Kendrick unfolded the crumpled painting draft and took a look. It was an unfinished painting that seemed to be intended to depict a sea, a very familiar scene.Annabelle sat up, hugged her knees, and looked depressed."I originally wanted to give it to you as a gift, but I messed it up."Kendrick remembered that when they were in Shadelake, he gave Annabelle a necklace and a jewelry box. At that time, Annabelle said she would give him a gift in return, but he needed to wait a while.Some time ago, she went to the calligraphy and painting market and bought some things. He didn't ask in detail. Now, looking at the picture frame piled up by the wall and the paintings in the room, Kendrick understood.Annabelle was going to paint a picture for him with her own hands. She probably didn't want him to enter this room last night because she was afraid that he would see it in advance.However, it seemed that none of the painting drafts visible in the room was intact."Is it still not finished?
Kendrick casually rolled up the cuffs of his shirt twice and then returned to the easel. He carefully took down that painting."What are you doing?" Annabelle asked in surprise.Kendrick turned back and smiled at her. "I'm going to frame the painting."Annabelle really wanted to stop Kendrick because the painting had been cut up by her, and it would look so ugly when framed.Actually, she could paint another one for him. Although she couldn't paint well now, she didn't know when she would pick up the brush next time either.Thinking of her own body, Annabelle fell into melancholy again. She pressed her finger against her pulse.Her pulse was chaotic, and she felt terrible. If it was poisoning, it would be fine as long as the poison was detoxified. But she didn't know what kind of poison it was, nor which organ had been damaged by the poison, so she couldn't prescribe the right medicine.She really wanted to contact the young master. With his excellent medical skills, he must know what
Annabelle shifted her gaze and lightly scolded him, "I didn't! You're mistaken." Kendrick smiled and handed her the warm milk, with the little cat, Coco, eagerly waiting for its milk at his feet. Annabelle took a small saucer and poured a little for Coco. "Can Coco drink milk?" Kendrick asked Annabelle, but Coco meowed, as if to say, "Yes, I can." Annabelle crouched down, rubbed Coco's forehead, placed the saucer on the floor, and said to Kendrick, "Most cats are lactose intolerant, so milk can cause diarrhea, but the milk I bought is lactose-free, so it's fine to give him a little." Afterward, both the large and small ones were drinking milk in the tea room. The small one was soft and cute, while the large one was gentle, and Kendrick's gaze deepened. After Coco finished, it stretched, rubbed against Annabelle's leg, and walked off with small steps. Annabelle, also looking satisfied, licked her lips, feeling that the gloomy mood earlier had dissipated. She was about
Wilson packed up his things and told Annabelle that she was probably just very tired recently and needed to rest more. There was no need to worry too much. For her cold symptoms, he recommended stopping any other nourishing medicines until she recovered. He suggested a balanced diet, mostly light foods, and plenty of warm water to help speed up her metabolism. He would also prepare a herbal soup for her.Wilson's advice was conservative and aligned with what Annabelle expected. She felt less anxious about her condition than she had before.After seeing Wilson off, Kendrick asked him, "What exactly is going on with Annabelle?"He had known Wilson for quite some time, and the repeated reassurance to Annabelle only made Kendrick feel uneasy.Wilson's expression was serious as he replied, "I can't say for sure, but I don't think it's looking too good...""Tell me straight," Kendrick insisted."I suggest we wait for the test results. Modern medicine should be able to pinpoint the cause. I
This decision was made by Annabelle after much thought.Kendrick was good at managing finances and running his company well, so if she wasn’t going to invest in him, who else would she invest in?Oh, right, Annabelle was thinking about investing in the Nichols Group's stocks next, because she was also optimistic about Nichols Chen Yuan.She also wanted to invest in the fashion brand founded by Fabian Mcmahon, but unfortunately, his company wasn’t listed yet.Kendrick chuckled helplessly, “Great choice. It's a good decision.”Investing her own money in her own company made perfect sense.“By the way, Grandpa told me this morning that he wants us to come over for dinner tomorrow. If you’re not feeling well, we don’t have to go.”Annabelle thought to herself, it was Grandpa who invited them, of course, they had to go. Besides, she felt great today and was completely healthy now.“I’m fine. I haven’t visited Grandpa since the New Year, so it’s about time I go.”Kendrick smiled and gently
Kendrick's eyes were filled with admiration and appreciation as he watched Annabelle. She was like a vision, and he couldn’t look away.Annabelle, feeling both shy and exhilarated under his intense gaze, couldn’t help but smile. She lifted the corner of her lips, her eyes sparkling with mischief as she mimicked his tone. "Do you think it looks good?" she asked, her voice teasing.Kendrick cleared his throat, trying to maintain his composure. "It's alright," he replied."Just alright?" Annabelle raised an eyebrow, her smirk growing wider. "Then why does Mr. Gregory seem so... affected?"He stepped closer, his voice low and firm. "From now on, you’re only allowed to wear swimsuits when I’m around."Annabelle laughed, her pride evident. "Then you’d better make sure you’re with me every time I swim."Kendrick’s eyes narrowed slightly, a mix of amusement and possessiveness flickering in his gaze.Tsk! This little woman is being very bold today!He reached out to grab her wrist, but Annabell
They fought for air, and just before they were on the verge of suffocating, Annabelle felt every sense in her body become hypersensitive, her dependency on Kendrick growing stronger.When he brought her up for air, her face was flushed, and she gasped, "You're crazy!""Don't like it?" He grinned, his smile mischievous.Annabelle’s face grew even redder. She turned her head, burying her face against the stone table, determined to ignore him.Kendrick, however, wrapped his arms around her waist from behind and kissed her neck."Kendrick, you need to control yourself; someone might see us."Annabelle was a little panicked. Despite their previous agreement to refrain from intimacy until her health was clear, she still found it embarrassing to kiss or hug in such an open place.Kendrick chuckled, "So shy? No one is coming. Didn't Grandpa say so...?"Just as his words ended, footsteps approached.Kendrick frowned in annoyance, turning toward the sound, and Annabelle looked as well. Both of
After the four of them exchanged pleasantries, Ariana smiled and said, "Trey just mentioned that Grandpa’s new swimming pool is ready for use. Since Kendrick and Sister-in-law are already here, we decided to come over. I hope we’re not disturbing you!""It’s fine," Kendrick responded with a faint smile, though his smile didn’t quite reach his eyes.Ariana’s smile stiffened slightly, but she quickly said, "Then we’ll go change. Kendrick, Sister-in-law, we’ll see you later!"Annabelle smiled back at her, hoping that with a fiancé now, Ariana would stop treating her as a rival.After they left, Kendrick turned to Annabelle, "If you don’t want to swim anymore, we can leave."Annabelle shook her head. "No, I haven’t swum much yet. Let’s stay a little longer."She had just changed into her swimsuit and hadn’t swum for long. It wouldn’t feel right to leave yet.Besides, Ariana showing up made her want to stay. She didn’t want to seem petty. Even though she was somewhat bothered by Ariana, th
Agatha’s face turned deathly pale. “Dereon, I didn’t!”Sid let out a cold snort. “At first, when we didn’t see Annabelle, you tried to seduce Kendrick directly. You wanted to sleep with him, then turn around and cling to him as his mistress, living a worry-free life, didn’t you?”Agatha shook her head in panic, glancing between Sid and Dereon. “No, I didn’t. That’s not true.”She anxiously grabbed Dereon’s arm. “Dereon, don’t listen to his nonsense. I was just thinking, if I could seduce Kendrick and sleep with him first, then when he dies, it would solidify the story that he forced himself on a waitress!”“If it were that easy, why would we wait until today to act?” Dereon stepped closer to her. “That Kendrick, like the young master, has long been bewitched by Annabelle and doesn’t even glance at other women. That’s why I arranged for you to hide in the room and fake the scene after he died.”Just mentioning Annabelle ignited a fire in Dereon’s chest.What Kendrick thought of Annabel
Annabelle walked out of the bedroom and came over to the dining table, standing in front of Kendrick.Kendrick was cutting into a plate of German sausage and hadn’t started eating yet. He looked up at her and smiled, “Why are you back again? Don’t want me to eat?”Caught red-handed, Annabelle felt a little embarrassed.Still, she reached out, took his hand, and set down the knife. “How about… you lie down with me for a bit first, and then I’ll eat with you?”Kendrick looked at her, amusement flickering in his eyes.His gaze made her face flush with heat, and even her breathing grew unsteady.“Anna, if you want the ox to work, you have to feed it first.”Her cheeks turned even redder. “That’s not what I meant…”Laughing, Kendrick pulled her into his arms, settling her on his lap. Wrapping his arms around her waist, he said, “After sleeping in the same bed for so many days, if I still can’t tell what you want, wouldn’t that be a waste of all that sleep?”He whispered the last part again
Kendrick sighed against her shoulder, clearly reluctant, but still got out of bed, buttoned up his shirt, and went to open the door.Annabelle followed him out, intending to grab a glass of water.As the door opened, she glanced over—turns out it really was room service.A male staff member was pushing a food cart, and a female staff member stood in front of it, holding a dry-cleaned suit in her arms.“Mr. Gregory, sorry to disturb you. This is the breakfast you ordered, and your clothes have been cleaned as well,” the female staff member said in a gentle, soft-spoken voice.Annabelle couldn’t help but glance at her. The woman was wearing a red hotel uniform skirt set, with an alluring figure, good looks, and a refined demeanor—clearly more polished than the average staff member.Normally, Annabelle would appreciate a pretty girl with a quick glance and move on.But this woman made her frown—and made her stay in the living room instead of heading back to the bedroom after finishing he
Annabelle’s face flushed bright red.What the VP was implying—any adult could understand.She could feel the ambiguous gazes of the others, making her even more embarrassed.Kendrick gave a cold “tsk” and glanced at his vice president. “If you can’t come up with a good idea later, I’m holding you responsible.”“lol, no problem!”he replied heartily.Kendrick looked at Annabelle and smiled. “Come on, I’ll take you to the room.”He took her hand and led her into the bedroom.Once the door closed, Annabelle hurriedly explained, “I didn’t know you were in a meeting—mmph…”Before she could finish, Kendrick had already pinned her against the door, capturing her lips in a deep, heated kiss.Annabelle couldn’t handle such intensity and felt like she was suffocating. She lightly patted his shoulder, signaling him to stop.Kendrick pulled back just slightly, his lips still brushing hers as he whispered, “Anna, I’m really happy you came to see me.”She lowered her head, biting her lip, but he gen
Dereon wore a black baseball cap, head down, looking rushed as he headed toward the boarding gate.He was about to board a flight to North City.His phone rang. Glancing at the screen, he answered, “Young Master, I’m about to board… understood…”At that moment, a familiar figure brushed past him. Dereon paused, frowning as he turned to look back.The crowd was bustling with passengers preparing to board. That fleeting figure was now nowhere to be seen. Had he imagined it?But even if it really was Annabelle, she was walking in the opposite direction of the boarding line, which meant she wasn’t getting on this flight.As long as she didn’t interfere, everything would be fine.He continued the call, “Yes, I’m listening, Young Master… Don’t worry. Tomorrow morning, just wait and watch the news.”After hanging up, he proceeded with the check-in process alongside the crowd.Dereon had booked an economy class ticket. Once on the plane, he turned off his phone and began mentally reviewing ev
Julissa curled herself into the blanket.For Scott, that bar was the place they first met—perhaps even where he fell in love with her at first sight. It was a beautiful memory.But for Julissa, it remained a grey area she had never managed to escape.Whenever she thought about how a stranger had taken her to a hotel that night, how she had lost her virginity there, and might have even been photographed or recorded, her scalp tingled with regret and dread.She used to want revenge on that gigolo, but now, the thing she feared most was encountering him again.She just hoped that incident would stay buried in the past, never to be mentioned again.She held up her left hand in front of her eyes, using the moonlight streaming through the window to look at the ring Scott had given her. She really liked him—loved him—and she hoped he would never find out about that foolish mistake she had made...After leaving the bedroom, Scott went to the dining room. He poured himself half a glass of whis
Julissa looked at him timidly, seemingly wanting to comfort him but not knowing where to start.She bit her lip and carefully asked, “Did you have a fight with Auntie?”“You heard something?”Julissa’s eyes became even more nervous. “Mr. Nichols, I didn’t mean to eavesdrop. Please don’t be mad…”Only then did Scott realize that he had sounded a bit harsh due to his anxiety, and it had clearly scared her.“Fool, I’m not blaming you.” He pulled Julissa into his arms. “What did you hear?”“I just heard you say that when Julian had a high fever as a child, you took him to get an IV and stuff…”Scott let out a sigh of relief. It seemed like Julissa had only heard the latter part.As long as she didn’t hear the earlier part.Earlier, when he arrived at the apartment building, he had deliberately tricked her, saying he wasn’t coming back, just to play a joke on her—but he ended up scaring her to tears.That’s when he realized that Julissa had been hurt before by Liam and lacked a sense of se
Julissa immediately said, “I’ve got a great memory, Mr. Nichols, so don’t you go back on your word.”“I won’t. I’ll give it to you in a bit.”Julissa had been eagerly waiting for so long, but he was still teasing her. She wasn’t happy about that. “Mr. Nichols, if your ‘little surprise’ isn’t worth at least a few hundred thousand, you’ll owe me big time for all this waiting.”Scott chuckled, “Isn’t that a bit low of a bar? Just a few hundred thousand is enough?”Julissa ignored him. To a capitalist like him, money was just a meaningless number—completely irrational. What she really wanted to know now was: what exactly was this surprise gift?Since he said he’d give it to her later, it had to be a physical item.“Mr. Nichols, just let me see it now, please? Why wait? I’ve been waiting all night!”But no matter how she pouted or pleaded, Scott stayed calm and composed. He simply said, “Be good. I’ll give it to you once we’re in bed.”Julissa started wondering—what kind of gift could only
Julissa cast a sidelong glance at the takeout bags. One large box of fried chicken, two cans of premixed peach cocktails—her favorite—and… a bowl of Frozen yogurt?Wait. Frozen yogurt?She remembered eyeing it longingly when they passed that shop on the way home. She hadn’t said a word though, especially once Mr. Nichols had already driven past. She hadn’t had the heart to ask him to turn back.But clearly, he’d noticed.Looking at Scott again, the fury in her heart had significantly waned.He pulled out the yogurt and looked at her with an arched brow. “Not eating, huh?”Julissa huffed and turned her head away dramatically.As if she'd surrender to the wicked capitalist for just a bowl of yogurt.Scott shrugged, “Guess I’ll eat it, then. Can’t let it melt. Would be a waste.”She rolled her eyes inwardly. As if he—Mr. Perfectionist—would ever stoop to eating something as common as a street snack.But then… he actually started eating it.Julissa's brows furrowed as she peeked at him. H