“He has something personal to take care of today. He’ll be off the island for the day and back tonight,” Kendrick said.Annabelle nodded and didn’t ask any further. Jax had done this before—when he wasn’t needed, he would go off to handle his own affairs.As for what those affairs were, Kendrick never seemed to ask, so Annabelle didn’t think too much about it either.Still, she couldn’t help but recall Jax’s past and wonder whether those enemies who had once hunted him were still active.“Let’s go eat.”Kendrick took her hand and led her toward the dining area, explaining their plans for the day as they walked.“After breakfast, we’ll take Little Yellow Dog for a walk. Then at noon, we’ll visit the old butler who hosted you last time. I’ve already let him know you’re coming—he was very happy to hear it…”Annabelle thought his arrangements were perfect. All she had to do was nod and say okay.“Since you don’t have any filming today, I won’t make you stick with the crew. No objections?”
If she went over now, Kendrick might come ashore at any moment, interrupting her plan.But if she waited too long, they might leave together or stay glued to each other the entire time, and then she’d have no chance at all.As the woman hesitated, Kendrick stepped onto the shore.She watched as he walked over to Annabelle. The two seemed to be planning to rest under the umbrella for a while.She bit her straw in frustration, then set down her empty cup and turned away from the beach.A moment later, she bought another iced drink. Just as she stepped out of the shop, she spotted Kendrick and another man leaving the beach and heading into a bar.Judging from their interaction, she quickly made an assessment.It seemed Kendrick had run into a business acquaintance on the island, and they had gone to discuss work. Annabelle hadn’t joined them—either because she wasn’t interested or because Kendrick didn’t want her to.Either way, she was now alone and completely out of Kendrick’s line of
Aside from the group of girls, there were also other people nearby watching the scene unfold. Although the crowd wasn’t huge, there were still about a dozen onlookers, both men and women.Watching drama had no borders…Especially when it involved two stunning women in a dispute—it naturally drew attention. Some were genuinely curious about the argument, while others were just taking the opportunity to admire long legs and tiny waists.Annabelle knew by now that her peaceful rest was out of the question. More than that, this was becoming troublesome.She draped a shawl over her shoulders and stood up, intending to find Kendrick.But the woman in the red bikini stepped in front of her, blocking her path.Annabelle glared at her. “I didn’t take anything of yours. Move.”She attempted to sidestep and go around her, but the other girls had already closed in, surrounding her.The woman in the red bikini smirked. “Steal something and think you can just walk away? You’re not going anywhere un
Annabelle took out her phone, intending to call Kendrick, but before she could, a girl behind her swiftly snatched it away.“Hurry up and let our handsome guy search you. As long as you're innocent, we’ll let you go immediately,” the girl said.The man touched the corner of his mouth and took a step forward. “Beauty, I’ll be gentle.”As he spoke, he reached out towards Annabelle’s chest.Annabelle instinctively stepped back, but her foot caught on a chair, causing her to lose balance and fall backward.At the same time, the man extended his hand as if to catch her but then let it drop.Just as Annabelle thought she was about to hit the ground, she instead landed against a firm chest. A pair of strong hands held her shoulders.“Anna.”A deep and gentle voice sounded behind her.The moment Annabelle heard that familiar voice, she turned around in surprise. She hadn’t expected to run into Marvin here!How small the world was...“What are you doing here?”“I heard you were here filming a
Annabelle was utterly speechless and couldn’t help but laugh.Marvin actually said something like that?“Anna…”“A body search is a body search—what’s this nonsense about checking while I change clothes?” she said sharply.This was her fundamental right, and it was her bottom line. No matter what others said, she would stand her ground.Marvin sighed and said in a low voice, “Anna, it’s not that big of a deal. You’re both girls, just changing clothes together. Otherwise, people will talk.”Being in the entertainment industry, Marvin knew all too well how terrifying rumors and gossip could be.He was worried that these young models would spread stories when they returned home. They all had fans and public influence.He trusted that Anna hadn’t taken anything, but would these models’ fans believe that?And what about people who didn’t know Anna personally?They might look down on her just because she came from the mountains, assuming she lacked integrity.If she insisted on proving her
The marketing director had taken advantage of Ada multiple times. She thought that meant the deal was sealed, but in the end, her contract still wasn’t renewed.She was a top model with a spotless reputation and had worked diligently on endorsements for the past six months. So why was she so easily replaced by Annabelle?Ada had done her research on Annabelle. Aside from her beauty, there wasn’t anything particularly special about her. She wasn’t a professional model or actress, nor did she come from a prominent family. The only reason her status had skyrocketed was because she married Kendrick.The more Ada thought about it, the angrier she became. Her mind was racing—she was determined to humiliate Annabelle.If only Marvin weren’t here. Then, when her friend searched Annabelle, the missing watch could be conveniently "discovered" in her clothing.Ray was a skilled magician—this kind of trick would have been effortless for him.But with Marvin present, Ray couldn’t make his move eas
As soon as those words were spoken, everyone’s gaze shifted to the shawl draped over Annabelle’s shoulders—even she looked down at it in surprise.This was something Fabian had given her a long time ago.Fabian was a world-renowned designer. Annabelle knew the shawl was his creation, but she had no idea it was so expensive.Back then, when she was still living in the mountains, Fabian had visited her, bringing two shawls. One he gave to her, and the other he gifted to a woman who often came to see Annabelle for medical treatment. Fabian had met that woman through her and enjoyed chatting with the two of them.If nothing else, this scarf alone showed that Fabian was a pretty decent guy…However, Annabelle was surprised that a man like Mr. Crooks—who had the air of a nouveau riche—could actually recognize its worth.Ada’s lips twitched as she stared at the shawl.Mr. Crooks wouldn’t say something like that without reason. Comparing the two, her so-called six-figure watch instantly felt
An Susie was once one of Annabelle’s patients. However, by the time she sought treatment, she was already in the late stages of breast cancer. She knew she was beyond saving, so she never expected Annabelle to cure her. All she wanted was pain relief—to improve her quality of life for the last two months before her passing.Back then, Fabian had gifted two scarves. The other one had gone to Sister Susie—almost identical to the one Annabelle had, differing only in color and pattern.That must have been why Willie recognized the scarf she was wearing.During Susie’s treatment, she often spoke about her husband, describing him as a self-made businessman. She mentioned that they had come from a rural background and that he had endured hardships but always treated her well…“Hello, Mr. Crooks.”Annabelle heard herself speak in a dry, somewhat unnatural tone.She simply couldn’t reconcile the loving husband Susie had described with the man standing in front of her.Willie extended a polite
Scott had already made his selection. He picked up two boxes, placed them into the shopping cart, and then walked toward her.Julissa's lips twitched slightly.Hadn't Mr. Nichols just said at home that there was no rush, that it was fine to take things slow? So why was he now picking out condoms… and taking two boxes at that?Her heart started racing again as her mind wandered to certain unspeakable thoughts. She quickly shook her head, trying to clear away the chaotic images.Scott was already standing in front of her, his expression as calm as ever. He even took the items she had just picked out from her hands and placed them into the cart.“Are we about done with the shopping?”Julissa nodded and silently followed him for a couple of steps before hesitating. She reached out and stopped the shopping cart, causing them both to halt in place.“What is it?” Scott asked.“This… isn’t really necessary, is it?”Her palms were sweating. She pinched the box lightly between her fingers, as i
Being held so tightly by him, Julissa felt flustered. She mumbled, “How can you just say ‘not going hungry’? That’s just the basic survival standard! We need to eat well…”"We," Scott repeated her words, a teasing smile playing at the corners of his lips as he leaned in closer. “So, you’ve thought about living with me?”Julissa blinked at the man so close to her.Inside her mind, a voice was screaming.His voice, his gaze, that dangerously handsome face—it was all shaking her already weak resolve.She wanted to tell him: Not only have I thought about living with you, I’ve even thought about how many kids we’d have…Beep—The fridge let out a loud warning sound, alerting them that the door had been open for too long.The noise snapped Julissa back to her senses. She quickly slipped out of Scott’s arms, shut the fridge door, and felt her face burning.“You… go wait outside. It’ll be ready soon.” She didn’t even dare to look up at him as she spoke.Scott stepped out of the kitchen as she
Scott straightened up, and Julissa, still feeling anxious, sat up as well."Are you… mad?" she asked hesitantly.Scott glanced at her.He wasn’t angry, but he did look disappointed—heartbroken, even.That look made Julissa feel so guilty that she almost wanted to take back her words and let him continue what he was doing…She tugged at his sleeve. "Mr. Nichols, can you give me a little more time?"Scott gently stroked her cheek, his gaze filled with tenderness."Maybe you still don’t believe we’ll last, but that’s okay. I’ll slowly make you believe."His words stunned Julissa for a few seconds.Then, she opened her arms, wrapped them around his neck, and threw herself into his embrace.There was nothing more touching than the promise of a future together.And nothing more considerate than the phrase take your time.Scott’s hand stroked her back, and Julissa felt an overwhelming sense of comfort and security in his arms.He smelled fresh and clean, and right now, he was her boyfriend—s
Although Julissa's mother liked Scott as a person, she still found it hard to believe that such a high-status man would genuinely date Julissa.It felt unrealistic and unstable.Their family wasn’t rich or powerful, and they weren’t the kind of people who would eagerly throw their daughter at a wealthy man just because of his status.In fact, the better Scott’s conditions seemed, the more cautious they became.On this, both Father and Julissa's mother were in full agreement: their precious daughter must be given to someone who sincerely cherished her—someone truly outstanding and driven.Money and status were just illusions. Scott needed further observation.Even though Julissa's mother wasn’t particularly old-fashioned, she still worried that her daughter might suffer losses in certain aspects, which was why she kept reminding her.Hearing this, Julissa immediately covered her face.“Mom! What are you even thinking…? We haven’t! And we won’t do that kind of thing!”Julissa's mother s
Over the years, Kendrick had grown accustomed to living under constant threats. Apart from Ryan, many others wanted him dead.If he lived in fear every day, he wouldn’t have needed an assassin to kill him—he would have scared himself to death long ago.“Go handle your work.”“Yes, Boss.”After Jax left, Kendrick fell into deep thought.It made sense that Ryan would try to assassinate him to fight for Anna.But what puzzled him the most was that Ryan had started planning these assassinations before Anna married him.No matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t figure out what grudge existed between them that made Ryan so determined to eliminate him.This mystery had been bothering him for a long time. And solving it might be the key to ending their deadly feud.—Meanwhile, Annabelle was enduring the “devil training” of Teacher Maria.It was tough and painful, but she never once considered giving up.No matter how much it hurt, as long as she wasn’t dead, she would keep training. No room f
Annabelle shot Kendrick a glare.Not only had he just implied that Marvin was idle and carefree, but he had also mocked him for being single.Mr. Gregory, that was too harsh.Marvin, however, merely smiled. “Since my dear brother needs it so much, you should have it. Just be careful not to overdo it—too much of a good thing can be harmful.”With that, he released his chopsticks.Annabelle sighed inwardly.Seems like this one isn’t exactly kind-hearted either.Feeling the need to clear things up, she decided to speak on Kendrick’s behalf.She didn’t want people thinking she was like those imperial concubines who supposedly drained their emperors with excessive indulgence.Besides, Kendrick was not weak…She said earnestly, “I only made this for him because he’s been working so hard lately. I can’t help him with anything else, but at least I can take care of his nutrition. Don’t worry—his health is just fine.”Kendrick smiled and picked up the sea cucumber, chewing it slowly.Good, he t
Marvin took a bite of the food and remarked, “Anna, your cooking is really good.” Annabelle smiled. “I’m actually not very skilled at cooking.” “It’s already very impressive,” Marvin praised sincerely. She glanced at Kendrick and noticed that the sly fox was still smiling, though it was obvious that he was extremely displeased. Well, whose fault is that? You were the one who started talking unnecessarily, Annabelle thought, feeling no sympathy for him. The meal continued in silence. Though everything seemed peaceful, Annabelle felt a little awkward. Looking at Marvin—her ex-fiancé. Then at Kendrick—her current husband. And these two just happened to be brothers. It wasn’t just outsiders who would find their situation intriguing; even those involved couldn’t help but marvel at fate’s sense of humor. Despite their hidden agendas, the two men were sitting down for a meal together. She really didn’t understand the way men’s minds worked. Instead of dwelling on it, she focused
When their eyes met, both Annabelle and Marvin were momentarily stunned.Marvin then stepped closer and glanced at the lunch bag in her hand. “Bringing food for Kendrick?”Since their last meeting in the Maldives, they hadn’t seen each other again.Marvin had heard that she had left for a while and later returned.He had wanted to check in on her but was afraid of bothering her, leaving him conflicted for days.Now, having run into her by chance, his heart felt a small surge of joy.Annabelle smiled at him and nodded. “Are you working from here today?”“Mm.”Marvin stared at her, lost in thought.He liked the way she spoke to him so calmly, but at the same time, he felt a hint of sadness.Is it because she neither dislikes nor likes me that she can greet me so indifferently?He even suspected that she spoke to the company’s security guards with the same level of warmth.Suppressing the tinge of disappointment in his heart, Marvin said, “I need to see him too. Let’s go up together.”Wi
The three senior executives—all men—exchanged glances upon hearing the woman's cry from the president’s private lounge.A woman's voice… coming from the president’s resting area!Who else could it be? It must be the little wife their president cherished so dearly.“Give me a moment,” Kendrick said as he stood up.The three executives immediately responded, “Of course, President, take your time. We’re in no hurry.”As Kendrick entered the lounge, the three men outside kept their expressions neutral, but their ears were perked up, listening intently.Inside, Kendrick asked, “What’s wrong?”A pitiful voice replied, “My legs hurt even more now…”He continued, “Can you get out of bed?”The little woman whined, “Not really… I need a moment…”Outside, the three men exchanged looks—one shaking his head, another stifling a laugh, and the third feeling oddly sentimental.President, you’re too much… You’ve completely worn her out to the point she can’t even get out of bed!Must be nice to have t