Startled, Violet opened her eyes. Even though the lingering effects of the wine slowed her reactions, she still had enough strength to push Carl away or slap him. She had to warn him that kissing a woman without consent came with responsibility.Her heart raced, and their warm breaths mingled in the air. Her hands, which were clasped before her chest, gradually lowered. She blinked her eyes before closing them as if surrendering to the moment.Their soft lips pressed against each other. Carl was no stranger to such encounters. He continued to savor it after tasting Violet's sweet lips. He was torn between wanting to possess her lips and exploring them slowly. This conflicting sensation both troubled and captivated him.Violet found herself in a half-dazed state, and a vague face suddenly flashed in her mind.It was happening again.The feeling of being devoured by a stranger six years ago returned to her mind.Unable to see clearly, being kissed, touched, and overpowered ...
The next day, Elle went early to the Walker residence, eager to see Carl kick Violet out. Not only would Elle not help, but she would also add fuel to the fire and enrage Carl even more. Yesterday, she had conspired with Whitney. They plotted to frame Violet for stealing the premium wine that Elle had given to Carl. Elle guessed that Vincent must be in a sorry state by now.However, Elle was stunned when she saw Violet standing outside Carl's study. "Carl didn't give you a hard time?""Looks like you're hoping to see me punished, Ms. Murphy," Violet said coldly.Elle frowned, wondering if Whitney's plan had failed. She knocked on the door and asked, "Carl, can I come in?"When Elle entered upon receiving his permission, she saw his gloomy expression. Someone must have gotten on his nerves a moment ago. "Are you not in a good mood?" Elle pondered if he was going to deal with Violet."What brings you here?""I miss you, so here I am.""I'm busy."Elle treated Carl's coldnes
Reed paled as soon as he caught sight of Carl. He rushed to interrupt Violet. "Mr. Cooper …"An icy look from Carl effectively shut him up.Violet continued her rant. "What's so good about Carl anyway? He's just a pretty boy with zero redeemable qualities. I've only known him for a short while, but I already feel his overwhelming sense of superiority. I pity you, Reed, I really do. You must have suffered greatly from being by his side all this while."Reed hardly dared glance at Carl. All he could do was say a fervent prayer in his heart. Perhaps God would be kind enough to allow Violet to escape unharmed this time."He's such a stingy person too!" Violet went on, unaware of the danger that awaited her. "I'm so hungry—I haven't eaten all day and it's all his fault!"Reed could no longer bear this. He reminded her softly, "Mr. Cooper, actually, Mr. Walker treats us all really well.""Are you implying that I'm lying?" Violet retorted. "Have you seen him with Whitney? From the amo
Whitney's gaze stayed on Violet. How she wished her mother could have some feelings for her father!But Violet couldn't seem to come to terms with the fact that she had kissed Carl. She scrambled to change the subject instead. "What's the deal with Elle?" she asked."She was the one who brought the poisoned cakes. It's only fair that she was punished!" Whitney's tone was casual. "But also, Carl knows she was manipulated, so he let her go with the promise that he would never see her again."Whitney's words hardly made sense.As an assassin, Violet was well aware that things could never be as simple as Whitney had put it.Regardless, Elle was still the one who brought in the poison-infused cakes. It was impossible for Carl to let her go this easily.Perhaps he was using Elle as bait to lure out the real mastermind behind the poisoned cakes.While she thought about this, Dr. Howell walked in with Marina.The maid brought along a meal Violet had been craving all this time. Meanwh
Before Maverick could lay a hand on Violet, Carl suddenly stepped in. He pushed Maverick away and pulled Violet over toward himself.Violet found herself slamming into Carl's chest from the force of his movements. Instantly, pain sliced through her breasts. It was so bad that she winced."Quit fooling around." Carl's voice was icy.The smile in Maverick's eyes deepened. He clicked his tongue before realizing that Carl was genuinely angry. He could only keep quiet after that.Violet, on the other hand, gasped for breath. The warmth from Carl's palms made her heart tremble. She took a few steps back.Meanwhile, Reed approached them with Marina's cooking. The scent of the freshly cooked food filled the air, and the expressions of the assassins changed at once.Violet accepted the dishes before placing them so their fragrance could reach the assassins. Even so, she took great care to ensure that it was far enough for them not to grab the food out of desperation.She inhaled deeply.
"What?"Immediately, laughter filled the room."Are you deaf?" Carl raised his voice."You're the one who's deaf!" Violet retorted, her face flushed.Carl egged her on deviously. "Go on, then."Whitney had never seen this side of Carl before. It was exhilarating for her.She switched on the laptop and found the dance video. After hitting play, she showed the video to her mother."You rascal!" Violet screeched.Whitney blinked. She blew a kiss in Violet's direction before pleading, "Come on now, Vin. Do it! I'm dying to see you do the dance.""I don't have that much time for you to waste," Carl interrupted as well. His tone was impatient.Violet clenched her fists. It was just a dance.Besides, she had seen people dance in the square before. None of them had been embarrassed in the slightest.This was all for the truth, she reminded herself."Please … don't tell anyone I ever did this." Violet's voice was almost inaudible.This time, even Carl laughed.Violet had never he
Whitney could only accept the cakes. The moment she did, Carl's expression darkened."A very important visitor is coming over tonight. Get ready." His voice was rough as he spoke. Then, he left for his study.Elle had gone up to the second floor as well. She wasn't there for Carl, however."You must be wondering why I'm back together with Carl," she began airily."I couldn't care less." Violet's tone was lazy.Needless to say, Elle must have baited Carl with crucial information he could not resist."Oh, you're jealous, aren't you?" Elle laughed. "Your reaction when you saw me with Carl just now is proof enough. Unfortunately for you, Carl is not interested in men.""Ms. Murphy." Violet's voice turned icy. "You've been by Mr. Walker's side for quite some time now. Besides money, what else have you gained?"Violet then left for Carl's study while Elle seethed.Her taunts had hit Elle's weakest spots, which made Violet feel triumphant.Whitney tilted her head. The tension betwee
As Carl approached, Violet could see her fear reflected in Carl's eyes.They were so close now, their lips on the verge of touching.Carl's warm breath fanned her lips. "Are you planning on leaving the door open all night?" he said eventually.As he spoke, his lips nudged against hers in the barest whisper of a touch. Even so, the tiny contact burned her.Violet bit her lip, if only to prevent herself from moaning.Hot … Everything was so hot …What was happening to her?Carl's eyes shone. He backed away from her and closed the door, the click of its hinges jolting her out of her dazed trance.She must have lost her mind!Why else would she have stood there like a mindless statue, frozen and completely under his mercy?She batted the unsightly thoughts from her mind. When Carl approached her again, she ducked immediately."What are you hiding from?" Carl asked, his voice slightly raised."Your dominance scares me," she replied vacantly. "I dare not get too close.""Have yo
"Uh-huh." Violet reached out and hugged Carl. There was deep affection in her voice."I've conceived two children for you, and you've been pretty nice to me recently. Who else should I marry if not you?"Great joy rose in Carl's eyes after listening to Violet.After all the ordeals they had gone through, she finally agreed to marry him!Violet chuckled when she saw Carl unconsciously getting excited. Her heart was filled with satisfaction.She said on purpose, "But if you're not serious about marrying me, I won't be serious about marrying you too. We can get a divorce once I give birth to the baby. How about that?""I won't let you leave me." Carl held Violet tightly, looking anxious as if she would disappear all of a sudden.His heart was satisfied when he felt her warmth in his embrace. He lifted her up and spun around in excitement. He looked like a kid who got candies, which stunned Maverick as he entered.Maverick then lowered his head and said in a low voice, "Carl, this
"Vi, promise me you won't risk yourself ever again. Please trust me no matter what happens." Carl hugged Violet in fear.Violet nodded and leaned on his shoulder. She said softly, "Carl, if you hadn't shown yourself on television, I wouldn't have fallen for Benilio's trap easily. Then, Silvia wouldn't have kidnapped me.""Yes, it's my fault." Carl tightened his arms around Violet. "Vi, I've been wanting to ask you something. I don't know if you would give me an answer.""What?" Violet rested in his arms. She was getting sleepy after using her wits and energy against Silvia."Help me keep these two keys. When I need it, help me open a box." Carl took out two heart-shaped keys like a magician, giving them to Violet.Violet took the keys and looked at them carefully. She couldn't find anything special about them. She nodded and agreed to Carl's request."Okay, anything else?" Violet was getting more sleepy."There's something more, but I can't tell you about it right now." Carl loo
"Carl, I'll settle things with you next time."Silvia knew she would be at a disadvantage if she continued fighting with Carl. Without waiting for Carl to strike, she took out a poison gas bomb with itching powder added to it.She threw it at Carl. The poison gas bomb landed on the floor and exploded immediately. As Carl backed off quickly, Silvia used the opportunity to escape in a flash.Carl only went after Silvia when the gas dissipated. Silvia had already reached the entrance of the restaurant with one injured leg. She took a pregnant lady hostage and left quickly."Contact the Zuissian police and lock down the city. They must catch Silvia and save the pregnant lady."Carl came out from the kitchen, and Maverick immediately went up to him and told him about the current dangerous situation.Carl made a quick decision and asked Maverick to deal with it accordingly. Then, he looked around and asked for Whitney's and Mick's whereabouts."Whitney and Mick? Did they come here?" M
Benilio asked for the votes to be finalized and combined with the judges' choices. He was about to announce Carl as the winner when the crowd suddenly erupted.It turned out that a plump foodie who only ate Carl's walnut cake suddenly collapsed. Her foaming mouth indicated that she was poisoned."What? Who would be so evil to kill us?" The foodies were horrified. Some of them screamed and became restless.The restaurant went into chaos at once. Amidst the mess, a cold smile formed on Silvia's lips. She quickly snuck into the kitchen where Carl was at."Arrest those troublemakers and send them to the police. Keep calming the crowd down." Maverick watched as Silvia sneaked away with a smile on his face. He gave his orders calmly.The Walkers' bodyguards, who had been on standby, received Maverick's instructions. They immediately contacted the Zuissian police headquarters and asked for police cars to take away the troublemakers.They also got Carl's and Nathaniel's walnut cakes exam
The plump woman stared at her watch gloomily. Her expression turned uglier the more time had passed. A few female foodies wanted to chat with her, but they backed off once they met her gaze.Soon, there was an empty space surrounding the plump woman that separated her from the crowd.Maverick and the Demon King stood on the upper floor, looking at the situation downstairs with their eyebrows furrowed hard."Mr. Walker, I think I found Silvia." Maverick took a photo of the ground floor and sent it to Carl."Since she showed up here, it means she must've everything ready where Annabel is kept at. Our men are rushing over to Annabel. You must ask our men to protect Violet, too. I suspect that …""They've found Annabel. She's safe and sound. But there was a pool of blood there. They don't know whose blood it was." Carl cut Maverick off.He continued, "Maverick, I've done everything to keep Violet safe."All you have to do is to keep an eye on the foodies. There are real foodies amon
"Demon King, I'm right outside the door. Come out for a second. I've something to give you." Maverick thought about it and called the Demon King.At that time, the Demon King had just slightly recovered from the blow of losing Annabel. He frowned a little when he received Maverick's sudden phone call.His fingers trembled, and he really wanted to reject the call. But when he thought of his beloved Annabel, he picked up."Huh?" The Demon King heard Maverick as soon as he picked up. He furrowed his eyebrows."You're outside? What about Annabel? You didn't come with her?"The Demon King was obviously disappointed. He thought by speaking with Maverick on the phone, he could hear Annabel's voice a little.Violet sat right beside the Demon King. She curled her lips when she saw the Demon King sulking like a kid.She thought that the Demon King and Annabel would make a pretty good couple if there was no Maverick. The Demon King had never dated anyone, and he would treasure Annabel."Y
"Carl, there are many special ways to propose. You can look it up on the Internet or ask for help from someone more experienced in love. For example, Ray from our company is pretty good at it." Annabel continued to suggest.Carl's face darkened even more when he heard that.Ray didn't even know how to pursue a woman properly. Yet he knew how to propose to someone? Quit joking!"Annabel, you don't have to worry about this. You just have to focus on recuperating," Carl said bossily and hung up.Annabel snickered when she heard the call was disconnected.Oh, Carl. He was undeniably good in business, but when it came to women …"It really is true that genius men can be complete fools in some other ways." Annabel sighed.Maverick had just finished carrying out Carl's orders. He got the stuff ready and was about to tell Annabel that he was going to send the stuff to Carl. It was at this moment that he heard Annabel's random comment."Annabel, are you talking about me?" He grinned. He
"Kiera, I won't give up." Nathaniel strengthened his resolve after looking at the pictures."What's the point?" Kiera disagreed."There's plenty of nice people in the world. Even if you don't like me, there are so many excellent women out there. Why can't you find someone among them?""I can't. I can't find anyone else like Vi ever again." His voice became lower as if he was caught up in his memories."I've decided from the first moment I saw her. Ever since I met her when we were young, I was bound to protect her for the rest of my life. I'll be her knight in shining armor forever.""Kiera, I've made these desserts for Vi, and I need your help to give it to her. I'll drive there right now. You just have to come out for a moment." Nathaniel's pleading voice came from the phone. Kiera couldn't bear to refuse. She let him drive over and agreed to take the desserts.Nathaniel was overjoyed and immediately left in his car.He was in a hurry. He didn't realize that after he left, a
Whitney, who had been hiding in the dark, curled her lips when she saw the interaction between the two.She grinned. She would matchmake Nathaniel and Kiera so that they could leave Violet and Carl alone. This was the life Whitney wanted."Ms. Quartley, keep up the good work. I'll create more opportunities for you guys," Whitney swore to herself."Whitney, I'll help you." While Whitney was thinking about ways to get Kiera and Nathaniel together, Mick's calm voice sounded next to her ear.Whitney knitted her eyebrows and looked to the side. She pouted in dissatisfaction."You'll help me? Do you know how to pursue a girl? Do you have previous experience that can help me bring Mr. Nathaniel and Ms. Quartley together?"Whitney put her hands on her hips like a spoiled girlfriend."I don't." Mick's gaze dimmed. But when he saw Whitney's smile, he strengthened his resolve."But I'll help you with everything I've got. Besides, although I've never pursued a girl, my dad has plenty of ex