Ryan replied, “My plan is underway. You all promised not to interfere with my pace.”“Unless your pace is too slow,” the man said with a pause. “Consider this a warning. If you keep stalling, your Anna might not be so lucky next time.”He hung up.In the blink of an eye, the man had vanished from Ryan’s view.Ryan clenched his fists. Blood from the wound on his arm dripped down to the ground.He hadn’t dared contact Anna publicly, precisely to avoid this kind of situation—afraid she’d become his weakness and be used to threaten him.And now, what he feared most had still happened.Kendrick had to die—whether to reclaim Anna or for his own reasons.But he hated being forced like this.Especially when they used Anna to push him.Glancing at the unconscious Anna in the back seat, Ryan calmed himself, got in the car, and drove away quickly.Annabelle didn’t know how long she’d been asleep.When she opened her eyes, the room around her gradually came into focus.She recognized this place.
Annabelle called back, and the call was picked up before the first ring even ended."Anna, where are you? Are you okay?" Kendrick's anxious voice came through."I'm fine, don’t worry. I’m at the Young Master's place..."Kendrick was silent for two seconds. "What’s wrong with your voice?"Annabelle didn’t think there was anything wrong with her voice. But since she had just woken up and was still lying down, her tone wasn’t as clear as usual. Kendrick must’ve noticed."I just woke up... still lying down.""Is that so."His voice was hoarse, as if he was trying to suppress some emotions.Annabelle quickly explained, "It’s not what you’re thinking.""I know," he paused, "When can you come back?""I’ll come now—ow..." Annabelle said as she tried to sit up, but pain in her waist forced her to lie back down."What’s wrong?""My back hurts."Kendrick went quiet again. "Can you come back today? I can take you to the hospital.""I can. Meet me at Central Hospital, I’ll ask the Young Master to
Ten minutes later, Annabelle finally finished getting dressed and walked out of the bedroom, then followed the young master out of the suite.This was the young master’s private suite at the hotel. Annabelle wasn’t sure if it was where he stayed regularly. She only knew that the last time she was poisoned in South Lake City, she was brought here by him—so it felt somewhat familiar.They headed slowly toward the elevator.The young master was clearly aware her back was hurting, so he walked at a leisurely pace to match hers.As they walked, he asked casually, “You've been with Kendrick for a while now. Tired of him yet?”Annabelle glanced at him, but he wasn’t looking at her. His expression was calm, unreadable.She lowered her head and replied softly, “...No.”“Has he ever bullied you?”“Bullied... uh, no. He hasn’t.”Annabelle almost answered instinctively—Kendrick had “bullied” her too many times, though not in the way the young master meant. Realizing her slip, she instantly regret
In the VIP ballroom of the Imperial Hotel in Elfhedge, a grand engagement party was underway."Let's welcome the groom-to-be and the bride-to-be to have their opening dance!"The groom-to-be, Marvin Gregory, burst into laughter after hearing what the emcee said."Opening dance? You might have thought too highly of that ugly creature!"Upon hearing that, everyone turned to Annabelle Sanchez, the bride-to-be, who had just become a laughingstock.Wearing a veil, she stood quietly on the stage.People started to gossip. Some said that Annabelle, the third girl of the Sanchez family, was disfigured by a fire when she was a child, and she had been living in Springvale Temple in the mountains ever since. She never even went to college.Marvin, on the other hand, was the second eldest son of the Gregory family, handsome and influential. It was reasonable for him to disdain her.That being said, Annabelle was from a prestigious family. Everyone assumed that she was probably on the verge of she
Annabelle was stunned, her brows knitting in confusion.She thought to herself, "It's easy to break off an engagement, yet things are much more complicated when it comes to a divorce. Why bother?'She pondered for a second and said, "OK. But I have a demand."Kendrick smiled helplessly and thought, 'That's rich'But still, he said, "Name it. I can't guarantee you a yes, though."He had a playful expression on his face, making him look like a cunning fox. No one could tell what was on his mind.Annabelle frowned and said righteously, "Sex is definitely off the table after we get married."She looked like a soldier trying to defend her territory. Seeing that, Kendrick couldn't help but grin."Seriously, Ms. Sanchez? You think having sex with me is a loss for you?"Annabelle felt that her cheeks were burning. She thought, 'What a narcissist! Who knows what it's gonna be like? Well, it's true that he is handsome, tall, upright, and dignified in every manner. Yet I'm no nympho, and I don't
Annabelle could distinctly smell the faint aroma of cedar, mixed with a faint smell of alcohol, coming from Kendrick. Combined with the dim light in the car, she felt that the atmosphere was way too erotic.She felt her face getting hotter and hotter. When she tried to push him away, he grabbed her wrist.Kendrick clutched her slender wrist as he raised the corners of his lips, looking discontented."Ms. Sanchez, we're getting married, and yet you won't even let me see your face? That's not very sincere. Don't you think so?Annabelle thought, 'It seems that I just can't get away from it. Fine, then. I'll show him what he wants. Sooner or later, he's gonna see it anyway'.She sighed silently and said, "Step back a little, please."Kendrick grinned as he let go of her wrist."What? You don't wanna scare me?"While he was teasing, she had already taken off her veil.Kendrick was stunned.He had a feeling that she wouldn't be ugly, yet he didn't expect her to be that pretty.With fine fea
Kendrick acted seriously and stroked Annabelle's hair. "All done now. Let's go."She pressed her hair which he had tousled while thinking, 'I know that he was about to rub my head. What a cunning fox! He's such an actor!'Holding that thought in mind, she walked into the lobby together with Kendrick.The marriage registration went smoothly. When it came to the wedding photo session, they came to the studio together and were seated in a chair.Kendrick naturally put his hand on Annabelle's shoulder.Annabelle frowned and glanced at his hand, and then she glared at him.Yet Kendrick didn't see any problem. "It's what couples do when taking photos.""Mr. Gregory, it sounds like you're quite experienced."Annabelle said so with a smile, and then she shoved his hand away without hesitation.Seeing the slightly angry look on her face, Kendrick found her just like a gentle kitten who suddenly flashed its claws and scratched his heart.He felt ... a bit itchy. To be more accurate, he felt a b
Annabelle thought about it and realized that Kendrick wasn't asking too much.She thought, 'Now that we're married, even though we're just a couple in name, still, we have to put on an act in front of others. Besides, after spending time with him this morning, I feel that he is kind of reasonable. Maybe he just likes to make jokes sometimes.'While thinking that way, she felt much more at ease."Fine. I'll live at your place."Kendrick couldn't help but smile bitterly.Deep down, he couldn't help but complain, 'Just fine? She sounds so reluctant. Come on! I am the eldest son of the Gregory family as well as the CEO of the Gregory Group. I stand out when it comes to both appearance and family background. Yet why do I feel like I'm not attractive at all to her? Is it because I'm getting old?'The same morning, Kendrick took Annabelle to his villa in the western suburb, showed her around briefly, arranged a bedroom for her, and then went to his office.After he left, Annabelle called hom
Ten minutes later, Annabelle finally finished getting dressed and walked out of the bedroom, then followed the young master out of the suite.This was the young master’s private suite at the hotel. Annabelle wasn’t sure if it was where he stayed regularly. She only knew that the last time she was poisoned in South Lake City, she was brought here by him—so it felt somewhat familiar.They headed slowly toward the elevator.The young master was clearly aware her back was hurting, so he walked at a leisurely pace to match hers.As they walked, he asked casually, “You've been with Kendrick for a while now. Tired of him yet?”Annabelle glanced at him, but he wasn’t looking at her. His expression was calm, unreadable.She lowered her head and replied softly, “...No.”“Has he ever bullied you?”“Bullied... uh, no. He hasn’t.”Annabelle almost answered instinctively—Kendrick had “bullied” her too many times, though not in the way the young master meant. Realizing her slip, she instantly regret
Annabelle called back, and the call was picked up before the first ring even ended."Anna, where are you? Are you okay?" Kendrick's anxious voice came through."I'm fine, don’t worry. I’m at the Young Master's place..."Kendrick was silent for two seconds. "What’s wrong with your voice?"Annabelle didn’t think there was anything wrong with her voice. But since she had just woken up and was still lying down, her tone wasn’t as clear as usual. Kendrick must’ve noticed."I just woke up... still lying down.""Is that so."His voice was hoarse, as if he was trying to suppress some emotions.Annabelle quickly explained, "It’s not what you’re thinking.""I know," he paused, "When can you come back?""I’ll come now—ow..." Annabelle said as she tried to sit up, but pain in her waist forced her to lie back down."What’s wrong?""My back hurts."Kendrick went quiet again. "Can you come back today? I can take you to the hospital.""I can. Meet me at Central Hospital, I’ll ask the Young Master to
Ryan replied, “My plan is underway. You all promised not to interfere with my pace.”“Unless your pace is too slow,” the man said with a pause. “Consider this a warning. If you keep stalling, your Anna might not be so lucky next time.”He hung up.In the blink of an eye, the man had vanished from Ryan’s view.Ryan clenched his fists. Blood from the wound on his arm dripped down to the ground.He hadn’t dared contact Anna publicly, precisely to avoid this kind of situation—afraid she’d become his weakness and be used to threaten him.And now, what he feared most had still happened.Kendrick had to die—whether to reclaim Anna or for his own reasons.But he hated being forced like this.Especially when they used Anna to push him.Glancing at the unconscious Anna in the back seat, Ryan calmed himself, got in the car, and drove away quickly.Annabelle didn’t know how long she’d been asleep.When she opened her eyes, the room around her gradually came into focus.She recognized this place.
Annabelle still wanted to go forward to help, but Seraphina grabbed her arm.“If you go over there, the young master will have to save you too.”Hearing this, Annabelle snapped back to her senses and finally didn’t step forward, only watching anxiously in the young master’s direction.As he passed the gate, the young master grabbed a fire extinguisher and rushed to the car door. He smashed the front passenger window hard twice, shattering the glass.The trapped driver, Barry, immediately crawled out through the window.By then, security guards had also rushed over, each holding a fire extinguisher to put out the fire.The young master quickly walked back toward them.Just when Annabelle thought the danger had passed—Boom!A loud explosion burst from the car!The blast shockwave seemed to hit the young master. He staggered forward from the impact.“Young master!”Both Annabelle and Seraphina cried out at the same time.Annabelle endured the sharp pain in her waist and forced down her d
What was Young Master doing at the Whitney Group?He had said before that he didn’t know much about Ryan. Running into him here today—could it be that Young Master was doing business with the the Whitney Group?Annabelle noticed that Seraphina was standing on Young Master's left side, while on his right was another man in a suit, holding documents and reporting something as they walked. Three more suited men followed closely behind.It seemed clear—this was a business visit.Seraphina inadvertently turned her head and glanced in Annabelle’s direction. She seemed to have spotted her and said something to Young Master.Annabelle saw Young Master turn and look toward her, where she sat in the car.Since he had seen her, Annabelle decided to go say hello.Ever since their phone call in North City, she hadn’t spoken to Young Master. This was a good chance to thank him in person for warning her and Kendrick that their breakfast had been poisoned—if not for that call, the consequences would’
Scott held Julissa by the shoulder and gave her a light pat. “You should count yourself lucky it was me you met.”“What do you mean?”“If you’d run into a real scumbag, you’d probably get played in circles without even knowing it.”“Mr. Nichols, why are you saying that all of a sudden…” Julissa pouted. “You’re really good at hitting where it hurts.”Scott paused, rubbing his brow. She had already met a scumbag before.That brat Liam had completely fooled her—planning a wedding with her on one side while sleeping with another woman on the other. Julissa might be easy to deceive, but she had one redeeming quality: once she saw through someone, she left immediately, no second chances, no regrets. Even if she and Liam had been childhood sweethearts for over ten years, it didn’t matter.“Alright, I won’t bring it up again,” he said, kissing her on the forehead. The most urgent matter now was dealing with the Keller family and the massive trouble they posed.—Elsewhere, Annabelle and Kendr
Looking at the wound on her face, Julissa instantly panicked.Would it leave a scar?But then she quickly comforted herself—it’s fine, Anna would definitely help her heal without a trace. After all, Anna had suffered serious injuries before and still fully recovered.Soon, Scott came out carrying a first-aid kit.Seeing how well-stocked it was, Julissa was a bit surprised. “Wow, this thing’s fully loaded. Why do you even have surgical scissors?”Scott glanced at her. “Why do you ask so many questions?”“I’m just curious.”He didn’t answer and started cleaning her wound first to prevent infection.Only then did Julissa start crying out in pain.“Just hold on for a bit.”“But I really hate pain! When I was a kid, I could only get shots after I fell asleep—so I wouldn’t see it coming.”As Scott moved in with a cotton swab to apply medicine, she screamed before he even touched her.He was speechless. “Weren’t you just smiling a moment ago?”“I hadn’t seen my wound yet, so I wasn’t scared.
The wound was about an inch long, right on her cheek, and blood had already started to seep out.Julissa wiped her face, hissing slightly, and when she saw the blood on her fingers, her eyes widened in shock.Annabelle quickly figured it out—when Heather slapped Julissa earlier, she must have twisted her diamond ring around. So when her hand struck Julissa’s face, the ring cut into her cheek.By now, Heather had already climbed to her feet, screaming hysterically at Annabelle, “Even my parents never hit me, and you dare to slap me?!”Julissa let out a cold laugh. “Maybe that’s exactly why you’re so spoiled and uncivilized.”That one jab hit a nerve. Heather lost it. “Say that again! Who are you calling uncivilized? Who?!”Screaming, she lunged at Julissa, aiming to grab her hair.But before she could touch Julissa, her wrist was caught in a firm grip.“If you dare lay another finger on her, you won’t need this hand anymore.”With that, Scott yanked Heather away from Julissa.Heather s
"So you'd better figure out how to deal with them as soon as possible. If you need my help, just say the word."Scott thought back to the look of rage on Heather’s face that day at the club when she saw Julissa. His mood grew heavier.Heather had an extreme personality, and her father was cunning and ruthless. The father-daughter duo was capable of anything.Regardless, he was genuinely grateful for what Kendrick had said today—and the investigation he’d quietly done on his behalf.“Looks like I need to find Samuel’s weak spot fast. Still, thank you, Kendrick.”Kendrick waved it off. “Actually, I should be thanking you. And this—this is my token of appreciation.”As he spoke, he pulled a contract from the briefcase he carried—this was the file he’d asked Jaime to deliver earlier during lunch.Kendrick’s newly developed property project came with fully furnished apartments, and among the amenities, he had incorporated a smart home system that happened to align perfectly with the Nichol