The two continued walking for a while before Kendrick patiently said,“Someone like Ada—she apologized and admitted her mistake. Besides, you already got back at her when we were filming on the cruise. As long as she doesn’t cause you trouble again, I won’t waste my time paying attention to her.”Annabelle then asked, “What about Willie? I noticed your attitude toward him was quite good. Are you planning to work with him in the future?”Kendrick glanced at her and replied, “No. I was just being polite, considering he’s your best friend’s husband.”So that was it…Annabelle couldn’t help but smile. She found Kendrick both principled and deeply considerate.She had always been the type to hold grudges, knowing that showing weakness only invited more bullying.But Kendrick was different.He punished the cunning and the wicked, yet he also knew when to let things go.Like how he would fiercely deal with those who bullied her—but after that, he never pursued them to the point of no return.
Annabelle kept nagging at him as she hurried into the bedroom.Watching her retreating figure, her back completely soaked, Kendrick felt a dull ache in his heart.This foolish girl… He had carried her on his back so she wouldn’t get drenched in the rain, yet in the end, she was the one who got completely soaked.He hadn’t planned on telling her about his injuries. He figured he could just rest for a couple of days and recover on his own—no need to let her see it and scare her.But now that the secret was out, there was no point in hiding it anymore. He might as well enjoy the care of his little wife.In the bedroom, Annabelle rummaged through her suitcase and pulled out her small medical kit.Whenever she traveled far, she always carried one with her. She had almost left it behind this time, thinking she wouldn’t need it in the Maldives—but thankfully, she packed it in the end.Inside, she had her own specially formulated hemostatic powder, which was highly effective, along with other
Kendrick didn’t respond to her words. Instead, he simply wiped away her tears.Ryan was indeed a ruthless man. He had merely hidden that side of himself from her, showing her only his gentler facade.If she found out that the person she had trusted and admired so much was actually as terrifying as a demon, would her beliefs crumble? Would her trust in others shatter once again?Kendrick didn’t mind if she kept a special place in her heart for “Young Master.” But he couldn’t bear to let her discover a truth that would overturn everything she knew.And now, a new worry had surfaced—if he told her that Young Master was actually Ryan, would she naively try to confront him?The price of making a deal with the devil was something neither of them could afford, Anna…A thousand unspoken thoughts swirled in his mind, but he couldn’t voice any of them. Instead, he turned to gaze out the window.The night was pitch black, obscuring everything from view. Only the sound of the torrential rain and
Annabelle continued explaining that while repeated infections in the wound might not be immediately fatal, modern medical treatments could only slow down the deterioration.However, the wound would never fully heal. As the area of necrosis expanded, the pain would become unbearable, forcing the victim to rely on painkillers.Once the body developed a tolerance to painkillers, the relentless combination of pain and itching could drive a person insane.To endure such suffering, one might have to resort to stronger sedatives, and once dependency formed, they would be no different from an addict.Even then, the wound would continue to fester. Eventually, after prolonged drug abuse, the body would begin to collapse.This was a slow and cruel method of killing.As she spoke, she quickly wiped the back of her hand across her eyes, clearing her tear-blurred vision.Pointing at his wound, she told Kendrick that from the odor and the way the tissue was deteriorating, she could confirm that trac
Kendrick hadn’t used much force earlier. In fact, he could never bear to actually hurt her. He had only flicked her forehead as a small punishment for being too smug about her medical skills.After a brief pause, he asked, “Did Gauge do this?”Annabelle pouted and nodded. While disinfecting the small knife, she said, “He flicked my forehead, so I flicked his. But mine didn’t hurt, while his did—so I ended up with a lump. And when I was running, I even cut my foot…”So that was what happened!Kendrick was furious. His chest tightened, and he coughed violently.With each cough, blood seeped from his wound. Annabelle quickly patted his back to soothe him.“There’s no need to get so worked up—it was just playful teasing.”How could he not be worked up?!Kendrick thought, My precious little rabbit—how could I let just anyone flick her forehead like that?Just imagining the scene made his jealousy flare uncontrollably.Without hesitation, he grabbed his phone and called Jaime.“Cancel Gauge
“Alright…” Annabelle gritted her teeth and forced herself to carry on, carefully scraping away the necrotic flesh from Kendrick’s wound. To ensure it was thoroughly cleaned, she didn’t hold back.Kendrick never uttered another sound of pain after his initial reaction. While she focused entirely on treating him, he concentrated solely on her—watching her intently. Only by keeping his eyes on her could he distract himself from the pain.She truly had a strong stomach. To be able to handle such a gruesome wound…Or had she seen something even worse before?As he gazed at her delicate features, it was hard to imagine that she had once survived a fire. But he knew that behind her ear, there was a burn scar. Anna had told him that it was an oversight during her treatment—otherwise, it wouldn’t have scarred at all.She finished cleaning one wound, but there was still another. She needed a short break—and clearly, so did Kendrick.He had broken into a cold sweat, so Annabelle handed him a cup
After some time investigating Anna’s past, Kendrick had gathered more and more information.Though there was no concrete evidence, the pattern of her experiences pointed to a chilling conclusion—someone had been trying to kill her since she was just a child.But why?What kind of threat could a little girl possibly pose that warranted such ruthless attempts on her life?Kendrick had once suspected her parents, but while he could see their cold and calculating nature, there was no proof that they had tried to harm Anna—nor any apparent motive.“Are you ready to continue?” Annabelle asked.Kendrick nodded. “Alright.”He didn’t want to dwell on such a heavy topic anymore. There were still many questions he wanted to ask her, but he couldn’t bear to make her relive those painful memories.Anna continued treating his wound with extreme care. She went through three towels, completely soaking them in blood, and nearly an hour passed before she was done cleaning it.Afterward, she helped him
She couldn’t see his expression, only his voice as he said, “Miss Ellie, I understand your feelings, and I appreciate that you like me. But first, Anna and I will never break up. Second, I have no feelings for you, nor do I believe I ever will.”Annabelle: “…”Kendrick, aren’t you being a bit too ruthless?Sure enough, Ellie’s eyes turned red. She said, “It’s unlikely, but still possible, right?”“No,” Kendrick replied calmly. “That was just my polite way of putting it. If you insist on me spelling it out so clearly.”Anna nearly choked.His bluntness made her feel good, but… wasn’t he being a little too cruel?Ellie said, “Even if you don’t like me now, that’s okay. Feelings can develop over time. I just wanted to tell you—I won’t interfere in your relationship, but life is long. If one day you and Ms. Sanchez don’t end up together, I hope you’ll at least look my way.”Anna pressed her lips together.Saying things like that—wasn’t it basically cursing them to break up? How pointless.
Seeing who it was, Scott pressed his lips together in mild disinterest.“What is it?” He glanced at his younger brother, Julian.Julian smirked. “Figured you weren’t asleep yet. I couldn’t sleep either, so I thought I’d come have a smoke with you.”As he spoke, he pulled out a pack of cigarettes, handed one to his brother, then flicked open a lighter, lighting Scott’s cigarette before lighting his own. He took a slow drag.“Why did Julissa leave?”“Mm.”Scott’s posture was lazy, making it clear he had no intention of explaining.“Bro, are you serious? Still haven’t gotten the girl?”Scott frowned. “Did you come here just to talk nonsense?”“I told Mom and Dad that you’re dating.” Julian flicked off some ash with a grin.“I planned on telling them after getting the marriage certificate. You sure are quick to run your mouth.”Scott’s gaze was distant as he looked out the window.Back then, no matter how much he pleaded or tried to convince them otherwise, his parents had been determined
Julissa twitched the corner of her mouth. “Thanks, I guess.”It wasn’t like she had fought off some wild beast—just caught a cockroach. Did that really count as brave?Then she glanced at Yvette, who still looked pale and shaken. Suddenly, Julissa felt like a tomboy.She hadn’t been raised as a delicate, pampered lady and didn’t quite understand the refined way some women viewed the natural world.To her, she had simply disposed of a bug. If cockroaches weren’t such notorious pests with insane reproductive abilities, she might have even let it go.“How about we switch you to another room?” Scott suggested.Yvette hesitated before asking, “If a room hasn’t been used for a long time, isn’t it more likely to have cockroaches?”Julissa pressed her lips together. Oh, so what now? You want to stay in my boyfriend’s room? His is occupied often—probably no cockroaches there.Scott glanced at Julian, as if suggesting his younger brother switch rooms with Yvette.Julian looked troubled. “Bro, m
Julissa was completely under Scott’s control. She wavered, forgetting all of her mother’s warnings and her own principles.At some point, her dress had been pushed up to her waist, and her shoulder straps had slipped down her arms.The cool air on her exposed skin made her shiver, but the heat from Scott’s body pressed against hers made her burn. Just as she was about to give in entirely, a woman’s sharp scream pierced through the night.Both she and Scott froze, instinctively turning their heads toward the door.Scott let out a long sigh, clearly trying to rein himself in.Finally, he placed a gentle kiss on her cheek before getting out of bed.“I’ll go check.”He walked to the wardrobe, pulled out a fresh set of pajamas, and put them on quickly. As he reached the bedroom door, he turned back to ask the still-dazed Julissa, “Do you want to come with me?”Her senses snapped back into place. She hurriedly pulled her fallen shoulder straps back up and straightened her dress before noddi
Julissa closed her eyes for a moment. Even though she had expected this outcome, her heart still felt heavy.She steadied her emotions and continued asking, “Then… do you have a lot of experience?”Scott didn't know how to respond. Should he tell her that, at almost thirty, he had only ever been with one person—and that person was her?If she found out that, before they even knew each other, he had taken her to a hotel when she was drunk… Even though she had been very willing at the time, she had still been intoxicated. It could be considered taking advantage of her…What would she think of him if she knew? Would she see him as frivolous, reckless, even a bit predatory?Even if he explained that he hadn't known what came over him that night, that he had been utterly captivated by her and had been searching for her ever since—would she believe him?With a quiet sigh, he decided that no matter what, he hadn't handled that situation well. He didn't want to bring it up.“My experience is…
Scott was momentarily stunned, then chuckled. “So you were bothered by this?”“Why?”Seeing how determined she was to know, Scott decided to explain.“The pajamas Yvette wore were actually meant for you. The last time you got drunk and stayed over, there weren’t any suitable pajamas for you, so I thought I’d get you a couple of sets.”“You thought I would come back then?”Scott smiled slightly. “I figured you’d come to me sooner or later.”Julissa couldn’t help but feel her heart flutter at his confident and possessive words.But she quickly refocused on the main issue.“If they were meant for me, why did Yvette wear them?”Scott shrugged. “It was Julian who gave them to her. She came to Elfhedge in a hurry and forgot to pack pajamas.”This explanation eased Julissa’s mind a little.However, the clothes originally meant for her had ended up on another woman, so Scott shouldn’t be wearing the same set of pajamas.“You should take your clothes off,” Julissa said, her voice a little ster
Scott stood by the bed, dimming the bedside lamp before sitting down. He didn’t look at her, as if his earlier request was the most natural thing in the world.Julissa felt like she had been put under a spell. She obediently walked over with the blanket in her arms, placed it on a nearby chair, and sat on the edge of the bed, feeling incredibly restrained.A sudden realization hit her—wasn’t she just delivering herself straight into the big bad wolf’s den?Scott, however, didn’t do anything inappropriate. He simply scooted to the other side of the bed, making room for her, then lifted the blanket and patted the mattress.“Put your legs in.”“M… Mr. Nichols…” Julissa’s voice trembled as she stared at him, feeling so nervous she could cry.Wasn’t this just her voluntarily crawling into his bed?!Scott glanced at her bare legs and chuckled. “I’m just worried you’re cold.”She was wearing a nightdress, and she was feeling chilly.But the real question was—if she got into his bed, could sh
The thought that Scott might be a seasoned flirt—that everything he had said and done to her, he had also done to other women—made Julissa’s heart sink. She lowered her head, feeling a pang of sourness in her chest.But it was already late. She didn’t dwell on it any longer, quickly drying her hair before getting into bed.No matter what, the sun would still rise tomorrow. She had work, she needed to earn money to support herself, and she had to find a new place and move out…With so much to do the next day, she forced herself to stop overthinking and shut her eyes, willing herself to sleep.However, after lying there for a while, not only did sleep evade her, but she became more awake—because it was just too cold.The blanket she had was way too thin. It was basically a summer quilt!The weather wasn’t warm enough for something this light. Did Scott not have common sense? Was he bad at taking care of people? Or… did he do this on purpose?She tried to endure it, but the cold seeped t
Scott responded casually, “So? Do you need me to carry you out again?”Julissa’s face heated up. Sometimes, Mr. Nichols is really so… improper.This also confirmed one thing—this guy was definitely the reserved-but-secretly-wild type, and his desire seemed very strong.How do you deal with a man like that? Simple—flirt with him, tease him, but never let him have his way! lol…The corners of Julissa’s mouth curled into a mischievous smile. She was starting to feel more like a seductive villainess.She cleared her throat and said, “That’s not what I meant. I just wanted you to hand me my clothes.”As soon as she finished speaking, Scott pushed open the door and entered, holding a set of her sleepwear.Julissa had already hidden herself beneath the water, only her delicate collarbones visible above the surface—one of her proudest features.She pointed to the chair beside her and, blushing, said, “Mr. Nichols, just leave them there.”But instead of placing the clothes down, Scott caught h
“That’s enough, Mr. Nichols,” she interrupted him. “I don’t need all those complicated settings.”“Alright, then. You go ahead and wash up. Call me if you need anything.”Julissa nodded silently. If something went wrong halfway through her bath, could she actually call him in?Some rather colorful images flashed through her mind—doing this and that in the bathroom…She quickly shook her head, feeling like she was beyond saving.Scott didn’t say anything more and turned to leave the bathroom.Suddenly, a thought struck Julissa, and she quickly called after him. “Mr. Nichols, my luggage is still downstairs!”“I’ll go get it now. You just take your bath.”“The main thing is… my change of clothes is in my suitcase…”Scott paused for a moment. “I’ll bring it up for you.”Julissa wanted to ask him, How do you even know what I’ll wear? But before she could, he had already left the bathroom. She decided not to overthink it and just let him handle it.Once the bathtub was filled, Julissa slipp