Secret.Kendrick glanced at the woman in front of him, savoring those two words."Drink it while it's hot and rest early."After Annabelle finished speaking, she hurriedly left the study.Her affectionate and absent-minded look, all fell into Kendrick's eyes. He picked up the bowl of soup and took a sip, somehow suddenly feeling that there was a hint of sourness in the soup today.Two days later in the evening, the doorbell rang twice.Kendrick had not returned yet when Annabelle heard the doorbell ring, so she went to open the door and saw Trey carrying a white foam box."When the old man went fishing at the sea, he personally caught some, and he also bought some fresh ones early in the morning from the fishermen. I will bring you some."After Annabelle understood, she quickly went to pick up the box, while Trey hurriedly hid."Mrs. Gregory, don't touch it anymore. It's quite heavy. I'll put it in the fridge for you, so you can cook and eat it as soon as possible.""Okay."Annabelle
Trey noticed that Kendrick had returned and sensed that something was off between the young master and Mrs. Gregory. So, after a brief greeting, he smartly left.There were only Annabelle and Kendrick left in the room.Annabelle returned to the kitchen, with her eyes lowered, and continued to ladle the soup out of the pot, as if she hadn't heard Kendrick's question just now.Kendrick came to her side, grabbed Annabelle's hand as she was pouring soup, gently turned her body, and lifted her chin.Now Annabelle had to look into his eyes."Who have you cooked soup for?"With a mixture of jest and seriousness in his tone, he unexpectedly made Annabelle feel a sense of inexplicable guilt.She had indeed cooked soup for another person in the past, but let's not dwell on that for now. As of the present, she and Kendrick are not truly married, so why does he need to interrogate her like this?"No one."Annabelle avo
Annabelle became puzzled and carefully checked the pulse twice more, but the results remained the same as before.The pulse has clearly improved, why did I still have a headache at night?Could it be that she made a wrong judgment?"Do you have any other symptoms?""It was pretty much the same as before."Mr. Gregory looked serious and could tell lies without changing his expression or heartbeat."Aren't you deceiving me?" Annabelle raised an eyebrow.Kendrick laughed, "Trick you, what's in it for me?"Well, if he lied about being sick, it would mean that he still had to undergo acupuncture, continue taking medication, and the two of them couldn't get divorced quickly either.Annabelle thought, Kendrick really didn't need to tell this lie... right?"Maybe you have been working too hard recently. I will adjust the herbal prescription for you and you should pay more attention to rest."When she said these wor
Annabelle's mouth twitched as she decided to take a private plane in order to save on airfare.Mr. Gregory, who was unaware of the hardships of the world, pondered for a while, just wondering about this.Is it about being willful when you have money, or are people foolish when they have a lot of money?"Mr. Gregory, did you forget to calculate the fuel cost?"Kendrick leaned in slightly, getting closer to her ear, and chuckled softly, "Just hoping that you could occasionally take advantage of me, your wealthy husband."You should know that his private plane alone cost tens of millions of dollars annually just for maintenance.And his wife, still lamented over not being able to buy cheap plane tickets, which greatly frustrated Kendrick.Annabelle stared at the man in front of her, and the ambiguous "husband" made her feel a little dazed.They seemed like a real couple."Thank you for your kindness, but no need," Annabelle
Lydia went upstairs and looked into Kendrick's room.At that time, the room was open, indicating that Annabelle was obviously not inside.In other words, they did sleep in separate rooms, the couple indeed!The matter of dividing the rooms was something she heard Marvin casually mention after he got drunk in the past. Today, she came personally to see what exactly was going on.At that moment, she confirmed this by helping her son, and her heart was filled with joy.Presumably, the marriage between the two was merely a formality, and Kendrick's constant rivalry with Marvin was not because he genuinely liked Annabelle, but simply because he wanted to undermine Marvin.In that case, as a mother, she had to do something to help her son win back his wife.In fact, since Annabelle had already become Kendrick's wife, Lydia no longer lamented for this girl and did not support Marvin in pursuing her.Did my younger brother marry his si
Annabelle walked into the bedroom, first passing through a short hallway adorned with expensive paintings.Before meeting Marvin in person, I smelled a strong scent of alcohol, which was completely different from the fresh mountain air outside.Stepping on the soft light brown carpet, Annabelle saw Marvin half leaning on the edge of the bed, sitting on the floor.He faced the floor-to-ceiling window, with his back to Annabelle, holding a half-empty bottle of canned beer in his hand. There were also more empty beer cans beside him. His gray shirt was wrinkled, and his once fresh hair was messy and greasy."Go out!"He emitted a hoarse growl.Annabelle paused for a moment and then continued walking forward."I said for you to go out!"Marvin angrily turned around and picked up an empty beer can next to him, ready to throw it towards Annabelle.But when he saw that the person coming was Annabelle, his actions seemed to free
"Anna, we..." Marvin hesitated, finding it difficult to continue.In that game, he lost. Losing meant he had to voluntarily withdraw and could no longer pursue Annabelle.And whenever Marvin thought about that competition, he still couldn't let it go."That day in the race, I could have beaten Kendrick if I didn't let off the gas. He wouldn't have dared to overtake me recklessly. But with you in the car, I was still afraid of any potential risks. Forget it, let's not talk about it."So that's how it was, Annabelle sighed inwardly, Kendrick was indeed a cunning old fox.At that time, they must have grasped Marvin's mentality, which ultimately led to their victory in the competition.However, any competition is not just about skills, but also about mental strength. Annabelle understands this principle as well.She snatched the beer from Marvin's hand and frowned, "With your current state, you still want to compete with Kendrick? I doubt
Seeing Marvin's humble attitude and his illness, Annabelle sighed inwardly and decided to temporarily let him off the hook and refrain from saying harsh words."Let's talk after you have recovered your health."After saying that, she walked out of the room.After receiving this reply, Marvin was stunned for two seconds, then he fell onto the bed and started to laugh happily, while tightly holding the prescription that Annabelle had just given him, pressing it against his chest.It seemed as if this way, one could experience Annabelle's love to the fullest.However, when Annabelle arrived downstairs, she realized that Lydia had already left, leaving only a note that said, "Anna, my friend had a heart attack, so I had to leave. I'll come back to pick you up before it gets dark, once everything is confirmed to be okay."Annabelle walked to the window and looked outside, feeling frustrated.Lush trees and winding mountain roads, she relie
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