Kendrick drove home with a low pressure all the way.
It was already 7 o'clock in the evening, and he hadn't eaten yet.
He used to come home very late, and Annabelle used to eat very little at night, like a cat. Therefore, even though they have been married for a long time, they didn't have many dinners together.
Suddenly, I remembered the scene of Annabelle cooking at Marvin's house that day, and a wave of annoyance swept over me.
Did he come home early today? Has she already prepared dinner and waiting for him?
Or, if he made a request, would she cook for him?
Actually, Annabelle has been helping him make soup during this time. Although it was for treating his headache, he often felt that this caring feeling was just like a normal couple.
Thinking like this, Kendrick's frustration in his heart also diminished invisibly, and a hint of warmth overflowed in his heart.
However, when he arrived home, there was no one inside, no sig
Jaime quickly handed over a tissue, speaking with concern, “Mr. Gregory, please don’t worry. We will find Madam. Besides, she’s such a strong swimmer—she’ll definitely hold on until we get to her.”Kendrick quietly wiped the blood from his hand. “Are the helicopters and speedboats you contacted all in position?”Jaime replied that both were in place and that the search and rescue had already begun. He’d also alerted nearby fishing vessels and the coast guard had been dispatched.Kendrick gave a slight nod and said no more.The helicopter continued its search in a zigzag pattern along the yacht’s route. They came across two life vests, some driftwood, and water plants—but no trace of Anna.Kendrick’s eyes felt like they were about to bleed from the strain, but he refused to rest even for a second.In fact, he had only slept two hours the previous night just so he could join Anna on the sea as soon as possible. But now, all he felt was regret. Why did he ever let her board that yacht al
The helicopter touched down on the upper deck of the yacht. Kendrick stepped out, radiating a murderous aura. With him were Jaime, Jax, and another personal bodyguard.The old master and Uncle Trey had heard the noise and emerged from the cabin onto the second deck. The old master was still in his pajamas, clearly having just been woken up. He asked unhappily, “You brat, what’s with the big fuss in the middle of the night?”“Where’s Anna?”“Isn’t she sleeping in her room?”Uncle Trey also said that after dinner, the young madam had returned to her room early to rest. She should be inside—did something happen?Kendrick said grimly, “An hour ago, Anna sent me a distress signal.”At that moment, Leo and Lydia, both still groggy, also came up to the deck.Leo greeted, “Brother Kendrick...” and Lydia added, “Kendrick, what brings you here so late at night...”Kendrick shot them a long, sharp look, and Lydia’s voice trailed off into silence.He then turned to Uncle Trey and said, “Take me t
Annabelle drifted toward that eerie, mesmerizing light, but just as a sharp pain pierced her chest, she suddenly snapped back to consciousness—realizing she was sinking. She kicked upward and broke the surface of the water again, gasping for air.From that moment on, she didn’t dare close her eyes again or let her mind wander.She knew she was in danger—but even more dangerous was losing the will to survive.If she could just hold on a little longer, maybe rescue would come.She thought back to the time she fell into the sea as a child and managed to survive two days adrift. She would make it through this too.But… what if she didn’t?Could it be that her farewell to Kendrick two nights ago was truly their last goodbye?No. Impossible.Kendrick would come. He’d notice she was missing and immediately start looking for her.He had to.—Back on the yacht.Leo stood frozen, staring at the waves where Annabelle had vanished, full-on panicking.He thought about jumping in to save her—but t
Annabelle could never have imagined witnessing such an eye-searing scene—she wished she could scoop up a handful of seawater and wash her eyes out.Who would’ve thought that in this dark, windy night on a damp and chilly deck, Leo would actually be doing that?And he wasn't even worried about being seen!Startled by her voice, Leo immediately yanked up his pants and snapped his head around. In a low voice, he barked, “Who’s there?”Annabelle had already turned around, heading back toward the cabin. She had no time to be curious about someone else’s nasty little business.But Leo caught up in just two strides, grabbed her wrist, and dragged her to the side of the cabin door.“You saw everything just now?” he asked with a smirk, his peach blossom eyes still carrying a haze of lust.His breath reeked of alcohol, and Annabelle felt both nauseated and a little fearful.The guy was drunk, horny, and had just been pleasuring himself alone. If the booze gave him a shot of false courage and he
Marvin stared at Anna’s face.From this angle, at such close distance, gazing down at her delicate, gentle features, he felt the heat inside him spike sharply.In this moment, to say he had no impure thoughts at all would be a lie.But his mother’s words had also made his mind clearer.Anna was already Kendrick’s wife.She loved Kendrick.And he had promised her that he wouldn’t disturb her life again.“She doesn’t love me, Mom... She doesn’t love me. Maybe this is just fate.”He pulled back his arms and lowered his head, sitting on the edge of Anna’s bed.“So please, don’t force me anymore.”His mother stood in front of him and cupped his face.Marvin realized his mother was crying.She said to him, “Marvin, do you know how much effort I’ve poured in for us to get into the Gregory family? If I had wanted a stable, average life—just enough to eat and wear—I could’ve married any of the men who pursued me. I wouldn’t have needed to shamelessly cling to your father.”She crouched down in
Lydia brought her nephew, Leo, into Annabelle’s room and walked up to her bed.“Anna, Anna?” she called softly.Annabelle didn’t wake up.Leo curled his lips into a smug smile. “Don’t worry, Auntie. Right now, even if the world collapsed or the yacht sank, she wouldn’t wake up.”Lydia shot her smooth-talking nephew a glare. Still acting cocky at a time like this?But truth be told, if anyone was suited to pulling something like this off, it was this little scoundrel. Judging by how smoothly he operated, he’d probably used this trick on more than a few good girls before.Of course, Lydia didn’t take such a big risk and drug Annabelle just to let this punk take advantage of her—though she’d long seen through him and knew he harbored ill intent toward Anna.No—tonight, Annabelle was meant to be a medicine for Marvin.Lydia hoped that, after tonight, her son would find his confidence again. That he’d stop living like a dried-up old man baking in the sun, or like a housewife fussing over f
Perhaps sensing her suspicion, Marvin gave a helpless laugh.“I know—you don’t believe me. But this time, I mean it.”Annabelle pursed her lips.She genuinely hoped Marvin would finally let go. Letting go of this obsession would be better for both of them.Marvin went on,“These past few days, I’ve calmed down and done a lot of thinking. I used to be so unwilling to give up, mostly because we were once engaged. I kept thinking, you and I were supposed to be together, that we only ended up apart because of some twist of fate. I tried so hard to fix what I saw as a mistake.”He paused.“But now, I’ve changed my mind. Maybe we didn’t end up together because I was never the right person for you. And… honestly, part of that unwillingness was mixed with my resentment toward Kendrick. I wanted to compete with him—I didn’t want to lose.”Annabelle listened silently, eyes on the moonlit sea.The waters were calm, a lighthouse glowing faintly in the distance, guiding boats through the dark.May
At last, the heated kiss came to an end—but Kendrick’s lips trailed down to Annabelle’s neck.Dizzy and slightly out of breath, Annabelle tried to push him away, but he was overwhelming in his dominance. One arm circled her waist tightly, while the other hand cradled the back of her head, locking her in his arms.Her body was no longer her own to control, and all she could do was rest against Kendrick’s shoulder, passively accepting his affection.It was passive… yet her heart ached with how much she enjoyed it.She realized she was hopeless—her affection and dependence on this man had long surpassed anything she’d imagined.Thinking of the next day's plans, a sense of reluctant sadness rose in her chest again.She was going to accompany Grandpa Gregory on a yacht trip for some sea fishing. It was something she and Kendrick had arranged with the old man days ago.Originally, Kendrick was supposed to join as well. But a last-minute situation at the company made it impossible for him to
After that, Scott gave Julissa a brief account of how his parents had met.His father had originally been developing his business in Shadelake, and during a social event, he happened to meet Scott’s mother. At the time, she was being harassed by a scumbag, and his father stepped in like a hero, driving the thug away. After that incident of saving the damsel in distress, they naturally got closer, and soon after, fell in love.After hearing this, Julissa blinked and asked blankly, “How is that anything like us?”Scott stared at her for two seconds before chuckling softly and sighing, “We both attended a party.”Julissa thought about it for a moment—well, that’s hardly a parallel. But she didn’t dwell on it, assuming Scott just had a unique way of connecting things.Because of the old injury on Julissa’s foot, she wasn’t suited for walking too long, so they didn’t continue strolling through the park. Instead, they sat by the lakeside, chatting while snuggled up close.As a breeze rose o