Annabelle blinked.Even on the first day they met, Kendrick had never been this restrained or polite.This rare display of self-control left her momentarily at a loss for how to respond.She hesitated for a second before murmuring, “No…”Kendrick lowered his head again.Annabelle felt completely shut out.Clearly, he had no intention of talking.Or perhaps—he didn’t even want to acknowledge her presence.Maybe after seeing another man kiss her, he now found her repulsive?Maybe he didn’t even want to waste another word on her?She could understand.If she saw Kendrick being kissed by another woman, she would be just as upset.She wouldn’t want to talk to him either.She might not even want him to touch her again.Annabelle pressed her lips together, turned silently, and walked toward the door.It seemed like the only option was to let him cool off on his own.She would explain when he was ready to listen.But just as she reached the doorway, a cold voice rang out behind her—“Stop.”H
His voice was hoarse, thick with jealousy, and his eyes burned with rage.It was as if he had been suppressing his emotions for too long, and now, he was finally about to explode.Annabelle stared at him blankly. “I didn’t expect Young Master to suddenly kiss me. It was just a brief kiss, nothing more. I pushed him away—you saw it yourself…”She was telling the truth.But under Kendrick’s piercing gaze, her explanation somehow felt insincere, like a poorly constructed lie.She had initially felt sorry for him.But now, being interrogated like this, she felt both wronged and afraid.Her eyes reddened as she whispered, “If you don’t believe me, you can check the car’s surveillance footage. I didn’t lie to you.”The moment her words fell, Kendrick lowered his head and bit her lips.Pain shot through Annabelle’s lips, followed by the taste of blood.Her eyes widened in shock as she immediately pushed him away. “Kendrick, did you actually bite me?!”Kendrick didn’t respond.His dark eyes l
Kendrick gazed into Anna’s eyes.Her eyes were red, like a little bunny that had been wronged.Yet, despite her delicate appearance, her gaze was unwavering.Thinking back to how roughly he had kissed her earlier, Kendrick felt even more guilty.He gently kissed the corner of her lips. “Does it still hurt?”As soon as he asked, Annabelle’s face flushed red. “Which part are you asking about…?”Kendrick chuckled. “All of it.”“It all still hurts!” she huffed, full of grievance.Kendrick kissed her again. “Then let’s go to bed and take it slow…”Annabelle lowered her eyes, her cheeks burning as she nodded slightly, then wrapped her arms tightly around his neck.Kendrick lifted her from the desk and was about to carry her to the bedroom when she suddenly said, “Wait a second!”“What’s wrong?”“Go the other way—there’s glass here.”Kendrick was stunned for a moment and looked down at the floor.Shards of the broken glass from the cup he had smashed earlier were scattered across the ground.
Kendrick kissed the back of Anna’s neck. “Be good, sleep now.”Annabelle’s eyelids were already drooping heavily when her phone suddenly vibrated with an incoming message.She propped herself up slightly and reached for her phone on the bedside table.Just as she lit up the screen, before she could even see who the message was from, Kendrick pulled her back into his arms.Her phone was swiftly taken away and tucked under his pillow.“Be a good girl and sleep. No checking your phone.”“I just want to see who messaged me. It could be important.”Kendrick, looking particularly sour, responded, “If it were really important, they would’ve called. No need to check a text at this hour.”“…”That… kind of made sense.But it was just one message! It’s not like she was planning to scroll through her phone for hours. A quick glance wouldn’t ruin her sleep.“I’ll just take a peek.” Annabelle lay on top of Kendrick, reaching for her phone.However, before she could grab it, he firmly pressed her b
“You’re not going to the office today?” Annabelle asked.Kendrick replied that things at the company had gradually stabilized, so he no longer needed to work overtime as much as before. That meant he finally had time to properly spend with her.Then, he added with a smile, “So today, I’m all yours, completely at your service.”Annabelle’s face turned red as she pushed him away. All hers? More like she was all his for the day!But hearing that the company was running smoothly, she felt relieved. She had been quietly worrying about him, so this news was a weight off her chest.Since he finally had time to rest, she hoped he could relax at home for a while. “Where are we going later? If you’re tired, we can just stay home and take it easy.”“I’m not tired. You’ll find out when we get there. Sleep a little longer, okay?” Kendrick kissed the corner of her lips before getting out of bed.Annabelle was still a bit sleepy, so she decided to take a short nap.As she closed her eyes, memories o
Julissa’s face instantly turned red. This guy!—acting all serious while teasing her like this was just too much.She had been thinking about him, but there was no way she’d admit it.So she immediately retorted, telling Scott that he was imagining things. She had simply stayed up too late playing on her phone and ended up with insomnia.Scott gave her a knowing glance but didn’t press the issue. He picked up the documents and was about to leave when Julissa suddenly remembered—she still needed to tell him about moving in with Anna.“Oh, by the way, I have something to tell you—”Before she could finish, Jerry walked in, looking like he had something important to report.Julissa had no choice but to swallow her words. “Forget it, I’ll tell you later.”Scott nodded and left with Jerry, heading into the president’s office.Half an hour later, the business partner arrived and joined them for the meeting. While they were occupied, Julissa handled some emails for Scott. It wasn’t too busy o
At the mention of Tokyo, Julissa’s heart clenched.Scott had gone on a business trip to Japan for about a month, spending most of that time in Tokyo.Back then, she hadn’t accepted his confession yet. Even when she was hospitalized after getting injured, he hadn’t rushed back immediately.She had always thought he was just busy with work.But… had he actually stayed behind to be with his ex-girlfriend? Was that why he didn’t return?Yet, after he came back, they had officially started dating. Scott had never shown any signs of being unfaithful.Julissa couldn’t make sense of it."You’re surprised and confused," Yvette said, watching her closely. "So you really didn’t know anything.""Then please, tell me, Senior."Her voice remained calm, but in that moment, she felt as if a thin crack had appeared between her and Scott.And cracks—could shatter in an instant.Yvette sighed helplessly. "He made a commitment to you. So even if he wanted to get back together with me, he would suppress i
Yvette’s words seemed to come from the heart.Even though Julissa had read countless romance novels, she couldn’t simply label Yvette as some manipulative green tea or a white lotus.Because everything Yvette said sounded sincere. She had voiced her fears—her fear that if she waited any longer, Scott would completely leave her behind.Julissa could fully understand her feelings.But… the man they were talking about was Scott.He was her boyfriend.No matter how innocent, pitiful, or genuinely in love this woman claimed to be, her presence here was nothing less than a declaration of war.Yvette wanted her to step aside.But Julissa wasn’t ready to surrender just yet."Are you finished, Senior?"Yvette sighed. "Julissa, I understand how you feel right now. I never wanted to hurt you, but when it comes to love, people become selfish."I can tell—you’re a proud girl. But just because he doesn’t love you doesn’t mean you’re not good enough. You’re just not the right person for him. One day
Kendrick’s deep, low, and teasing voice rang in Annabelle’s ears.She suddenly lifted her head from the old fox’s arms. “It’s only been two days! How is that ‘a few days’?”“It feels like a few days.”“Didn’t we agree—no more than twice a week?”Annabelle tried to reason with him, but Kendrick wasn’t having it.He lifted her chin and kissed her lips, casually shedding his tailored jacket that was now just in the way.As she saw him begin to undo the buttons of his shirt, clearly ready to go further right there in the gym—Annabelle quickly pushed him away. “I need to shower first. I was stretching just now, and I got all sweaty.”That answer… was basically a silent green light for the old fox.Naturally, he was very understanding. With a smile, he said, “Perfect. I need a shower too.”Before she could react, he had scooped her up into his arms and carried her straight toward the en suite bathroom in their master bedroom.Once there, Kendrick gently set her down and, ever the gentl
Annabelle turned around and looked at Kendrick, patting her chest.“You move so quietly! You scared me half to death.”Kendrick kissed the back of her neck and looked at her soft profile.“What were you thinking about? So focused.”“Nothing really… I was just thinking about what I should say when the reporters ask questions at the launch event.”He hadn’t expected that to be on her mind. After a moment’s thought, Kendrick said,“If you don’t want to do the interview, I can talk to Uncle Simon. He can skip the reporter Q&A part, or at least have them submit their questions in advance so you know what to expect.”Annabelle turned to face him, wrapping her arms around his waist and burying her face in his chest.Seeing her like this, Kendrick chuckled.“Just that was enough to move you?”Curled up in his arms, her muffled voice came out,“Kendrick, aren’t you spoiling me a bit too much?”Kendrick gently stroked her back.“No way. I’m still not doing nearly enough.”He wasn’t just being h
Only after seeing the news did Annabelle realize that, in less than a day, she had somehow become the center of attention.It wasn’t like anything serious had happened—it was just a compilation of her training bloopers. From wobbling in high heels and twisting her ankle, to being scolded by her teacher for stiff movements and poor coordination.As lighthearted content, it might’ve just drawn a few laughs. But clearly, someone with bad intentions was trying to stir the pot.The person who uploaded the video mocked her:“This is the new brand ambassador for the the Murphy Group? Are their standards this low now?”The comment section was full of sarcasm too—“I could walk better than that.”“She’s only got the gig because she’s Kendrick’s wife. Just here to cash in.”“Pretty face, but she’s just a vase.”Annabelle was torn between laughing and rolling her eyes. Her only real reaction? Ridiculous.Seriously, did these people not think things through?If her husband was Kendrick, and he di
Julissa took two deep breaths, trying to cool her overheated brain.Since Scott wasn’t coming home tonight, why not ask Anna out for dinner?It had been a while since the two of them properly hung out, and now Anna was dealing with all that online hate. No matter how well Kendrick handled things, she must still be feeling pretty awful inside.A dinner date, some heart-to-heart chatting—maybe it could lift her spirits a little?So, Julissa sent Annabelle a message, asking if she had time for dinner that evening.…At that moment, Annabelle was still training in the posture studio, completely unaware that she’d gone viral online.She did notice, however, that Ms. Maria was unusually gentle with her today—less criticism, more encouragement.She was a bit confused.Since when did Ms. Maria turn soft?Maybe it’s because the showcase is coming up and she doesn’t want to stress me out too much?She didn’t overthink it. Whatever the reason, she stuck to her training routine, completely tuned
Julissa quickly finished reading the news.Once she understood the full context, she was furious. Fuming, she pounded the bed in frustration and immediately tried calling Anna.No answer.Was she in training?Five minutes later, she tried again. Still no response.A trace of worry began to creep in.Even though she believed Anna wouldn’t be too bothered by public opinion, cyberbullying was no joke. Online attacks were one thing—but sometimes they spilled into real life, and that’s what scared her the most.The more she thought about it, the more uneasy she felt.She wanted to reach out to Kendrick to check on Anna, but… she didn’t have his contact information.With no other choice, she called Scott instead.She knew his schedule—at this time, he was likely in the middle of a meeting with a major client.But she couldn’t care less. Making sure Anna was okay came first.Thankfully, Scott answered quickly.On the other end of the line, his magnetic voice came through: “Hello?”“Mr. Nicho
That night, that man had also been drinking.The faint smell of alcohol on his lips—so similar to what she’d just felt from Scott—not unpleasant at all.That man seemed to have the same broad shoulders… the same firm waist and toned abs… and the same fiery passion.And back then, she… had been surprisingly forward.Julissa quickly forced herself to stop thinking.How could she be thinking about another man while lying in Scott’s arms?That’s basically emotional cheating!She shook the thoughts away, refusing to let her mind wander anymore.Once everything was over, Julissa was completely drained. Curled up in Scott’s arms, she quickly drifted into a deep sleep.But even in her dreams that night—she saw him again.The man from that night.And this time… she seemed to recall more of the details.Almost like her memory had come back.But no matter how vivid the dream was, she still never saw his face.Perhaps deep down, she didn’t want to remember the face of a stranger.The next morning
The last few words he said—were barely even spoken. Just a whisper of breath against her ear.Julissa’s ears turned instantly red. Even for someone as cheerful and unrestrained as her, she couldn’t help but cover her face in embarrassment, completely speechless.Scott pressed a kiss to her warm ear, his voice teasing, “Are you full?”“…”Julissa looked at him in disbelief. Wasn’t he just… before dinner?!And now, again?She was finally realizing—once an abstinent man breaks the seal… he becomes dangerously insatiable.“I’m full. But I need time to digest!” she said with firm resolve.Scott pursed his lips. “How long do you need?”“At least two hours.”He frowned slightly, clearly thinking that was too long, but didn’t argue. He simply nodded. “Alright. I’ll wait.”“You really are that… desperate, Mr. Nichols?”He said evenly, “You’ve read those novels, haven’t you? Once you’ve had a taste…”Julissa groaned and buried her face in her hands.At this point, she couldn’t even have a norma
Scott raised an eyebrow. “So, being liked by Miss Hickman is the greatest blessing of my life, huh?”“Of course. I have very high standards,” Julissa said with a cheeky smile.He laughed—genuinely amused. In front of him, she was the only girl bold enough to be this confident… borderline shameless, even. But somehow, it suited her.After a moment, Julissa brought up something that had been lingering in her mind.She confessed her thoughts about what Scott’s mother had said earlier. That “let’s talk properly another day” didn’t sound like a sign of acceptance—if anything, it felt like a polite rejection. She couldn’t help but wonder… Was it because of how messy she looked today?But no, it didn’t seem that simple.Scott took a sip of red wine and replied calmly,“No matter what my mom meant, it won’t change anything between us. So stop worrying about it.”His tone was serious, even a little stern. Julissa could sense that he wasn’t pleased.He seemed… angry at his mom.As the saying go
Scott wrapped his arm around Julissa’s waist, pulling her into his embrace.“You’re not marrying my mom, you’re marrying me. Isn’t it enough that I like you?”“Well, yes, but still…”If they were truly going to be a family, then his mother’s attitude did matter quite a bit.“Alright, let’s eat first. Don’t overthink it.”As he spoke, Scott suddenly scooped her up into his arms.Startled, Julissa cried out, “Mr. Nichols, what are you doing?”“I’ve been meaning to say—walking barefoot on marble floors, doesn’t that feel cold?”She hadn’t expected him to notice such little details. A warm feeling rose in her chest, washing away all the awkward emotions from before. She wrapped her arms around his neck with a smile.“You’re actually… kinda sweet for a cold CEO.”“Miss Hickman is just finding that out now?”He carried her over to the dining table, where she obediently sat down and waited for dinner.Scott plated the steak—perfectly seared and paired with fresh vegetables, finished off with