Annabelle's heart sank. It seemed they had encountered robbers, though she hadn't expected such audacity in broad daylight.She exchanged a glance with Uncle Trey, who said calmly, "Don't panic. If they're just after money, we have nothing to fear."Annabelle nodded, slowing down the car and coming to a halt a short distance from the barricade.Seven or eight men swaggered toward them. Leading the group was a buzz-cut man spinning a knife in his hand, seemingly their leader. The others wielded long metal rods.The men quickly surrounded Annabelle's car. The buzz-cut man rapped on the window and gestured for her to get out."Step out for a chat, beautiful," he sneered.Uncle Trey immediately warned, "Don't listen to him."Annabelle had no intention of complying. Getting out would put her at a severe disadvantage. Instead, she lowered the window just enough to hear what they wanted."Not getting out? Fine!" The buzz-cut man signaled one of his men, who lifted his metal rod and slammed i
Annabelle nodded. "Uncle Trey, be careful.""Don't worry," Uncle Trey replied calmly, stepping out of the car.Though Annabelle trusted his experience in handling emergencies, her heart remained tightly clenched. The men outside were young and numerous, while Uncle Trey was older and alone. If things turned violent, the odds were against him.As soon as Uncle Trey exited the vehicle, Annabelle quickly grabbed her phone to call Kendrick.But before she could dial, a pained cry echoed through the air. Startled, her hands trembled, nearly dropping the phone.She looked through the rearview mirror and saw Uncle Trey on one knee, clutching his leg. One of the thugs had struck him with an iron rod.Fear gripped her chest, but she forced herself to stay calm. Gritting her teeth, she completed the call.The line connected."Back already?" Kendrick's reassuring voice came through, but this time it did nothing to ease her panic.No matter how capable Kendrick was, he couldn't fly to her side in
Annabelle's mind raced as she quickly calculated her options. She needed to think fast and find a way out of this dangerous situation. She took a deep breath to steady herself and then spoke firmly, "If you hurt me today, you'll be in prison by tomorrow. And guess what? You'll end up just like your brother, with your balls smashed. Kendrick won't spare a single one of you. Is it really worth dragging so many people down just for revenge?"The buzz-cut man scoffed, his lips twitching as if he were suppressing something, then burst into laughter. His lackeys followed suit, cackling like a pack of unruly hyenas.She knew she had struck a nerve. The laughter was just a cover for his unease.They weren't oblivious to the danger of crossing someone like Kendrick. They had likely acted on impulse, blinded by their thirst for revenge. Annabelle could see the hesitation in their eyes, the uncertainty that came from knowing they were treading on dangerous ground.One thing Annabelle couldn't fig
Annabelle had been waiting for the perfect moment, and it finally arrived in the second half of the race. The car ahead of her, a powerful GT-R, mishandled a sharp curve. The driver, overconfident in his vehicle's speed, was forced to slam on the brakes to avoid careening off the mountain. Annabelle knew this curve intimately; she had driven it countless times and knew every nuance of the road.Timing her move perfectly, Annabelle slammed on the brakes, twisted the steering wheel sharply, and executed a flawless drift around the bend. Her car, a sturdy but unassuming sedan, handled the maneuver with surprising agility. As she completed the drift, she overtook the GT-R, leaving its driver in her dust.She exhaled in relief, patting the steering wheel as though thanking her trusty little sedan for holding up under such intense pressure. Such a drift was taxing on any car, especially one not designed for racing. Yet her car’s tires held firm, and it remained intact, a testament to its du
Annabelle glanced behind her. The dark valley below loomed like a bottomless abyss.With her decision to jump made, she took a deep breath, her heart growing unexpectedly calm.Life was fleeting, and though there were many things she wasn’t ready to let go of, she understood that every meeting would eventually end — whether by separation or death.She had tasted the bitterness and sweetness of life. And in the last few months, she had experienced warmth and joy with Kendrick — a happiness she never knew before.Thinking of that, she felt a strange sense of peace. If this was where it all ended, then she would simply part ways with him a little earlier than expected.But just as she braced herself to leap, her gaze caught a flicker of light far down the winding mountain road. Headlights.A car was coming.Could it be Kendrick?Hope rekindled in Annabelle’s heart. She couldn't give up. Not yet."Don't come any closer!" she warned the buzz-cut man. "If you do, I'll jump!"He burst into l
It was the young master!Annabelle felt a wave of surprise and joy. She struggled to open her eyes, catching a glimpse of his handsome profile.Yes, she was saved.And the one who saved her was the young master.Why was he here? Did he come specifically for her, or was it just a coincidence? Annabelle didn't know. All she knew was the overwhelming sense of relief that washed over her.The young master lowered his gaze slightly, looking at her. A faint smile played on his lips, a mix of pain and relief, as though he was grateful to have her back in his arms.But his next words sent a chill through her body."The one who injured Anna — cut off his hand.""Yes, Young Master," a subordinate responded coldly.It was the first time Annabelle realized that the young master wasn't just a gentle and elegant man. There was a terrifying side to him as well. He could be ruthless.The unfamiliarity of this side of him frightened her. But before she could dwell on it, the pain in her head pulled he
Ryan descended the stairs, but suddenly halted, turning to Dereon."I asked you to remove all the electronic clocks here. Did you handle it?""Yes, Young Master. All the clocks have been dealt with, and I replaced them with a tear-off calendar as per your instructions."Ryan nodded. "Good. You may leave now. Also, I’ll be arriving at the company a bit later tomorrow.""Understood."It wasn’t hard to guess why the young master would be late. He wanted to stay with Annabelle.Dereon's frustration grew. How could the young master afford to linger in personal affairs when he was still in the middle of a crisis?Unable to hold back, Dereon spoke up, "Young Master, aren’t you doing too much for Ms. Sanchez?"Ryan's gaze turned icy. "So, your injured finger has healed already?"Dereon stiffened, silenced instantly.He had willingly taken the blame for Seraphina and faced punishment, losing a finger. But it was all for the young master’s protection!"Ah Mang, I know you mean well," Ryan said
Hearing the name Ryan, Kendrick's brow furrowed, and his face darkened.If Ryan had taken Annabelle away, it meant she had been rescued. That was undoubtedly good news, yet it was also Kendrick’s greatest fear. Ryan would never easily let her go once he had her in his grasp.Kendrick couldn't shake the suspicion that this entire incident had been orchestrated by Ryan. Otherwise, how could he have appeared so conveniently and whisked Annabelle away?And then there were the peculiar circumstances surrounding Kendrick’s own journey. From the moment he received Anna’s distress call, he immediately set off with Jax and several bodyguards. Yet, on the way, they encountered a series of inexplicable obstacles—traffic accidents, road construction, and even a suspicious old man who threw himself in front of their car.Individually, these incidents might seem coincidental, but together, they painted a different picture. Kendrick could no longer dismiss the possibility that they were deliberate a
Annabelle had fallen asleep on the desk.Kendrick walked over, just about to tease her—So this is how Anna helps lighten my workload?But as he lowered his head, he noticed the notes she had written on paper.It was her analysis of the reports—well-organized and clear. She hadn’t had the chance to compile them into a digital format before sleepiness took over.The last line was scrawled slightly crookedly, unintentionally adorable.Kendrick gently picked her up in his arms. Annabelle groggily opened her eyes and mumbled, “I just need to finish up the last part…”“I saw it. You did a great job. Get some rest—I’ll wake you when it’s time for lunch.”“Okay…” she murmured before drifting back to sleep.Kendrick knew she hadn’t gotten much sleep the night before.Just yesterday, she had gone hiking, gotten poisoned, and then… well, he had kept her up even longer that night. No wonder she was exhausted now.He was feeling a little drained himself, so he lay beside her for about ten minutes,
Annabelle hesitated for a moment but continued speaking.She proposed another solution: inviting financially capable friends to purchase multiple units as an investment. Of course, they would need to be given significant discounts to ensure that they actually profited in the future—otherwise, it would just be exploiting friendships, which wouldn’t be right.Once these purchases were made, the sales team could spread the word. Ordinary buyers tended to follow trends—if they saw wealthy investors buying in, they would assume the property’s value was bound to increase. This would encourage more people to purchase units.However, this method didn’t seem entirely aboveboard, and it involved selling at a loss to generate hype. That’s why Anna felt it should be used cautiously.Kendrick listened attentively and nodded seriously. “Anna makes a good point.”“Hey, Kendrick!”Annabelle had a feeling that whenever this man praised her with such a serious expression, he was secretly thinking she w
Annabelle had a poor appetite and didn’t finish her bowl of dumplings, leaving half behind. But Kendrick ate the rest without hesitation.After breakfast, Anna didn’t say she was leaving, and Kendrick didn’t ask.He handed her a couple of magazines she might find interesting and then went about his business.Of course, he could tell—she didn’t want to leave. So, he let her be.After all, the little woman sat there quietly, not disturbing him in the slightest. On the contrary, her presence made him even more motivated to work.After some time, he glanced at her again and found that the magazine on her lap had remained open on the same page. She hadn’t turned it for a long time, lost in thought, her expression troubled.Was she worrying about him?Kendrick chuckled softly. Having a young girl worry about his business—was this a sign of his failure, or his good fortune?In reality, he had already survived the darkest times and had a chance to rise again.The only reason he remained so te
"The Madam is here!"Jaime was even more excited than her own husband when he saw Annabelle suddenly appear.Annabelle smiled and greeted him, "Hi, Jaime, long time no see."Jaime wanted to chat more, but one glance at his boss's expression made him realize he might have been too enthusiastic. Quickly sensing the situation, he made an excuse about having work to do and slipped out of the office.Annabelle had originally wanted to tell them to go ahead with their work and that she could wait to have breakfast together once they were done. But before she could say a word, Jaime had already made his escape.Kendrick stepped in front of her and lightly tapped her nose. "Weren't you exhausted last night? How come you're up so early?"Annabelle instantly knew he was trying to tease her with some suggestive remarks again. She shot him a glare and ignored the bait."Maybe I’ve just slept too much these past few days. Have you had breakfast yet?""Haven't had the chance. Did you come all the w
After chatting for a while longer, Annabelle soon couldn’t keep her eyes open. She lay against Kendrick’s chest, her breathing turning slow and even.Kendrick gently cradled her, carefully placing her head on the pillow and tucking her in before reaching for his phone.He sent a message to Jaime, letting him know that he wouldn’t be returning to the office tonight. He would be there early in the morning and advised Jaime to pause his work for the night, get some proper rest, and be ready to discuss projects the next day.After that, Kendrick lay down beside Anna and got a solid three hours of sleep. At exactly 4 AM, he woke up naturally—no alarm needed.With the company’s affairs weighing on his mind, sleeping in simply wasn’t an option.Moving quietly, he kissed Anna’s forehead before slipping out of bed and getting dressed.Just as he was leaving the bedroom, Coco, the little night owl of a cat, sauntered in, completely ignoring him. The fluffy creature leapt onto the bed, curled up
Hearing the rare, flattering way Annabelle explained things to him, Kendrick decided to let go of the whole “older man” thing.Then, he turned the conversation back to the video she recorded.Kendrick admitted that he hadn’t had time to deal with that real estate project lately, but her discovery was incredibly useful. He planned to send people to investigate and gather evidence the next day, then bring in media reporters to create buzz. This should help restore the Gregory Group’s reputation.Once consumer trust was rebuilt, sales for the second and third phases of the development should improve.After explaining his plan, he couldn’t resist kissing the little woman. “Thanks for your hard work, wifey.”Annabelle’s lips curled up happily. As long as she could help him, all the trouble tonight was worth it.“Now, tell me,” Kendrick adjusted his posture, looking into her eyes. “Why were you gone for so many days?”Annabelle carefully explained that when the young master rescued her, she
Kendrick’s fingers froze. He lowered his gaze to the little woman lying on his chest.“You two went where?”Did he hear that right?Otherwise, why would she and Gauge go to a short-term rental?Annabelle lifted her head and glanced at him. His expression was sour, filled with disbelief. It made her want to laugh, but she held back.“You really don’t trust me that much?”Kendrick let out a cold snort and pulled her tighter into his embrace. “It’s not you I don’t trust—it’s Gauge.”That kid might not seem like a schemer, but when a man is in front of the woman he likes, he can grow bad intentions out of nowhere.Who knew if Gauge would try to trick Anna into something…Seeing his face darken, Annabelle quickly said, “Don’t get worked up yet. I have something to show you.”She sat up, glanced around, and realized she had no clothes nearby. So, she grabbed Kendrick’s shirt from the floor and slipped it on before looking for her phone.Earlier, he had kissed her all the way into the bedroo
Annabelle was well aware that the man on top of her was feeling a mix of heartache and jealousy. She could sense the turmoil within him, the way his emotions were a tangled web of pain and possessiveness. Or perhaps, it was more than just jealousy—he was hurt. While he had been carrying an immense burden and fighting alone, she had been out enjoying a spring outing with another man.Putting herself in his shoes, Annabelle felt a wave of guilt wash over her. And yet, despite everything, he still couldn't bear to blame her. He said he understood everything and was willing to trust her. His words were a balm to her soul, but they also made her feel even more for Kendrick. The depth of his understanding and trust only deepened her feelings for him.She needed to explain things clearly. She had lost track of time over the past few days, which was why she hadn't realized all that he had been going through. And as for the young master, there were no romantic feelings between them.“It’s not
Annabelle stopped crying and stared at him blankly. “Why don’t you ask me why I didn’t call you afterward?” Kendrick cupped her face and kissed away her tears. “I wanted to ask, but the moment I saw you cry, my heart shattered. All I wanted was to hold you.” Her cheeks were still stained with tears, but upon hearing his words, she pressed her lips together and smiled. “Fool.” Kendrick gently pinched the tip of her nose. There were a thousand words left unspoken. The days of anxiety and torment disappeared the moment he saw her. Right now, Kendrick didn’t want to say anything. He just wanted to look at her. To make sure he wasn’t dreaming. To confirm that she was truly here. “Oh, I heard about the company. I was really worried about you.” Anna spoke with a nasal tone, her eyes filled with concern. Kendrick smiled at her. “I’m fine. You don’t have to worry.” She pursed her lips again. “I can explain why I didn’t contact you these past few days.” Kendrick realized he didn’t bla