Annabelle felt a wave of emotion. Looking at the frail and pitiful person from back then, now so healthy and clearly a young master of a prominent family, she couldn’t help but feel happy for him."You were really a bit much earlier, recognizing me but not acknowledging it."He smiled, "I was actually thinking of going a little further and scaring you more, but I was afraid you’d slap me in front of everyone, and that wouldn’t be fun."Annabelle laughed, "How did you become Mr. Duncan’s son?"Elio sighed and smiled helplessly, "I’ve always been his son. It’s just that I was imprisoned by some envious friends for three years, tortured in every possible way. Eventually, they threw me into a ravine to feed the wolves, and that’s when I met you. At the time, I really thought I had encountered a little fairy."Annabelle remembered treating his wounds and still felt a little shaken. She also recalled how hard it was to carry him back, taking many breaks along the way. Smiling, she said, "I
"Thankfully, he's quite interesting..." Annabelle wasn’t keen on discussing her arranged marriage or the developments between her and Kendrick. After all, it involved personal emotions, and she preferred to keep it private. Elio nodded. He thought that there really wasn’t the kind of relationship between Annabelle and Ryan that he had imagined. It seemed their marriage was just a result of family arrangements. But he wasn’t sure about the current state of their feelings for each other. If they were merely a couple in name, or if Kendrick couldn’t pass Eleanor’s test tonight, then he wouldn’t just stand by and watch. He was eager to compete with Kendrick, to challenge him. Hearing that the dance was coming to an end, Annabelle decided to go find Kendrick. Elio smiled and asked, "What, afraid he’ll be stolen away by Eleanor?" Annabelle awkwardly smiled and denied it. "Then don’t rush. He’ll probably be discussing business with my father soon. I bet you’re not a fan of th
From a distance, Lila watched Kendrick, her face scrunched with worry as she grabbed her aunt Briley's hand. "Aunt, why is my brother-in-law dancing with that woman, laughing and talking? Doesn’t that mean he doesn’t really like my sister, but only dislikes me?" Briley frowned slightly, feeling a bit vexed. She said, "Why worry? Just because he rejected you doesn’t mean he doesn’t like you. He might just not want to get too close to you in front of Annabelle." Lila thought about it and reluctantly agreed. "But if that woman gets her chance, won't I lose mine?" Briley gave her a look of irritation. "Why are you so impatient? You need to leave a good impression on Kendrick. Pushing yourself onto him won’t work. If you want a man’s heart, you have to take your time." Lila understood, but she felt that Kendrick had no real impression of her—or maybe none at all. She was beautiful, yes, but Annabelle was even more stunning. Other women at the banquet were no less attractive e
“You only sweet-talk me when you need something,” Kael teased, glancing at her pretty face, his narrow eyes narrowing in amusement. Lila didn’t bother to argue. She took out the small package of drugs from her handbag and handed it to Kael, whispering, “I’ve booked a room on the fifth floor, 502. Kendrick is in the small lounge right now. You just need to find a way to mix this into his drink, and follow the plan I told you. Once it’s done, you’ll get this.” She held up two fingers. “Two thousand is too little, right?” Kael flicked the package of drugs. “If Kendrick catches me, I might not make it out of here.” Lila smirked. “Twenty thousand.” Kael paused, then grinned. “Deal! You really are generous, Miss Castillo.” He put the drugs in his pocket and stood up to leave, but Lila stopped him. “Not done yet. There are two small packages inside. If you mess up once, there’s still one more chance. Remember, watch him drink it.” “Okay, don’t worry!” After Kael left, Lila
Kael had feelings for Lila, so sending other men to her bed made him uncomfortable.But he figured that after tonight, he would have leverage over Lila—her secrets and weaknesses in his grasp. With that kind of power, he could control her however he pleased.No more work. He could simply hold onto this little rich woman and live the good life.Thinking about how he’d soon have both wealth and beauty, Kael was ecstatic.Meanwhile, Eleanor was also setting a trap for Kendrick.She sipped her wine slowly, sighing. “Watching all of you in your sweet, happy relationships, I can’t help but feel envious. Coming home to a cold, empty house every night… being alone… it’s lonely. I also want someone to keep me warm…”She cast a deep, meaningful glance at Kendrick, thinking that even a fool would understand what she meant.Kendrick looked at her indifferently. “Then why not find someone?”Eleanor smirked. “How about this—I’ll have my driver take Annabelle home first, and we can go somewhere quie
Kendrick knew that Eleanor was a woman of high principles. She was straightforward, and she would never stoop to sabotaging someone else’s marriage. If she really had an interest in him, she wouldn’t have waited until tonight to show it, nor would she have used such a low tactic. Eleanor met his gaze for a moment before suddenly laughing, letting out a long sigh. “Fine, I’ll be blunt with you. I’m just testing you for Annabelle, or rather, I’m testing you for my brother.” Kendrick was taken aback by the mention of Annabelle. Eleanor was testing him for her? Annabelle didn’t even know her—why would Eleanor care about her so much? When she mentioned her brother, Kendrick became even more wary. “Testing me for loyalty, for your brother?” Eleanor, naturally straightforward, had already grown tired of pretending to be a delicate woman for her brother’s sake. After seeing Kendrick’s reaction earlier, she felt her brother was overthinking it. Eleanor went on to explain how her br
Kael’s face turned deathly pale upon hearing those words. Without hesitation, he turned to flee.But Eleanor grabbed him by the collar and dragged him back.“Stand right here.” She then turned to Kendrick. “Are you sure?”Kendrick rubbed his temples, his voice hoarse. “Go check for yourself. I’ll leave it to you.”“Wait a moment.”“What now?”Kendrick’s tone was impatient. Why was Eleanor always so troublesome? Couldn’t she see he was in a hurry?Eleanor took a step closer, lowering her voice. “If I find the person who drugged you, how do you want me to handle them?”“Do whatever you want. Just don’t let them off easy.”With that, Kendrick forced himself to maintain his composure, suppressing the intoxicated feeling overtaking him. He quickly left the banquet hall, heading straight for the lounge where Annabelle had been earlier.Eleanor glanced at Kael and smirked. “That drink—make me another one.”“Ah… Miss Duncan, this…”“Hm?” Eleanor narrowed her eyes.Kael’s legs nearly gave out.
By now, Kendrick was drenched in sweat. He casually tugged at his tie and sank into the sofa, sitting in the dark, quietly waiting for the effects of the drug to subside.He took out his phone to call Annabelle, but the call went unanswered until it was automatically disconnected. He dialed again, and the same thing happened.After countless attempts, frustration, worry, and the burning sensation in his body overwhelmed him. He tossed the phone aside, pressing his fingers to his temple in frustration.As time dragged on, each passing second felt like an eternity. His body felt like it was being crawled over by a thousand ants, an unbearable itch gnawing at his very bones.While Kendrick struggled against his desires, Annabelle had returned to the banquet hall.She had been chatting with Elio earlier, but then Julissa called, and the two ladies met again. At that time, Scott had gone off to talk with some business contacts, and Julissa, feeling a bit out of place by herself, wandered a
Julissa wondered—could it be that Scott didn’t have a membership card and had used Heather’s instead?She temporarily stepped away from the front desk and sat in the lounge area, trying to figure out what to do next.Technically, she could just call Scott and ask him to bring her in.But she didn’t want to do that. She wanted to show up unannounced, catch them off guard, and completely disrupt their rhythm.And besides, if she were stopped outside and had to wait for Scott to come out and fetch her, it would feel like she had already lost to Heather in terms of presence and pride.So, that plan was a no-go.Should she just wait until they came out? But the more she thought about it, the more annoyed she felt.Why should she waste her time waiting around like this while they got to enjoy their date?Just as she was lost in frustration, a male voice called out to her.“Julissa?”Julissa closed her eyes. She didn’t even need to turn around—the voice alone was enough to know who it was.S
Julissa quickly grabbed Scott’s hand. “Don’t worry about it.”He curled his lips into a smile and obediently let go, then swept her up into his arms and carried her back to the bed…The next morning, Julissa sat up, rubbing her throbbing temples and aching body—only to find the bed empty.Sunlight streamed through the sheer curtains onto her body. She glanced at the clock on the nightstand. Eleven a.m.Crap! She was late!No, this wasn’t just being late—she’d completely skipped work!“Mr. Nichols?” she called toward the bedroom door. No response. Clearly, the big boss had already gone to the office.She reached for her phone by the pillow—then suddenly remembered she’d used it to record video last night. Scott had gone to take a shower, and she’d been so exhausted she’d fallen asleep without even thinking about it.The phone had to still be on the windowsill.Barefoot, she got out of bed and pulled back the curtain. Sure enough, the phone was still there, screen down and nearly burnin
After dinner, they cleaned up the kitchen together. Then Scott went to take a shower, while Julissa headed to the bedroom.She placed her phone on the windowsill, hidden behind the curtain. Only a sheer layer covered it—just enough to keep things from being too explicit. As long as his voice was clearly captured, a blurry image would actually be even better.After all, the last thing she wanted was for every man at his future wedding to see her naked on the big screen.Yes—she was going to record her night with Mr. Nichols.Just like those classic evil ex-girlfriends in dramas, she planned to send the footage straight to his future wife. And better yet—broadcast it at their wedding.Sure, this move was one of those you hurt me, I’ll destroy us both kind of deals.But whatever. She, Julissa, was just a nobody, a little shrimp in the vast sea of high society. Once she left this circle, she could go back to her own little life.Even if she couldn't return to a peaceful life, she would do
Julissa was startled by his sudden move. She quickly turned around and smiled at Scott. “Maybe my period is coming. I’m just feeling a little low.”He paused for a second, as if just realizing what she meant by “period,” then gently tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear.“You girls get emotional because of that?”Julissa forced a small smile. “Of course. We get moody, feel down for no reason, and crave all kinds of heavy flavors.”Scott raised an eyebrow. “Oh? So what’s Julissa craving today?”Julissa immediately sensed where this was going and shot him a glare. “Definitely not what you’re thinking.”“What am I thinking?” Scott’s gaze lingered on her lips, a mischievous smile spreading across his face.Truth be told, Julissa wasn’t in the mood to flirt, so she backed away slightly. “Mr. Nichols, behave yourself…”He didn’t answer. Instead, he leaned in and kissed her.Julissa wanted to push him away, but her hands were covered in marinade and seasoning from preparing the fish.
That one sentence struck deep.Instinctively, Julissa glanced at the ring on her left middle finger, thinking of what Scott had said to her.That night, when he gave her the ring, he had told her it wasn’t an engagement ring—just something to wear for now, and that when the time came for a proposal, he would give her something even better.She believed his words.So even though what Mrs. Nichols just said shocked her, and even brought a momentary pang to her chest, she didn’t believe it.“How do you know he won’t marry me?”Honestly, Julissa even wanted to ask, How do you know I’d definitely agree to marry him? A girl’s got her pride too.But now wasn’t the time to nitpick. She just wanted to know where Mrs. Nichols got the confidence to say so definitively that Scott wouldn’t marry her.Mrs. Nichols didn’t seem like the type to lie, and that only made Julissa more determined to find out the truth.“Then I’ll be blunt,” Mrs. Nichols said. “Tomorrow at 7 p.m., he’s going to meet Miss H
Walking beside Mrs. Nichols was another senior executive from the Nichols Group, one of the company’s veterans. The two of them were chatting and laughing, clearly in good spirits.Why is Mrs. Nichols still here? Has she been at the company the whole day?But then again, she was the former president’s wife. It was only natural for her to be on familiar terms with the old guard.Julissa quickly lowered her head, pretending she hadn’t seen anything, hoping Mrs. Nichols hadn’t noticed her either.She scrolled aimlessly through her phone, clearly distracted. She knew she should go up and greet her, but kept telling herself there was no point in exchanging a few perfunctory words. Better to stay in ostrich mode.More importantly, she was feeling guilty—her first impression with her future mother-in-law had been far from ideal. Or maybe it was just that Mrs. Nichols had such an overwhelming presence that Julissa dreaded facing her alone.She couldn’t help but wonder again—what kind of man m
Julissa truly felt like she could never win against this man. Talking to him was like navigating a minefield—one careless step, and she’d fall right into his trap.But it was still working hours, after all. Julissa thought his sudden surge of interest was way too unexpected, leaving her flustered and completely unprepared.“Mr. Nichols, what do you take me for?” she asked, breathless.“What do I take you for?”As each button was slowly undone, Julissa felt like her face was about to combust.“I’m not the kind of woman who’d… who’d just let herself get harassed for a bonus!”“Then just pretend you’re harassing me,” Scott said casually.Julissa blinked. That’s allowed?But actually, if she flipped the roles in her mind—if she imagined herself as the one taking advantage of him—somehow, it felt a bit more tolerable.Scott’s hands didn’t stop moving. They were already at her waist. “Besides,” he murmured, “you went back on your word. There’s got to be a price for that.”Julissa was hot an
Kendrick resumed his earlier position, leaning against the headboard. “The Nichols family still has some unresolved issues—they’re definitely in no place to plan a wedding right now.”“I see…” Annabelle nodded thoughtfully. “But Julissa’s dad also said they had to be together for at least a year before they could get married, just to prevent them from being impulsive.”Kendrick didn’t respond further. He got out of bed and walked around to Annabelle’s side, scooping her up in his arms.“What are you doing now?” Annabelle asked in alarm.Kendrick chuckled helplessly. “Time to wash up, remember? You said your legs were too weak to walk.”…The Next Morning, Times GroupWhen Julissa went to the staff lounge to get water, she overheard her colleagues excitedly chatting about their quarterly bonuses.When they saw her, they couldn't help gossiping. They said that Miss Hickman had been working overtime again and had even completed another project, so her bonus would surely be substantial.J
That morning, after Agatha left the the Whitney Group, she died in a car accident that afternoon.The killer wasn’t Dereon, and it certainly wasn’t Ryan. Since he had promised to let her go, he wasn’t someone who would go back on his word.But Ryan knew exactly who did it—because right after Agatha’s death, he received a phone call.On the other end, the man said coldly, “Little Ryan, this is how you deal with traitors.”Ryan understood—this was a warning. A warning that if he dared to betray them, dared to spare Kendrick again, then whether it was Ryan himself, Anna, or anyone close to him, they’d all end up like Agatha.At this point, it was no longer a matter of wanting to kill Kendrick or not—it was something he had to do.Otherwise, the one who would die… would be him.Ryan downed his drink in one gulp.Dereon continued, “Young Master, I’m grateful you didn’t punish me and only assigned me overseas. But I still don’t think I did anything wrong. And that Sid—how could he possibly