot, and they were only directed at the executive assistant, effectively targeting Julissa for not being present.Was this really his way of pursuing a woman? Linda couldn’t help but think that Scott’s emotional intelligence was lacking.Meanwhile, Julissa took out her favorite instant coffee from
When Julissa woke up in the middle of the night and wanted to go to the bathroom, she realized she was already in her bed.She sat up and scratched her head, feeling a bit confused.Wasn’t she in the living room earlier? How did she end up in bed?Had Scott left?She got out of bed to use the bathroom and called out toward the other room, "Mr. Nichols?"The room was pitch black, and there was no answer.She walked into the kitchen and glanced at the cupboard. The watch was gone.She checked the entryway next, and the shoes under the shoe rack were also gone.It seemed he had already left. He must have carried her to bed after she fell asleep, then left afterward.There was an inexplicable feeling of disappointment.But soon, that feeling was replaced by the sharp pang of stomach pain as she drowsily made her way to the bathroom.Afterward, she returned to bed, ready to fall back asleep. But after lyin
At that moment, the elevator arrived, and Zane stepped inside. "You should go back, it's cold in the hallway."He never looked at her once as the elevator doors closed.The cold wind from the hallway blew in, causing Julissa to shiver. She tightened her clothes and walked back home, still in a daze.She glanced once more at the cup of brown sugar water in the kitchen and frowned. There, on the counter, was a men's wristwatch!It was Scott's watch. Did he intentionally leave it there?Whether he meant to or not, Zane must have seen the watch and guessed that there was another man in her house.All of this was because of him, and now it had caused a misunderstanding between her and Doctor Carter.Doctor Carter must now think she was a huge flirt.Fuming, Julissa stormed into her bedroom, only to find Scott lying on her bed, seemingly asleep.Looking at the man on her bed, she inwardly complained. Even when asleep, he still
Julissa was instantly petrified.Any man with normal thinking would surely misunderstand if he saw his girlfriend’s male superior at her place, taking care of her period cramps, right?Mr. Nichols really had no tact…Just as she was feeling extremely anxious, the doorbell rang.Julissa froze with a jolt. The doctor was here so quickly!It had only been ten minutes since he sent the message.Julissa quickly sat up, grabbed Scott's hand without a second thought, and rushed to her bedroom.She only had one thought in her mind—hide Scott first.This Mr. Nichols was clueless, self-centered, and sharp-tongued. If he met Doctor Carter, there was no way things would go well.She shoved Scott into the bedroom and said, "Mr. Nichols, please bear with it for a moment. Don't come out, okay? Please!"Scott remained expressionless, pressing his lips together."We're just colleagues. There's nothing sha