Annabelle’s phone was locked with a passcode, and she always assumed he didn’t know it.There was a time when she had been doodling on her phone screen, giggling mischievously. Kendrick, intrigued by her suspicious smile, tried to sneak a peek. But she quickly turned off the screen and refused to let him see anything.Not one to back down, Kendrick snatched the phone from her hands. She jumped up, desperately trying to grab it back, but he easily held it above his head, completely out of her reach. She tugged at his shoulders, bouncing to retrieve it, but it was no use.With one arm wrapped around her waist, he held her tightly while unlocking the phone. However, the screen immediately prompted for the passcode.The little woman grinned triumphantly, laughing as she teased, “There’s a password! Give up already!”Kendrick smirked, considering for a moment whether to try guessing the code. But in the end, he handed the phone back to her.He figured he’d just wait until she went to showe
A gentle hand cupped her chin, carefully avoiding the wounds on her face. Then, with a soft grip on her shoulder, it guided her back into a lying position.Annabelle felt an itch on her face and instinctively reached up to scratch it.The hand swiftly caught her wrist, and a soothing male voice whispered into her ear, “If you don’t want a scar, don’t scratch.”Her mind, still foggy from sleep, registered the familiar voice. For a moment, she was bewildered.Why did it sound like the young master? Was she dreaming about him?She was too tired to think clearly. The fragments of her memories tangled together like a chaotic whirlpool, pulling her deeper into her slumber. The more she tried to wake up, the further she sank into the dream.As her breathing slowed into a steady rhythm, Ryan brushed his lips softly against her forehead, his fingers trailing gently along her cheek.He then lay down beside her, his eyes fixed on her face.The mirror on the nightstand reflected his image — a fac
At that moment, a knock came from outside the room.Ryan's hand paused mid-air, his voice turning cold. "Who is it?""It's me, Young Master," Seraphina's calm and composed voice answered. "The company sent over some urgent documents requiring your approval."Retracting his hand, Ryan gave Annabelle one last lingering glance before getting out of bed. "Come in."Seraphina entered without glancing around, walking directly to her young master and handing him the documents.Ryan took them, settling on the side table at the foot of the bed, quickly scanning through the pages.Meanwhile, Seraphina stole a subtle glance toward the sleeping Annabelle. She immediately noticed the undone button on her pajamas and the slight indentations on the mattress beside her, indicating that someone had lain there.She lowered her gaze, her heart heavy with realization.Last night, the young master had instructed her to help Ms. Sanchez change her clothes. She had assumed that nothing further had happened.
Annabelle stared at Young Master, momentarily lost in disbelief.It had been so long since she'd seen him, and barely even a glimpse of him during the day. Yet now, he stood right in front of her, in his own home.He set the tray of food on the table, walked over to the balcony, and gently ruffled her hair with a smile. “What’s wrong? Gone silly?”Snapping back to reality, Annabelle murmured, “Young Master… thank you for last night.”Ryan paused for a moment. Though it wasn’t technically “last night” but the night before last, he didn’t correct her.He preferred it this way — if she believed she had only been with him for a short time, she might not feel the urgency to leave. It would buy him time — time to deal with Kendrick once and for all.Once Kendrick was out of the picture, Annabelle would have no choice but to stay by his side.Smiling, Ryan said softly, “There’s no need to thank me. Come on, come inside and have something to eat.”Annabelle obediently followed him, sitting at
The Young Master seemed to notice Annabelle's embarrassment and calmly explained, “Your clothes were changed by Seraphina. Your jacket isn’t dry yet, so wear what I’ve prepared for you.”Annabelle breathed a sigh of relief, quickly accepting the clothes. She changed in the dressing room, then followed the Young Master out the door.He drove while she sat in the passenger seat.Although it had been years since they had sat so close, and she had rarely seen him during the day, Annabelle didn’t feel unfamiliar with him.To her, the Young Master still felt as warm and familiar as before.She wanted to catch up with him, but there was no time for small talk. Her mind was consumed with worry for Uncle Trey.They soon arrived at the scene of the incident. Annabelle immediately noticed her little white car was gone, and the road had been completely cleared.Looking toward the deep valley below, she shivered at the sight. It was terrifyingly steep, and the memory of standing at the edge last n
Annabelle turned to the Young Master. “Why not?”“You’re still injured. I’d like to help you with your recovery for a few days. Once you’re fully healed, I’ll let you go.”Annabelle opened her mouth to protest, but before she could say anything, the Young Master interrupted her.“And the wound on your face is quite tricky. It’s a bit deep, and your skin is delicate. I’d prefer to treat it myself for a couple of days until it stabilizes. You wouldn’t want it to leave a scar, would you?”She certainly didn’t want a scar, but…“Maybe you could just tell me how to take care of it myself, and I’ll handle it.”The Young Master let out a faint, bitter smile. “To be honest, I just want you to stay a little longer. I happen to have some free time, and I’ll be staying here in the mountains for a while. Anna, why don’t you stay for two more days and make it up to me for missing my birthday?”Annabelle hesitated. The Young Master had saved her and now wanted to help her recover. If she insisted o
When the phone rang, Kendrick was still working overtime at the office.It had been three days since Anna left him. With no news from her, his frustration was reaching its limit. The only way to keep himself from dwelling on it was to immerse himself in work.Because the moment he stopped, his thoughts would run wild — Where was she? How was she? If she was unharmed, she would have called him by now.She wouldn’t just forget him. Anna wasn’t that kind of person.But no matter how much he tried to convince himself, endless scenarios played out in his mind. Maybe Ryan had imprisoned her. Maybe her injuries were severe, and she hadn’t regained consciousness. Or, worst of all — maybe she had changed her heart, erasing the moments they shared together.Perhaps she had simply returned to the man she once admired and adored. And Kendrick? He was nothing more than a fleeting chapter in her long life.These tormenting thoughts consumed him daily. Working was his only escape.His phone buzzed o
"Kendrick? Why aren’t you saying anything? What happened to Uncle Trey?""He’s fine. Out of danger now."Kendrick’s voice was hoarse. He wished he could leap through the phone signal, grab her by her little rabbit ears, and drag her straight back home."That’s good… that’s really good…"She sounded relieved.Just then, Kendrick heard a man’s voice from the other end."Anna, I need the phone. Are you done?"Kendrick nearly cursed out loud. Whatever trick Ryan had used to keep his wife there, it wasn’t enough — now he even controlled when she could make a simple phone call?"Kendrick, I have to go. The Young Master needs to use the phone.""Wait," Kendrick’s voice was cold. "Why can’t you come back to get treated? Do you think I can’t afford a doctor?"Anna explained, "It’s my face that’s injured. You know, after the burns, even though it healed without scarring under the Young Master’s treatment, my skin is much more fragile now. I just think he knows my skin condition better, and he h
Annabelle felt ticklish and giggled, swatting his hand lightly. “Lie still for a while, or I won’t keep you company.”Only then did Mr. Gregory purse his lips and obediently stop moving.If Anna hadn’t just recovered from a serious illness, and if he himself weren’t still weak right now, otherwise…Sigh! Kendrick let out a gloomy sigh, burying his face in the crook of her neck.After a moment, he asked, “By the way, did your young master say what exactly caused your fainting and shock?”Annabelle glanced at him with amusement. Every time he said your young master, she could smell the thick scent of jealousy wafting off him—but it was kind of cute, his little petty streak.So she repeated everything Ryan had told her, word for word.Kendrick listened carefully and didn’t comment much afterward. He only said, “Looks like you just had bad luck and ran into a poisonous flower.”Annabelle then brought up the scene at the little beach cabin, saying she was curious about what kind of woman h
In Annabelle’s eyes, Kendrick had made the best possible decision at the time—he had put her safety above all else and didn’t let pride get in the way by refusing the young master’s help.It was this kind of maturity and rationality that had always drawn her to Kendrick, giving her a deep sense of grounded security by his side.Looking at the petite woman in front of him, Kendrick suddenly didn’t know what to say.The guilt that had been gnawing at him for the past two days… was completely dissolved by a few simple, gentle words from his little bunny.Especially the phrase “You’re my husband.” That alone was more healing than ten IV drips.Without warning, he rolled over and pinned Anna onto the bed, kissing her more assertively, expressing his feelings in a far more direct way.Annabelle started pounding on his chest with little muffled sounds of protest.This man was crazy! If he kept moving like this, the IV line would come loose!But even sick, Kendrick was much stronger than she
Annabelle looked like she'd been caught red-handed, flustered and wide-eyed, staring at Kendrick at such a close distance.He, too, had his eyes slightly open, emotions deep and complex pooling within them.The anxiety and torment he’d endured these past two days—it all seemed to be captured in that one gaze.Kendrick moved the hand that had been resting on her back up to cradle the back of her head, and kissed her even deeper.Annabelle slowly closed her eyes, not daring to move, afraid of tugging at his IV line and causing the needle to slip out.Of course, she didn’t want to pull away either…So, what started as Kendrick kissing her forcefully ended up with her being more proactive and passionate instead.Coco, lazily glancing at the two people locked in an intense kiss, yawned, jumped off the bed, and followed the scent of its cat food to go find Uncle Trey.The little white cat trotted to the door, jumped up at the handle, hooked its front paws around it just right, then used its
"I'm heading over now."Just as Annabelle was about to hang up the phone, she heard Uncle Trey call out again, “Young Madam, wait a moment!”She brought the phone back to her ear. “What is it?”“When you come from home, could you bring Coco’s food and litter box? Young Master brought the cat over the night before last, but he didn’t bring any of its stuff. I’ve been too busy to go pick them up myself. It’s not starving or anything, but the poor thing has nowhere to go to the bathroom. It’s been squatting in the big flower pot every day…”Annabelle: “…”A vivid image popped into her mind—Coco tucked awkwardly under Kendrick’s arm, eyes wide with panic, meowing nonstop in complaint the entire way.She could just imagine it—one big, one small, both of them looking lost and homeless, wandering around like pitiful strays.But no matter how disoriented they were, how could they forget the cat food and litter?!Annabelle quickly gathered Coco’s things and drove to the old Gu estate.Just as
Ryan gave a small nod, unbuttoned a few buttons on his shirt, and lay down on the bed, quickly falling asleep.Only after hearing his steady breathing did Seraphina return to his side. She carefully removed his outer shirt, then used a warm towel to wipe his face, and then his chest—where the alcohol had spilled. Sleeping like that would definitely be uncomfortable.Finally, she pulled the blanket over him.Seraphina stared at the man in bed for a long time. Then, for the first time, gathering all her courage, she leaned down and placed a light kiss on the lips of the man she loved.He didn’t love her. In his eyes, she probably lacked even a trace of a woman’s charm—perhaps she couldn’t even stir up a shred of desire.But he had given her the utmost respect. Could that be considered a form of caring?Seraphina gently touched his lips with her fingers, her heart full of bitterness, but in the end, she smiled softly.Maybe… that’s enough.…Annabelle had already arrived at the the Grego
The Young Master was drinking?Seraphina quickly set the breakfast tray on the foyer cabinet and rushed inside. Not seeing him in the outer living room, she headed toward the inner rooms.She paused as she passed through the dining area.The vase had been knocked over, shattered glass scattered all across the floor, and the flowers lay strewn in disarray.Seraphina’s heart pounded. She carefully stepped over the broken shards and headed toward the bedroom.The curtains were drawn tight, casting the room into darkness. The Young Master was sitting on the carpet at the foot of the bed, his head leaned back against the mattress, seemingly asleep.The top two buttons of his shirt were undone, a large alcohol stain spread across the front, and beside him sat an almost-empty bottle of strong liquor.Looking at him like this, Seraphina felt her heart shatter.The Young Master had endured so many blows in his life, but he had never fallen into despair like this. He had always gritted his teet
The taxi pulled away from the hotel entrance. Annabelle rolled the window up and gave the driver the address of the the Gregory Group headquarters.She turned back to look at Seraphina, who was still standing there at the entrance, gazing in her direction.When Seraphina had said, “Actually, I should be the one thanking you,” her expression had looked sorrowful—with a touch of self-mockery. That made Annabelle even more certain of one thing:Seraphina must have feelings for the Young Master.So she had thanked her… because Annabelle was leaving him.Annabelle suddenly wanted the driver to turn around. She wanted to personally tell Seraphina that she would never fight her for the Young Master. If possible, she’d even be willing to help them get together.But she couldn’t interfere in the Young Master’s love life anymore.That would only be rubbing salt into his wounds.Not willing to be with someone, yet still trying to introduce them to someone else?That wasn’t right. And Annabelle k
Annabelle’s pale face finally flushed with a hint of red. She covered her stomach in embarrassment and smiled.“I won’t eat—Kendrick must be really worried about me. I want to go back as soon as possible.”With that, she headed back to the bedroom, grabbed her own clean clothes from the bench at the end of the bed, and went into the walk-in closet.It was the summer outfit she had worn back in the small fishing village. Elfhedge’s weather was still far too cold for dresses, but she didn’t want to wait for the Young Master to find her something warmer.All she knew was—Kendrick must be worried sick.And knowing that she was here, with the Young Master… he was surely feeling awful.She had to get back—immediately.Annabelle changed into her clothes and stepped out of the closet. The light summer dress and linen sandals made her look fresh and airy as she walked up to the Young Master.“Young Master, I’m leaving now.”Ryan looked her up and down but didn’t say anything more. He simply re
The Young Master said it as if he were joking, but Annabelle couldn’t help taking it seriously.He had once given her the courage and will to live. He had spent years meticulously nursing her back to health, restoring her appearance. Even after they reunited, he had saved her life several times.The grace and kindness he had shown her weren’t things that could be repaid with just a few words.So before she met Kendrick, before she accepted his love, Annabelle had always thought—One day, she must repay the Young Master.How?Anything she had, anything he wanted.But now that she was with Kendrick, she could no longer say something like that so casually.She couldn’t betray her commitment to Kendrick just to repay the Young Master,Nor could she forget the Young Master’s kindness just because she had Kendrick now.Her only hope was that the Young Master would ask for something she could give—As long as it wasn’t something like, “Stay with me.”Caught in this internal struggle, Annabel