The woman was none other than Livia, the daughter of the Song family who had once had her car smashed by Kendrick.Livia had recently gone through an abortion and was in the hospital for a follow-up. She hadn’t expected to run into Annabelle.A while back, she had blocked Annabelle’s car on the street, and Kendrick had ordered her car to be smashed. He had also used severe measures to put the corrupt official, who had been bullying Annabelle, behind bars. After that incident, Livia had been terrified and dared not act out again, but she still harbored resentment toward Annabelle.Seeing Annabelle at the hospital and overhearing her conversation with her friend, Livia was stunned. So, Annabelle didn’t want to have a child for Kendrick?In a family like the Gregory family, carrying on the family line was incredibly important. If Gregory’s family knew that Annabelle didn’t want children—or worse, was planning to abort if she became pregnant—would she still be able to keep her position as
Scott gazed at the girl in front of him, “Hmm?”“The president of the Nichols Group, the one featured on the cover of a finance magazine?”Scott lowered his gaze, smiled faintly, and said, “Hello, Miss Hickman.”Julissa quickly extended her hand. “Nice to meet you!”She was so happy because the Nichols family also had a third young master, Julian, a rising star in the entertainment industry. Julissa was a huge fan of him lately. Now that she had met Scott, she thought, since he was a friend of Annabelle, it shouldn’t be too hard to get his younger brother’s autograph or a photo.She felt a little giddy at the thought, and her earlier gloom was completely forgotten.Scott then reached out and shook her hand.It was this very hand that had left three scratch marks on his chest that night, but now it felt so soft.After their handshake, Scott led them into the styling studio.Annabelle could tell from the look on Julissa’s face that she was thinking about something else. She pinched her
Clothes were scattered across the floor, and on the bed, two people were passionately entangled. They looked so absorbed, so excited... it made her sick.Julissa ran out of Liam’s apartment.Liam chased after her, explaining that the woman was just a physical relationship, and that it was the last time. He insisted he loved only her, Julissa.She had never been so disgusted in her life. She didn’t even want to slap him, afraid of dirtying her hands.Now, just thinking about it made her nauseous.Taking a deep breath, she sipped her fruit tea. When she looked up, she saw two familiar figures walking into her line of sight.One man was handsome and refined, like a graceful gentleman. It was none other than Liam.The woman walking beside him was the one he had claimed was just a physical relationship with no emotions. The "last time." They were still entangled—good thing she didn’t believe his lies.But it was the first time she had seen this woman dressed up. She was pale, delicate, wit
Julissa didn't take the handkerchief and said, “Thanks, but I have tissues.”A handkerchief from Mr. Nichols probably costs thousands, and she's supposed to use it as a tissue? That’s a bit too expensive for a runny nose.She hastily dug through her bag, frustrated as she searched, then said, “I know it looks strange. I just got a call. Apparently, the neighbor’s dog passed away, and I’m a little upset.”She knew she must look odd crying like this on the street, and this man in front of her must be wondering about it. So, to avoid him standing there unsure of what to say, she explained first.Scott smiled faintly and said, “You seem to have had quite a bond with the neighbor’s dog.”Julissa nodded, speaking almost to herself: “We grew up together. When I was in school, if anyone bullied me, the dog would bite them back for me. It always protected me. If my dad hit me on the bottom, the dog would try to plead for me. The neighbor used to say that when I grew up, the dog would stay with
Julissa quickly grabbed the test from him and stuffed it back into her bag.“Uh, the handkerchief... I’ll wash it and return it to you later.”Scott nodded, his gaze lingering on her face for a couple of seconds. “Get in the car. I’ll drive you.”Julissa immediately waved her hand. “No need, no need. I’ll just take a taxi. It’s really convenient.”How could she let Mr. Nichols drive her home? He was probably just being polite.“You’re Annabelle’s friend. Since I promised Kendrick to take care of everything for her today, it naturally includes you.”His voice was calm, and his reasoning was sound.Julissa blinked. “Alright then, thank you, Mr. Nichols.”Once in the car, she couldn’t help but think to herself: Was it just the handsomeness that made his words more persuasive?Her focus shifted, and she wasn’t as upset anymore. But the image of Liam standing with that woman still gnawed at her, making her feel uncomfortable.Why didn’t he chase after her? Didn’t he intend to keep begging
That evening, when Kendrick returned home, he saw the little woman in the kitchen, angrily smashing a cucumber on the cutting board until it was nearly pulverized. She kept smashing it.It was clear that this wasn't just about smashing cucumbers; she was angry.Kendrick walked up behind her and embraced her. "What did the cucumber do to deserve such a beating?"He hadn't even taken off his coat yet, still carrying the chill from outside. But when he held the soft, warm little woman in his arms, he felt all his exhaustion from the day vanish.However, Annabelle was startled. She swung the knife and suddenly turned to the side. "When did you come in?"Seeing her reaction, it seemed like she was ready to hit him with the knife too. Kendrick quickly held her hand, took the knife from her, and set it aside."I thought you heard me. Was the fitting not going well today?""Sabrina is fine," she paused and turned to face him. "I have a question for you.""Go ahead," Kendrick smiled, tucking a
"No one upset me. It's about Julissa," Annabelle replied, taking the chopsticks and mixing the cucumber. She then told Kendrick about Julissa’s recent emotional struggles and how she kept worrying she was sick. Annabelle was even considering skipping the party tomorrow to accompany Julissa to the hospital for a checkup.Kendrick raised an eyebrow. "Didn’t your friend tell you that she’s going too? And she’ll be there as Scott’s date?""She didn’t say. Really?""Absolutely."Annabelle immediately picked up her phone and called Julissa. Once she confirmed with Julissa, she finally believed Kendrick's words."How did Scott suddenly invite Julissa?"After a few gatherings, Annabelle had noticed that Scott was truly aloof and reserved. So she couldn’t understand why he would suddenly invite Julissa, especially when they had just met for the first time today.Kendrick laughed. "Maybe he just wants to experience the lively energy of the world sometimes."Annabelle agreed. Julissa was indeed
Annabelle couldn’t help but frown. Wasn’t that a photo of her and Julissa at the hospital?How did the reporters know about this?In other words, did it mean that her every move was under surveillance? The thought made her feel uneasy and repulsed, and her expression immediately darkened.Of course, Kendrick knew the truth behind the photo because Annabelle had told him the day before that she had accompanied Julissa to the hospital.Seeing that the little woman was upset, he gently patted her hand, intending to help her out of this awkward situation.However, Annabelle spoke up first, firing back at the reporter.“That was just me accompanying a friend to pick up her physical exam results yesterday. Does your newspaper rely on hearsay and distort facts to publish every news article?”The male reporter looked embarrassed and stammered, “But you and Mr. Gregory…”Annabelle smiled slightly, her voice calm but firm. “We really appreciate everyone’s concern, but Mr. Gregory and I don’t wa
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