Annabelle slowly walked into the lake, gently paddled her arms, and swam freely and joyfully like a happy fish.
Kamila was not good at swimming, and combined with her poor figure, she didn't like wearing revealing clothes. At the moment, she was lying on a wicker chair by the lake, sipping on some juice and enjoying the gentle breeze. It was quite pleasant.
Until she heard someone approaching, she slightly opened her eyes and realized it was Gauge.
"Hi!"
Gauge nodded in response and then took off his bathrobe, stepping into the lake. Kamila watched Gauge's well-proportioned and muscular figure and couldn't help but swallow her saliva.
Tsk tsk tsk, it's a pity this guy didn't become a model.
Then she pinched the flesh on her stomach and for the N+1th time, she felt the urge to lose weight.
Immediately, she saw Gauge swimming towards Annabelle.
Kamila immediately felt that the two of them were a perfect match and quickly took out
As the time underwater increased, Annabelle began to feel a slight tightness in her chest.She didn't know how long she could hold on, but when she looked at Gauge, she realized that he was completely fine.Is this person a fish?Not only Annabelle was anxious, but Kamila on the shore was also panicking at the moment. They have been underwater for so long without resurfacing, could it be... that they are dead?But fortunately, the pool water was clear, and Kamila could see that both of them were still moving, so she restrained herself from calling for help.In the distance, Kendrick had already used a telescope, and his temples were pounding.As soon as Kendrick saw Gauge also entering the lake just now, he couldn't sit still.Later, watching them swim to the other side of the lake together, I realized that the two of them were probably competing, which made me even more bitter.The two of them had elegant swimming styles, with
Annabelle came to the hot spring area alone, chose an empty pool, walked in, and then comfortably closed her eyes.Not long after, other classmates also arrived.There were several more people in the pool, including both girls and boys. Annabelle looked around and noticed that there were still several empty pools. She wondered why everyone had to squeeze together with her.If she were to get up and change pools now, it wouldn't be impossible, but it would seem very impolite, as if she were disdainful of her classmates.So she moved a little away from others.Gauge didn't go into the pool because he didn't like sharing the pool with others. So he sat on a chair nearby, listening to music, planning to have a snack and then go back to his own suite.He lived in a small detached villa with a private courtyard, which had his own private hot spring pool. Actually, he could have gone straight back to his room, but he couldn't help but walk over to
Annabelle just arrived at the bar and ordered a hot coffee from the waiter.While she waited, it felt like a big, heavy person had just sat down next to her.Annabelle glanced at him with a sidelong glance and immediately knew what he was thinking, so she got up and left.When dealing with a thug, you can't be too careful. The sooner you get away, the better.But even so, her shoulder was still held down by the man."Miss, why didn't you take the order after you placed it?"The waiter had already placed the hot coffee on the bar counter. The man pushed the cup towards Annabelle and glanced at the waiter, saying, "Just leave it. You can go now."The waiter hesitated for a moment and then retreated to the backstage.Annabelle looked around and realized that there were no classmates of hers in the bar. In fact, it was just her and this man.The waiter had already left, so even if he heard any noise, he wouldn't pay attention to her.After all, Annabelle was just a student, while this per
As Gauge pushed open the door of the bar, a strong smell of alcohol hit his nose.He quickly searched for Annabelle's figure, but he did not see her...There came rapid panting from the corridor, and Gauge grew even more nervous as he walked quickly over.The next scene made Gauge stop in his tracks, feeling a sudden shock.The small wine rack on one side of the corridor toppled over, and the floor was covered with broken glass and spilled wine.Annabelle was pressed tightly against the opposite wall, her bathrobe torn and revealing her collarbone. Her hair was disheveled, and she held half a bottle of red wine in her hand, staring directly at the man in front of her.And across from her, the man was sitting on the ground, holding his head in pain and groaning, blood flowing down his face through his hair, looking extremely horrifying.Gauge ran quickly towards her.Annabelle immediately aimed the half bottle of wine in her hand at him. Upon realizing it was him, she let out a sigh of
Annabelle could see Gauge's dilemma, and having experienced her fair share of frustration in the past, she had long understood a lesson: engaging in arguments over trivial matters just to prove a point could potentially land both herself and her friends in even more difficult situations.So, she could only console herself, a woman should be able to bend and stretch, when it's time to show weakness, then show weakness.Since she was the one who hit the person, she should take responsibility and compensate.I just hope that Gauge doesn't get caught in a dilemma because of her.Davin chuckled and said, "Miss, I'm afraid you couldn't afford it.""Don't talk nonsense."Annabelle thought to herself, "Isn't it just breaking your head? Are you a pig's head made of gold or something?"Davin pouted and said, "My injury needs to be assessed before we can determine how much you should compensate me. But on the shelf you broke behind me, there was a bottle of red wine that belonged to me. I had ju
Before Annabelle could say much, Kendrick had already hung up.Annabelle returned to Davin, feeling frustrated. By that time, he was already sitting on the sofa, with the manager nodding and bowing beside him.Gauge walked over anxiously and asked her what was going on.Annabelle shook her head and said to Davin, "Someone will come to compensate you in a while, but you may have to wait a little longer..."She was very unsure when she said these words.After all, if Kendrick was in the city at that time, it would take him at least two hours to get here.I hope Davin won't cause any more trouble.Davin finished listening and smiled faintly, then lit a cigar."Miss, I didn't have so much time to wait for you, to be honest, I didn't really need that money. But now I have an idea that can not only exempt you from compensation but also help me save face."He took a puff of his cigar, blew a smoke ring, and continued, "After al
Kendrick's temples throbbed, he wiped away the tears on her face, and said, "Go sit over there for a while, don't look this way."Annabelle felt the coldness emanating from Kendrick, her scalp tingling, as she stood frozen in place."Be good, go quickly."His tone was gentle yet firm, like a command, directing Annabelle to involuntarily move her legs and turn towards the distant booth.Did Kendrick want to kill that person?She had just thought of turning around to look when suddenly there came a loud crack behind her, as if the sound of a joint breaking, and at the same time, Davin let out a scream like that of a slaughtered pig.Annabelle shivered all over and wrapped Kendrick's coat tightly around herself. Finally, she didn't dare to look back and slowly sat down on the sofa, with her back turned towards Kendrick.I could only hear Davin pleading in pain, "Mr. Gregory, Mr. Gregory, I really didn't know she was your girl. Are you re
Annabelle had been living with Kendrick for over three months, how could she not tell that he was jealous?Based on past experiences, when Kendrick gets jealous, the next step is to definitely make her jealous as well.So Annabelle quickly changed the subject."By the way, why did you come here too?""Soaked in hot springs."Kendrick said as he carried her into the house and headed straight to the bathroom.Annabelle tutted in her heart; Kendrick is really good at pretending. When could he not go to the hot springs, but had to come on the same day as her, obviously it was intentional.Wasn't he very busy with work? How does he still have time to stare at her so closely?Muttering to himself, Kendrick had already put her in the bathtub, taken off her large suit jacket, and started helping her untie her bathrobe.Annabelle was taken aback and held his hand, saying, "I can handle it myself."Kendrick was taken aback;
No one knew how long had passed before peace finally returned to the bedroom.Sunlight slipped through the curtains, casting soft rays across their bed.A thin blanket was draped over Annabelle, her bare shoulders and arms exposed.She had just woken up, already drained of energy, and now her entire body felt sore and weak—as if all strength had left her.Passion could make one forget their troubles for a moment, but once it faded, all those nagging worries returned, one by one.She lay quietly beneath the faint sunlight, watching the play of light and shadow on the bed, lost in thought.“Still upset about breaking the clay doll yesterday?” Kendrick murmured against her shoulder, planting a soft kiss there.Annabelle gave a slight nod, then shook her head.The doll, with its auspicious meaning, had been shattered—it felt unlucky. But more importantly, the incident made her realize something:She and Kendrick had been together for so long, yet they still didn’t have a child.“Why haven
Annabelle shook her head at the little boy. She could tell he hadn’t done it on purpose, so of course she didn’t blame him.At that moment, the boy’s mother arrived. She scolded her son for misbehaving—how could he run off like that before he’d even learned to stop properly?Then she turned to Annabelle and Kendrick, thanking them and apologizing for the broken item. She asked how much the figurines had cost so she could compensate them.Annabelle didn’t want to fuss over it. “It’s fine,” she said. But the woman insisted—her child had broken someone else’s things and she had to pay for it.The clay dolls weren’t cheap. Kendrick glanced at the mother and son, then casually quoted a price: “One hundred fifty.”The woman immediately transferred the money and even pressed her son’s head down, making him apologize.The boy then said again, “Sorry, uncle… sorry, sister…”The corner of Kendrick’s mouth twitched, and he replied coolly, “It’s okay.”Afterward, Annabelle and Kendrick crossed th
Annabelle suddenly realized that all those rapidly increasing follower counts on her social media—each number represented a real person. And the red bean cake vendor standing in front of her was clearly one of them. This unexpected kindness from a stranger warmed her heart, though it also made her feel a bit embarrassed. No matter what, she decided to pay for the cakes. But no matter what she said, the vendor firmly refused to take her money. There was a line of customers behind her, so she didn't want to keep holding up the queue. Instead, she quickly scanned the QR code, estimated a fair price, and transferred the money to the vendor before leaving with peace of mind. Yet before she’d walked a few steps, the young vendor chased after her, insistently stuffing two extra portions of red bean cakes into her hands. His face was even redder than before. He wanted to look at her, but didn’t dare, scratching his head as he said shyly, “I said I’d give my goddess a freebie, and I me
Linda paused. Marvin couldn’t help asking, “And then?”She snapped back to the present and continued, as if telling someone else’s story.“Luckily, my brother came back. He was a sophomore in college and had just returned home for summer break. He saw that bastard trying to hurt me, grabbed a kitchen knife, and slashed his neck. Blood sprayed all over my face.“He kept hacking at him until the guy couldn’t move anymore. Then he held me and said, ‘Linda, it’s okay now. He’ll never hurt you again.’“After that, my brother was sentenced to death. I was sixteen.“The day he was executed, my grandfather had a stroke and didn’t survive. After the funeral, my stepmother asked for a divorce, and my dad agreed.“The night before their divorce, my dad opened the gas valve. He and my stepmother died of carbon monoxide poisoning.“I spent a month in the hospital but survived. After that… I was on my own. I didn’t really ‘struggle’ in society—I just drifted. Took life one day at a time.“This job
“No way!” Marvin spat out, his voice tight with disbelief. “Anna just finished a jewelry event last night—there’s no way she could be in North City!”“Maybe she flew over after the event?” the reporter offered weakly, desperation creeping into his tone. “Mr. Gregory, if your brother finds out I tried to dig into this… you’ve got to protect me.”“Enough already. I get it.” Marvin snapped, the edge of impatience slicing through his words.“Alright, alright. No time to chat—gotta push the story out before someone else scoops it.” The reporter hung up in a hurry.But he was already too late.Another outlet had already dropped part of the exclusive interview, cleverly holding back the juiciest bits to keep viewers hooked. Within twenty minutes, the full conversation with Kendrick and Annabelle was everywhere.In a private hospital room in Elfhedge, Marvin stared at the news reports, fury radiating off him like heat from asphalt. His phone met the floor with a sickening crack, screen shatte
Annabelle had long known that the reporters were fixated on this topic and would eventually bring it up again.Even though they were blocked from interviewing her at yesterday’s press conference, here they were today.She was just thankful that she wasn’t facing them alone.As for the real reason behind her and Kendrick’s flash marriage, it was simply because she didn’t want to marry a perverted old man, and Kendrick had agreed to marry her because she claimed she could help treat his headaches.Neither of those reasons could be made public. Otherwise, people would assume Kendrick was just a backup plan, and the fact that she knew medicine would be completely exposed.Kendrick might not mind being teased, but if people found out she had medical skills, things would get very complicated.Just imagining it—every time one of Kendrick’s friends or business associates (especially the ones she didn’t like) met her, they'd stick out their wrist without a word and ask for a diagnosis. That wo
After ending the call with Kendrick, Annabelle felt much better.Regardless of how her parents acted, her future was her own. With Kendrick by her side, always considering her needs, she already felt content with her life.Still feeling drowsy, she lay on the bed for a while and ended up falling back asleep. When she finally woke again, it was hunger that roused her.She planned to get up and find something to eat.Looking around, she couldn’t see where her clothes had gone. A white T-shirt, clearly Kendrick’s, was draped over the sofa beside the bed.She got out of bed barefoot and slipped the oversized T-shirt over her head.Kendrick was tall, so the shirt was long enough to cover her hips. Loose and casual.She walked to the dining area and spotted the lunch Kendrick mentioned. She was about to warm it up in the microwave when she suddenly heard commotion outside the door—lots of voices.She vaguely made out someone calling, “Mr. Gregory…”Was he back? She didn’t dare open the door
Annabelle's personal social media account was gaining followers at an explosive rate—so fast it could give someone high blood pressure.For her, this kind of media exposure was obviously a great thing.You could say that Alice had practically sacrificed herself to boost Annabelle’s popularity.Not only did the incident showcase Anna’s personal capabilities, but it also unintentionally promoted Murphy Jewelry—an unexpected wave of free publicity.Under this trending topic, netizens began checking out the pieces shown at Murphy Jewelry’s latest press conference.Many even tagged her: “Supporting Anna! Already bought it!”Similar comments were flooding in.Out of curiosity, Annabelle checked the e-commerce platform authorized by Murphy Jewelry.To her surprise, 80% of the newly released items from the previous night were already sold out.No wonder that last time, when she was being slammed online, Kendrick didn’t suppress the news but instead flipped the narrative and gained popularity
Actually, Kendrick had already grown suspicious when breakfast was delivered.The strange eye contact between the two servers caught his attention, especially the male server who looked somewhat familiar.Previously, when Kendrick was negotiating business with an important partner at a hotel in Elfhedge, Ryan launched a surprise attack. That was also when Anna took a tranquilizer dart for him.During that confrontation, Kendrick vaguely remembered a face just like this—handsome, with thick brows and big eyes. He looked honest and trustworthy, which was exactly the kind of appearance that lowered one’s guard.But Kendrick couldn’t be sure if it was the same person.The call he made to Jaime was to have him investigate the people who had just delivered the food.If it was the same person, then Ryan was making another move against him.As for whether the breakfast was actually poisoned, Kendrick had only suspected it at the time—he wasn’t certain.He also thought, if Ryan really wanted t