《Who Is The Real Boss?》


 Chapter 1

    Chapter 1


    Chapter 1 The Benton Family


    A woman in a white T-shirt and jeans walked out of the train station in Douburgh with a suitcase.Her


    delicate face turned slightly red as the sun hit her.She tucked wisps of curly hair behind her ears.


    Under her arched eyebrows were a pair of bright and pretty eyes, a slim nose, and cherry lips.She


    looked so beautiful even though she had no make-up on.


    "Hello! You are Annabel Hewitt, right? I''m the driver sent by the Benton family."


    Annabel nodded and followed the driver into the car casually.She was already worn out.


    On the way, the driver stole nces at the woman, whose eyes were closed as she rested in the back


    seat.


    This woman was Rupert Benton''s fiancee.


    Rupert Benton was the most eligible bachelor in the city.


    At just twenty-one years old, he was already the CEO of Benton Group.He was way ahead of his


    peers.He was a vigorous, resourceful and no-nonsense person, causing many in the business world to


    be afraid of him.His grandfather, Bruce Benton, took it upon himself to find a wife for him.


    And he picked Annabel, a girl from the countryside.


    With his hands on the steering wheel, the driver took another look at Annabel''s innocent face and


    clicked his tongue.He envisaged that she would have a hard time with the Benton family.


    At this time, Annabel slowly opened her eyes and looked at the strange city with a calm expression.


    The car arrived at the Benton family''s residence soon.


    The driver carried Annabel''s luggage for her.


    Annabel barely had one foot inside the house when a well-dressed woman appeared.


    She eyed Annabel from head to toe with a look of utter disdain.


    "Tracy!"


    "Yes, Mrs.Benton."


    As soon as Tracy was given a signal, she began to spray the disinfectant all over Annabel.


    The well-dressed woman was Erica Benton, Rupert''s mother.


    With her hands akimbo, she ordered, "Her shoes and hair.Spray them, too."


    Annabel''s face and body were soon covered with droplets of disinfectant.


    The pungent smell made her nose a little itchy.She uttered coldly, "What is wrong with you?"


    Erica flipped out immediately.


    "I heard that you''re from the countryside, but I thought you would at least be well behaved.It appears


    you are the same as the wayward and rude girls they breed over there.I''m doing this because I don''t


    want you to bring any virus or bacteria into this household.Do you want us to get infected with whatever


    you are carrying?"


    Annabel wasn''t one to take shit from anyone.She would have walked out if she hadn''t made a deal with


    her grandfather.


    "In that case, you should spray some disinfectant in your mouth because it stinks!"


    With this, Annabel shoved the servant aside and walked in.


    "You...Oh my..."


    Erica pointed at Annabel with a trembling hand.


    Tracy hurriedlyforted her.


    In the living room, a girl who looked about the same age as Annabel was sitting on the sofa.She had on


    designer clothes and bright makeup.Her expression was more condescending than Erica''s as she


    looked at Annabel.She was Rupert''s cousin, Cathy Benton.


    "Are you Annabel Hewitt, Rupert''s fiancee?"


    Cathy rolled her eyes when she saw that Annabel wasn''t dressed in designer clothes.


    "Gosh, Grandpa has no taste.I can''t believe he chose someone like you.Anyway, I heard you came


    here by train.You should have told us you are too poor to afford a ne ticket.We would have bought


    one for you.Wait, it seems there isn''t an airport in the countryside."


    Annabel looked at Cathy with one of her eyebrows raised.She wondered if every member of this family


    was so arrogant.


    There was indeed no airport where she came from, but her grandfather had booked an entire high-


    speed train to Douburgh just for her.


    These arrogant people had no idea that she traveled as luxuriously as someone who flew first ss.


    Besides, she could have flown here in a private jet if she wanted.


    Annabel could easily make it clear to these people, but she didn''t.She just went upstairs.


    Annoyance clouded Cathy''s face once she saw Annabel ascending the stairs.She wasn''t used to


    anyone ignoring her, so she followed her.


    "Where is my room?" Annabel asked the maid behind.


    "Here!"


    Cathy said, pointing at a door in the hallway before the maid could reply.


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    She pushed the door open and added condescendingly, "You have never stayed in a bedroom as big


    as this, have you? You should cherish it while living in here.I''m Rupert''s cousin, Cathy.You should fawn


    over me if you..."


    Cathy had barely finished speaking when Annabel walked into the room and shut the door in her face.


    This made her angrier.


    "Ah! How dare that pauper be so conceited? What was Grandpa thinking?"


    The maid warily moved closer and asked, "Miss, but isn''t this Mr.Benton''s room?"


    Cathy cast a scornful nce at the door.


    "Shush! Don''t say a word to her.Rupert hates anyone being in his space or using his things.When he


    finds out that she''s here, just tell him that she chose to stay in this room."


    Cathy''s eyes glistened with slyness as she spoke.

 Chapter 2

    Chapter 2


    Chapter 2 Night-long Cuddle


    Annabel didn''t realize that this room belonged to someone else.


    When she saw that the bathroom was stocked with only men''s products, she just assumed that the


    Bentons were trying to get on her nerves.


    "What an incredible family!" she muttered sarcastically, walking under the shower.


    She only had to put up with this for three months.She had struck a bet with her grandfather.


    If she still had no feelings for Rupert after staying here for three months, their marriage would be called


    off.


    A maid brought in dinner for her once Annabel got out of the bathroom.She ate it and fell asleep almost


    immediately.


    It was already midnight when Rupert finally came back home from a business dinner.


    He was aware Annabel was arriving today.


    Bruce had told him to pick her up, but he refused under the guise of having many things to do at work.


    He had no interest in his fiancee.


    As far as he was concerned, the marriage would be canceled sooner orter.


    Rupert was fagged out.He managed to take a shower and went straight to bed.He was very drunk, so


    he didn''t notice that someone else was in his room until hey down on his bed.


    Therge bulge under the quilt startled him.He moved away abruptly.


    The room was dimly lit, so he couldn''t see the woman''s face clearly.


    Before he could think straight, she rolled over and hugged him.


    She muttered, "Teddy, don''t be naughty.You should sleep now."


    Rupert frozepletely.


    This woman had a very familiar scent, just like that girl...


    It was soothing as his nose pressed against her neck.


    For some reason, Rupert found himself hugging her back.He fell asleep with Annabel in his arms.


    Strangely for an insomniac, Rupert didn''t wake up at any point during the night.He slept like a well-fed


    baby.He had a dream that night.


    It was about what happened to him ten years ago.


    In a dark room, a girl embraced him tightly and said in a sweet voice, "Don''t be scared.No harm shall


    come to you.I''ll protect you."


    Later in the dream, he met that girl again.It felt so real.


    The next morning, Cathy woke up at the crack of dawn.


    She had been hoping to hear the news that Annabel was thrown out of the room once Rupert got back


    home.


    But the maid said nothing of such happened.


    Why was that? Didn''t Ruperte back homest night? But his car was in the garage.


    Rupert hated anyone being in his space.


    He couldn''t possibly have slept in the same bed as a strange woman.


    Consumed by curiosity and uncertainty, Cathy went to knock on Rupert''s door.


    "Hey, Rupert! Breakfast is ready.Don''t you have a meeting this morning? You should get up now!"


    The noise woke up the two people who were fast asleep at the same time.


    Annabel immediately felt the warmth of someone else.Her head wasn''t on a pillow but on a hard


    chest.She looked up, only to meet the sharp eyes of a man.She sat up immediately and was wide


    awake.


    "Who are you?" Rupert''s eyes darkened.


    "Annabel Hewitt?"


    Since he knew her name, Annabel assumed that he was her fiance, Rupert.


    But why was he in her room? She was just about to question him again when he uttered, "You came to


    my room and slept in my bed on your first day in this household.I must say that you are really


    something!"


    "What?"


    Annabel lookedpletely confused.He just said this was his bed? How was that possible? Was every


    member of this family mad and troublesome? "Oh my!"


    Annabel eximed as her mind went to the men''s products she saw in the bathroom yesterday.


    It seemed Cathy had tricked her.


    In haste, Annabel got off the bed and looked at him coldly.


    "Just to be clear, I didn''t mean to sleep here.Cathy told me this was my room.No offense but I''m not in


    any way interested in you.Come to think of it, I fell asleep alone.Why didn''t you realize that someone


    else was in the bed when you got back? And why did you hold me in your arms for the whole night?


    Don''t tell me you have a crush on me?"


    A look of embarrassment clouded Rupert''s face when he heard her words.He couldn''t deny that he


    held her in his arms for the whole night.


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    Just likest night, he was stunned when he met Annabel''s eyes.


    Her beautiful eyes were just like that girl''s.


    Annabel squinted at him with a smile.


    "What? Why are you staring at me like that? Are you obsessed with me?"


    Rupert came to his senses.His face darkened again.He ordered coldly, "Get out! And don''te into


    this room ever again!"


    Annabel sucked her teeth.


    She then left with her belongings without hesitation.This was their first meeting, but they already didn''t


    like each other.


    Cathy, who was still at the door, was surprised to see Annabele out.


    Annabel said with an ambiguous smile, "Good morning! As you wish, your cousin held me in his arms


    and slept for the whole night.We got along pretty well.You must be happy about that."


    "Nonsense!"


    Cathy''s face was livid.She didn''t believe that at all.


    In her opinion, there was no way Rupert would like Annabel, let alone hold her in his arms for hours.


    But the fact that they had slept together for the whole night was in to see.

 Chapter 3

    Chapter 3


    Chapter 3 New Secretary


    Annabel walked away with a fake smile.


    Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.


    Cathy lost it.


    "You bumpkin! Stop right there.I''m not done talking.Let me tell you, Rupert won''t marry you!"


    Just then, Rupert walked out of the room.


    "Ermm...Rupert..."


    Cathy stuttered, moving back in fear.


    Rupert''s face darkened.It was obvious that he was angry, so Cathy didn''t dare to say anything more.


    Annabel asked a maid to take her to her room.She unpacked her things and then went downstairs for


    breakfast.


    Erica, Cathy, and Rupert were already seated at the dining table.


    Erica began to criticize her as soon as Annabel sat down.


    "Weren''t you taught proper etiquette? Not only did you wake up sote, but you also didn''t bother


    preparing breakfast.Do you think you''re already the hostess here?"


    Taking a nce at Erica, Annabel said tly, "I''m not a servant either."


    She would never make breakfast for this family.


    Although Rupert didn''t say anything as the two argued, there was no denying that he didn''t like


    Annabel either.


    The atmosphere in the dining room was tense.


    They ate in silence for most of the time.


    After breakfast, Erica held out a bank card to Annabel.


    "This card is loaded with about five thousand dors.Buy yourself some decent clothes before going to


    thepany.Remember to behave well.You mustn''t cause any trouble for Rupert."


    To develop the rtionship between the two, Bruce proposed that Annabel work in thepany as


    Rupert''s secretary.


    Leonard Hewitt, Annabel''s grandfather, agreed to the arrangement.


    She didn''t refuse.


    After all, it was only temporary.


    Her new employment was no biggie for her, but the bank card was! It was obvious that Erica looked


    down on her.


    "Thanks, but no thanks," Annabel said in a sarcastic manner.


    There was nothing wrong with her clothes, as far as she was concerned.


    They were specially made for her.


    That was why the Bentons thought they were not designer clothes.


    Without waiting for Erica or anyone else to retort, she went upstairs to get ready for work.


    She had just gotten into her room when her phone buzzed.It was a bank notification.


    The sum of fifty million dors had been transferred into her ount.


    A text message from Leonard came through.


    "Dear, I hope they are treating you well over there.I transferred some money to your ount.Buy


    whatever you want.And don''t forget to inform me if anyone bullies you.I love you."


    Annabel smiled and texted back, "Grandpa, I''m not happy here.They are bullying me.It''s not funny at


    all."


    Leonard replied almost immediately, "d to hear that.Anyway, I''m going fishing.Talk to youter."


    Annabel couldn''t believe her eyes.


    Sighing, she changed into a professional suit and walked out of the house.


    The driver opened the door for her.


    As soon as she got into the car, she found that Rupert was also inside.


    "Didn''t you say that you had no interest in me? Why did you agree to work as my secretary then?"


    His charming voice had a hint of irony in it.


    There was also a smirk at the corners of his lips.


    "Don''t get any ridiculous ideas just because I agreed.I promised my grandpa to stay with you for three


    months.Once the timeline expires, we will cancel the marriage," Annabel responded, ncing at him


    indifferently.


    "Huh?" Rupert sneered.


    "Aren''t you worried that you will fall in love with me in the next three months? I guess you''ll be reluctant


    to leave then."


    Annabel was amused by his words.


    "Funny you, Rupert.You clearly have a swollen head.For your information, I will never fall for you.Get


    down from your high horse."


    Although Annabel knew that Rupert was good-looking, that didn''t matter to her.He had the repulsive


    character that she hated in men.


    Rupert pulled a long face at her words.


    She would never fall for him? "We will see about that, Annabel.Don''t ever forget what you said just


    now!"


    In Rupert''s opinion, Annabel was just ying hard to get.


    Why did shee to his home if she didn''t feel a thing for him or wanted to be his wife? Annabel


    smiled and said, "Okay, I''ll keep it in mind.Don''t worry.In three months, we will go our separate ways.By


    the way, we have to pretend not to know each other at thepany.I don''t want unnecessary drama


    there."


    Rupert kept in silent.


    Unbeknown to Annabel, she couldn''t avoid drama at work.


    The news about Rupert''s engagement had already spread like wildfire.


    People also knew that his fiancee was from the countryside.


    The employees in Benton Group were in a heated discussion.


    "Guys, have you heard thetest? Mr.Benton''s fiancee will work here.She will be his secretary!"


    "Oh my! I heard she''s ugly.And that she''s from the countryside.Since she''s poor, she must have


    attended a substandard college.Can she even understand the documents?"


    "Ha-ha! You can say that again.The way I see it, she won''t be able to operate aputer."


    The words of the gossipers trailed off as soon as Rupert walked in with Annabel.


    Everyone''s jaw dropped when they saw them.

 Chapter 4

    Chapter 4


    Chapter 4 His Superwoman


    "Look! Who is that woman that came in with Mr.Benton? She''s so beautiful and elegant!"


    "Wow! Her legs are so straight and thin! I have never seen anyone as beautiful as her!"


    "Is she Mr.Benton''s fiancee?"


    "How is that possible? It can''t be!"


    Many of the employees began to wonder who Annabel was.


    The mostmon guess was that she was a business partner.But when she left Rupert and went into


    the personnel department to sign in, they all realized who she was.


    The news spread in thepany in no time.


    It turned out that the woman who came in with Rupert was Annabel.


    People didn''t know what to believe anymore.


    Didn''t they say that Annabel was an ugly bumpkin? Howe she was drop-dead gorgeous? While


    Annabel was going over the necessary formalities, the employees in the secretarial department were


    gossiping about her.


    "Annabel is so beautiful! She''s even prettier than Heather Norman!" an employeemented.


    Nina Jones, the head of the department, had a frown on her face and disdain in her eyes.


    She said maliciously, "Looks aren''t everything.Beauty doesn''t change the fact that she''s a poor vige


    girl who doesn''t know anything about city life.She''s not worthy enough to be Mr.Benton''s wife."


    Annabel had just walked into the secretarial department when she heard these words.


    A hint of irony shed in her eyes.She retorted in a clear voice, "If I''m not worthy enough to be his wife,


    who is? You?"


    Nina''s face froze.She looked away and didn''t dare to retort.She couldn''t afford to offend Annabel.


    "Ahem! Mr.Benton earlier told me to treat you like every other person in this department.You will


    receive a fair amount of work despite your status.Here is the document about the advertisement the


    company is going to shoot today.It''s yours to handle."


    With a sneer, Annabel took the document and left.


    The others surrounded Nina again.


    "Nina, is it Marcel''s shoot? Annabel is new.Don''t you think she will screw it up?"


    A spark of mischief shone in Nina''s eyes.


    The face of the advertisement was Marcel Brooks¡ªa young and bad-tempered celebrity.He was hard


    to please and work with.


    People always avoided him.She looked forward to seeing Annabel fuck things up on her first day.


    As soon as Annabel got out, she went through the document that outlined the process of the


    advertisement.


    She raised her eyebrows when she saw Marcel''s name in there; it was familiar.


    In the CEO''s office, Rupert''s assistant asked him, "Nina Jones handed over Marcel''s shoot to Miss


    Hewitt just now.Should I order someone to rece her?"


    Marcel''s elder brother was a friend of Rupert''s since childhood.


    Everyone knew that Marcel had a bad temper.


    It went without saying that Annabel would suffer a lot at his hands if she worked with him today.


    Remembering what Annabel said to him this morning, Rupert finally replied, "No, let her do it."


    He would take delight in her suffering.


    Thepany was in charge of everything for the shoot.


    Annabel and some employees went downstairs to wee Marcel.


    Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.


    A few minutes passed before a ck Bentley drove into Benton Group''s premises.


    Marcel got out wearing a pair of sunsses.


    At the age of neen, he already had millions of fans all over the world.


    His fame contributed to his arrogance.


    He held his head up high and walked like he owned the ce.


    Annabel walked up to him and extended her hand for a handshake.


    "Wee, Mr.Brooks.I''m Annabel Hewett, the person in charge of the shoot.It''s my pleasure to meet


    you."


    Marcel didn''t take her hand or exchange pleasantries.


    He justined with a frown, "It''s so hot.Why didn''t you bring an umbre? Anyway, is everything


    all set? I don''t have time to waste.By the way, buy me a cup of coffee before we begin anything.Don''t


    get me a cheap one.I want one from that cafe downtown.They make the best..."


    Marcel''s words trailed off when he finally looked at the woman''s face.His jaw dropped.


    "Holy moly! Annabel! Am I dreaming?"


    Marcel took off his sunsses and still looked incredulous.He hugged Annabel excitedly.


    "Annabel? Why are you here? You work here? When did that happen? Shouldn''t you be traveling


    around the world now?"


    Annabel stroked Marcel''s head and said with a smile, "Marc, long time no see.What did you say you


    wanted to drink again?"


    "Nothing! I didn''t say anything.What would you like to drink? I can get it for you."


    Everyone present was dumbfounded, to say the least.


    The ever-so-arrogant Marcel not only hugged Annabel but was also speaking to her politely.


    He even allowed her to stroke his head.


    Was this really Marcel or some clone who was passing off as him? Could it be that he was so


    respectful because Annabel was Rupert''s fiancee? But he was usually arrogant in Rupert''s presence.


    What was going on? The truth was that Annabel and Marcel met two years ago.


    At that time, Marcel was seventeen.


    He was filming in the countryside, very close to Annabel''s home.


    Some thugs kidnapped him.


    Fortunately, Annabel saved him by chance.


    Marcel had fearfully watched her beat up the kidnappers so easily.


    He had thought he was going to die in captivity, but she hade to his rescue like a superwoman.


    She had invited him to her home.


    Much to his surprise, her home was even bigger than the mansion in Downton Abbey.


    It turned out that she was not only kind but also well-to-do.He couldn''t help but hold her in high esteem.

 Chapter 5

    Chapter 5


    Chapter 5 Chivalrous Lad


    The two walked into Benton Group.


    And the shooting went on smoothly.


    Some of the clothes weren''t up to Marcel''s taste.Heined about them.But when Annabel said


    that they were good, he immediately changed his opinion.He set aside his nitpicking attitude just


    because of her.


    Whenever he went out of line, Annabel''s nce brought him to order.


    Marcel was intimidated by her.


    Asides from the fact that he respected her for saving his life, he feared that she would spank him if he


    annoyed her.


    It was estimated that the shoot would take five hours because of Marcel''s attitude, but it took only two


    hours.


    Once it ended, Marcel pulled Annabel and said, "Let''s go.We have a lot of catching up to do.I''ll treat


    you to dinner."


    "No, I can''t.I''m not off duty yet!"


    Annabel refused him coldly.


    Some of the employees were still on the set.


    They pretended to be busy, but they gossiped about the two on the spot.? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.


    "What? Marcel offered to buy Annabel dinner but she turned him down."


    "Holy moly! What is she thinking? Doesn''t she know who he is? Many girls would jump at the offer.How


    can she be so arrogant?"


    "I wish he could take me instead.I can quit my job just to spend some time with him.Oh, Annabel is so


    foolish."


    Being rejected, Marcel wanted to cry.


    After thinking for a while, he asked, "By the way, why did you start working here? Oh my! Did your


    family go bankrupt? If so, I can support you.You don''t have to ve away here, okay?"


    Annabel rolled her eyes and said, "You know nothing, Marc.Now if you will excuse me..."


    She then went back to work.


    Everyone who saw the scene thought Marcel would storm out in a fit of pique.


    To their greatest surprise, he smiled helplessly and went to the lounge to wait for Annabel until she got


    off work.


    By closing hour, Rupert walked out of his office and said to Annabel, "Grandpa made a reservation at a


    restaurant.Let''s go have dinner there."


    Rupert didn''t want to, but Bruce threatened him.


    The old man was hospitalized earlier after having a heart attack.


    On video call, he said, "You must go.If you don''t, I''ll pull the plug on this venttor.Do you want me to


    die?"


    Rupert''s hands were tied, so he had to agree.


    Annabel was about to reply when Marcel came in.


    "Annabel, you are off duty now, right? Can we have dinner now?"


    It wasn''t until Rupert coughed slightly that Marcel noticed his presence.


    "You are here, Rupert!" he eximed.


    Did Annabel and Marcel know each other? Rupert looked at the two in confusion.


    Annabel, who had been silent, finally spoke.


    "How about we all have dinner together?"


    In the end, the three of them went to the restaurant that Bruce reserved earlier.


    During the ride, Marcel kept talking to Annabel, who replied in a friendly way from time to time.


    When they arrived, Marcel became chivalrous.


    He opened the door for Annabel and even pulled a chair for her.


    He also put food on her te and poured her a ss of red wine.


    Rupert was relegated to the background.


    It was as if these two were in their own world, and he was just there to watch them.


    "By the way, you still haven''t told me why you decided to work in Benton Group.Is there something


    between you and Rupert?"


    Marcel suspected that they were involved with each other.


    ncing at Rupert, Annabel answered, "My grandpa asked me to work here.As for what is between


    us...We are engaged."


    Marcel spat out a mouthful of water.


    "You both are what? What a small world we live in! So, you are the countrywoman whom Rupert got


    engaged to?"


    Annabel nodded casually.


    The rumor of the engagement was widespread in Douburgh, so Marcel knew about it.


    Since he knew about Annabel''s background, he couldn''t help but sigh because of how clueless the


    media was.She was indeed from the countryside, but she was far from being poor.


    The Hewitt family was filthy rich and had dozens of vis scattered around the world.


    "Are you two in love?" Marcel looked at them in disbelief.


    "Don''t get the wrong idea.We are not in love.The engagement will be canceled three monthster,"


    Annabel said calmly.


    Marcel breathed a sigh of relief and nodded.


    Without mincing words, he uttered, "That''s good.Rupert doesn''t deserve you.I''m even better than


    him.You two are nothing alike.He''s cold and boring.A marriage between the two of you would be a


    disaster."


    Rupert knifed the steak on his te and chewed hard as fury brewed inside him.


    He didn''t deserve Annabel? What nonsense! "That reminds me, Marcel.Your brother asked me to buy


    the car you have always wanted.He ns to give it to you.I think..."


    "Come on, Rupert.I didn''t mean that.Can''t you take a joke anymore?"


    Marcel smiled awkwardly.


    They had a nice meal.


    After walking out of the restaurant, Annabel and Rupert bid Marcel farewell.


    "Bye, Annabel! I''ll visit you whenever I''m free."


    Annabel stroked his head again as they hugged.She waved at him.


    "Bye, Marc.Take care!"


    She petted him as if he were Teddy, her skan Mmute.


    But in Rupert''s eyes, she was flirting with him.


    He grunted and got into the car.


    On the way back, he finallyined, "I see why you boldly said that you''ll never fall in love with


    me.You''re in love with someone else."

 Chapter 6

    Chapter 6


    Chapter 6 The Bribe


    Annabel looked at Rupert in confusion.


    "In case you have forgotten, you are engaged to me now.Marcel is a celebrity.Many eyes are on


    him.Behave yourself.I won''t sit back and watch you dent the reputation of the Benton family,"


    Rupert warned in a serious tone.


    Only then did Annabel realize that Rupert thought she loved Marcel.


    How did his mind go that far? "Also, I have to remind you that it''ll be very difficult to marry into the


    Brooks family.After all, you are two years older than Marcel¡ª"


    "Enough!"


    Annabel snapped.


    "Our engagement is just one of convenience.You and I know that we won''t end up together.That said,


    it''s none of your business whom I date or want to marry.Don''t tell me what to do!"


    Rupert''s face darkened.He wanted to retort, but he bit his tongue when he saw her ring at him.


    The rest of the ride was silent.


    Annabel hadn''t denied having feelings for Marcel.Since she had behaved so defensively, Rupert


    assumed that she acquiesced to his suspicion.


    That annoyed him even more.


    Rupert suffered from insomnia that night as usual.


    Staying awake all night had been a thing for him since he was kidnapped and locked up in a dark room


    when he was thirteen years old.He usually had panic attacks about that scary experience.


    But tonight, he was awake because he was thinking about Annabel.


    Scenes of what happenedst night shed through his mind.He caught himself wishing for her to be in


    his arms again.


    At the thought of this, he grew more unsettled.


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    "She has no taste in men.What does she see in Marcel who is merely a boy? Is she blind?"


    With irritation, Rupert got out of bed and lit a cigarette.


    The next few days were peaceful and uneventful for Annabel at work.


    However, she couldn''t help missing the life she lived in the past.


    She had been a traveler.


    And whenever she wasn''t catching flights, she was lying in her bed and living the best life at home.


    The anniversary ceremony for Benton Group soon rolled by.


    That evening, Annabel was forced to get styled and dressed in a cocktail dress.


    The banquet was grand.


    The guests were all popr businessmen from far and near.


    As the CEO, Rupert was busy exchanging pleasantries with many guests.


    Annabel was tired of meeting a lot of people.


    She excused herself to thedies'' room.


    After fixing her hair and makeup, she walked out, only to be stopped by a woman.


    "Annabel Hewitt, right?"


    From her appearance, Annabel calcted that this woman was about her age.


    She had on a customized dress and jewelry that looked expensive, so she must be from a rich family.


    "Yes, how may I help you?"


    "I''m Heather Norman," the woman said, walking closer.


    This name was one that Annabel had heard times without number since she came to Douburgh.


    Heather grew up with Rupert and was the only woman around him for many years.


    The public had expected Heather and Rupert to end up together.


    They were the perfect match.


    But everything changed when Annabel show up.


    "Like I said, how may I help you?" Annabel asked again, growing impatient.


    Heather took out a bank card from her purse and said calmly, "There''s ten million dors in this card.I


    want you to call off the engagement between you and Rupert in front of everyone tonight."


    Annabel scoffed and rolled her eyes.


    Why were the residents of Douburgh so audacious? Was it something in the air? The nerve of them!


    Although this was an insult to Annabel, she had to admit that Heather was more generous than Erica


    who offered her the mere sum of five thousand dors.


    Heather''s eyebrows crinkled with annoyance at Annabel''s response.


    She intoned, "Ten million is enough to change your life.I''m sure you have never handled this amount


    before.You aren''t good enough for Rupert.He will never marry you.The only reason he agreed for you


    to live with him is because of his grandfather''s health.Once his grandfather recovers, you will be thrown


    out.It''s better to leave rich than to be driven out poor."


    "Huh?" Annabel sneered.


    "Ten million would change my life? What a joke! Just so you know, that''s not enough for my monthly


    expenses.It''s chicken feed!"


    Annabel tut-tutted and left.


    Heather watched her leave.She couldn''t believe her ears.She felt that Annabel was out of her mind.


    How was ten million dors chicken feed that was barely enough for her monthly expenses? Heather''s


    made-up face turned red.


    "Since you are stubborn, I''ll deal with you with an iron fist.Just wait and see, you idiot!"


    Meanwhile, Rupert had just finished his speech on stage and was talking to someone.


    Once Annabel returned to the banquet hall, Erica walked to her and scolded, "Why are you walking


    around? Just sit there.Don''t embarrass the Benton family."

 Chapter 7

    Chapter 7


    Chapter 7 Angelic Pianist


    Erica''s scolding made Annabel regreting to this banquet in the first ce. She was already bored


    and tired of sitting in one ce.


    She began to think of leaving just to escape this nagging woman and boring party.


    Before she coulde up with an escape n, Heather approached her again. This time, she was


    nked by a group of young women. She pretended as if she hadn''t met Annabel before. With a bright


    smile, she kissed Erica''s cheeks. "Mrs. Benton, so good to see you. You''re stunning. This must be


    Rupert''s fiancee, right?" She turned to Annabel and stretched out her hand. "Hi, I''m Heather Norman.


    Nice to meet you, Annabel."


    Heather was acting all noble and friendly. It would be impolite of Annabel to ignore her.


    Seeing that Annabel didn''t ept the handshake, Erica red at her and said to Heather with a smile,


    "Don''t mind her, Heather. She''s just a country bumpkin, so she doesn''t know etiquette."


    "It''s alright. By the way, I heard Annabel is very talented. There''s a piano on the stage. How about we


    have apetition just to liven the mood here?" 2


    Annabel''s eyes narrowed as she stared at her. People assumed she was a pauper from the slums.


    From where did Heather get the information that she was talented?


    It was crystal clear that Heather wanted to humiliate her.


    Without waiting for Annabel''s answer, Heather went straight to the


    piano. As a member of a reputable family and Rupert''s childhood sweetheart, she easily attracted


    everyone''s attention.


    Heather skillfully yed the piece that she was very familiar with. A tumult of pping and praises


    broke out when she was done


    After descending the stage majestically, Heathersaid to Annabel, "I didn''t put in my best. Yourturn,


    Annabel. Let''s see if you are good enough.¡±


    Heather''s friends began to jeer.


    \You were amazingup there, girl.Totally amazing!¡±


    \What are you waiting for, Annabel? Go up there and show us what you''ve got! Or don''t you know how


    to y the piano? Oh, no! It would be a p inthe face for Rupert if his fiancee can''t y a simple


    musical instrument.¡±


    The guests around watched as Heather''s friends urged Annabel on. Some of them already wrote her


    off by shaking their heads in disappointment. Erica noticed everything. She was embarrassed, causing


    her disgust for Annabel to quadruple. 2


    Finally, Annabel said with a smile, \I''m not hesitating because I don''t know how to y. It''s just ying


    the piano here makes me feel like a busker. Anyway, if you insist.\


    She set down her winess and gracefully went up the stage.


    She intentionally chose the same piece her opponent yed. Heatherwanted to humiliate her, but what


    she didn''t know was that Annabel became a pro at ying the piano when she was just ten years old.


    No one could humiliate her!


    Soft melodious music soon filled the quiet banquet hall. Shortly after, some of the guests paired up and


    began to dance to the rhythm. The


    scene was beautiful and heavenly. Some of the guests had greatknowledge of the piano. Even those


    who didn''t have much knowledge knew that Annabel''s rendition was far better than Heather''s.


    Rupert, who was busy exchanging pleasantries, was stunned. He turned aroundand looked at who was


    ying the piano


    He saw that she was in a light blue dress, and her curly hair hung casually on her back and side profile.


    At this moment, her eyes were closed as she pressed the keys with her slender fingers. Her looks and


    mannerisms made her look angelic.


    The guests who weren''t dancing were held spellbound by the rendition. The whole scene burst


    Heather''s bubble. She froze as if she was a pir of salt. Her face was so red that one would think she


    just got pped hard


    Annabel could y the piano so well, even better than her! How was this even possible?


    Annabel ended the rendition with a bang. During the thunderous round of apuse, she came down


    gracefully.


    \You are indeed talented, Annabel. Your skills are much better than mine." Despite the embarrassment


    and anger that Heather was feeling, she had to admit defeat.


    What an insult! A countrywomanjust defeated her¡ªa ssy woman from a wealthy background.


    ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.


    \You also yed well, Heather," Annabel said perfunctorily.


    At this moment, a middle-aged man in a well-ironed ck suit began to approach them.


    Annabel''s eyes widened. She knew this man far too well. He was Jayden Potter, her family''s butler.


    Why was he here? Was her identity going to be exposed? # Jayden walked straight to them. He took a


    look at Annabel but didn''t say anything to her. Instead, he turned to Rupert and Erica, and said, "It''s a


    pleasure to meetyou. I''m Jayden Potter, the butler of the Hewitt family. Mr. Hewitt isn''t feeling well, so


    he sent me to represent him. He sends his apologies and kind wishes.\ ?


    Erica stepped forward, shookhis hand, and uttered in ahurry, \Is Mr. Hewitt okay?

 Chapter 8

    Chapter 8


    Chapter 8 Heather''s Lie


    Erica and Jayden chatted with each other. It wasmon knowledge that Leonard and Bruce were


    very good friends. Back in the day, the Benton family and the Hewitt family dominated the business


    industry. However, Leonard suddenly sold hispany and retired from the business industry many


    years ago. He hadn''t been in the news ever since. The only thing people heard was that he was


    traveling the world with his granddaughter.


    Despite being off the radar, the Hewitt family was still one of the most reputable families in the country.


    Jayden brought the gifts Leonard sent for the Bentons¡ªa world-famous painting, and the deed to a


    land worth hundreds of millions in the southern part of the city... The list went on and on.


    Leonard was generous. His gifts were often over the top.


    Annabel, who didn''t like the Bentons, was unhappy that they got all these gifts from her family.


    However, she was grateful that Jayden didn''te here to expose her real identity. She wanted to


    leave in three months. If the greedy Erica found out who she truly was, she would refuse to let her go.


    Perhaps Rupert would even fall in love with her after knowing she was tich.


    Just as Annabel was lost in thought, Heather''s friend asked, "The Hewitt family is so generous. That


    reminds me, Heather. You once met Leonard''s granddaughter at a fashion show, didn''t you?"


    ¡®One of the greatest mysteries currently was the identity of Leonard''s


    beloved granddaughter. There had been spections about her. No outsider knew her name, let alone


    her looks.


    "Oh, yeah! She''s very beautiful and kind," Heather replied.


    "| remember that she gave you her number. She also said that she will visit you when shees to


    Douburgh," Heather''s another friendmented.


    \Wow! Heather, you are awesome!¡±


    Annabel raised her eyebrows and stared at Heatherwith a look of disbelief.


    Once she noticed her gaze, Heather frowned deeply. "Why are you looking at me like that, Annabel?\


    \Did you really meet Leonard''s granddaughter?" asked Annabel. "Uh-huh!" Heather nodded, folding her


    arms defensively.


    \What? Are you envious of Heather? You might also be surnamed Hewitt, but you are just some


    country bumpkin!\ one of Heather''s friends uttered condescendingly.


    These words made Annabel smile but she said nothing.


    When Heather saw her smile, she became confused. Why was Annabel smiling? Did she know that her


    meeting the young heiress was just one big lie? But how would she know that? Perhaps she was just


    overthinking things.


    As Heather tried to wade off her nerving thoughts, Annabel shook her head and walked away with a


    smirk.


    Something didn¡¯t feel right. Heather was certain that there was no way Annabel saw through her lie, but


    she couldn''t help feeling flustered for some reason. She became even more annoyed.


    \She''s too arrogant for apauper," she muttered, ring at Annabel''s back.


    In that moment of annoyance, an idea came to Heather''s mind. Her lips curved up in a vicious smile.


    Meanwhile, Annabel walked to a quieter with her winess and sat down.


    She was massaging her forehead when she felt someone''s gaze on her. She raised her head, only to


    meet Rupert''s gaze.


    ? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.


    Rupert hadn''t been able totake his eyes off her since Annabel yed the piano.


    He was thinking of why Annabel, a girl from the countryside, knew how to y the piano like a pro and


    also had the temperament of someone from a noble family. Something just didn''t add up. He was lost in


    thought when he saw her staring back at him. He jolted back to reality and his heart skipped a beat.


    The next second, he felt a pang of pain in his heart. Annabel just looked away as if he wasn''t important.


    His pain soon turned to anger. Hefrowned deeply.


    As Annabel took a sip of the wine in a ss, she mumbled, "Why the hell is he staring at me?


    The only reason she could think of was that Rupert found it hard to believe that she was skilled at


    ying the piano. This wasn''t so surprising to her. After all, he was so arrogant and narrow-minded. He


    must have been looking forward to seeing her fail, but she dashed his hopes.


    So much for being a Benton! Annabel rolled her eyes indifferently.


    She didn''t give a damn about such aself-centered man.


    She said to herself, Chill, Annabel. You will be outta here in three months.


    Annabel sat alone for a long time. The night was far spent. A few guests


    were already leaving one by one. She decidedto leave, too. She walked out and tried hailing a taxi.


    Suddenly, Rupert''s annoyed voice


    came from behind. Why are you leaving without telling me?

 Chapter 9

    Chapter 9


    Chapter 9 Couple''s Tiff


    Annabel turned around and saw Rupert walking over with a frown. It was obvious he had been keeping


    an eye on her the whole evening. "Why do I have to report my every move to you? We are not at work,


    so you are not my boss. I can do whatever I want!"


    Annabel wondered why he was so concemed about her actions. Suddenly, a car came to a halt in front


    of them. The driver got out and opened the door for them.


    Annabel recognized that it was one of Rupert''s cars. Looking away, Rupert said indifferently, "It''ste


    now. It''s unsafe to take a taxi alone Let''s go back together. If anything bad happens to you, people will


    use the Benton family of not taking care of you."


    Annabel frowned and uttered, "Thanks, but no thanks. I can take care of myself.¡±


    Just as Annabel moved away to hail a taxi that was speeding by, Rupert grabbed her wrist and


    ordered, "Get in the car!"


    Staring at her dead in the eye, he added, "Since you will be staying with me for three months, I''m


    responsible for you. Don''t get me angry now!" In simple terms, he didn''t give a hoot about her. He was


    just doing it for selfish interests.


    The frown on Annabel''s face deepened. She shook off his hand and got into the car.


    Before even meeting Rupert, she shut her mind off to any possibility that she would fall for him within


    the three months. Now that she saw that he had a bad temper and wasn''t mature enough to treat her


    right,


    she disliked him even more, How could her grandpa be so blind that he chose this man as a grandson -


    inw?


    Heather had followed Rupert after he left the hall. Standing behind a pir, she watched the two get into


    the same car and leave.


    \I should be the one sitting with Rupert in that car! That bitch just came out of nowhere and took my


    spot. I''m the only one that deserves to be Mrs. Benton.\


    After thinking for a while, Heather took out her phone and dialed a number. "Hey, what''s up? You want


    to be friends with me, don''t you? Are you ready to show your sincerity to me?\


    The person on the other end of the line was Nina¡ªthe head of the secretarialdepartment in Benton


    Group. She was lucky to meet Heather at a banquet. She wanted to get into the circle of the rich, but all


    her effort proved futile.


    Now that she received a call from Heather out of the blue, she didn''t hesitate to agree. \Of course! I''ll


    do anything you ask of me. Just name it!" ¡°Well, it''s simple. It''s about Annabel. I hear that she''s in your


    department. You should find it easy to make her life a living hell,right?\ After a pause, Heather


    continued, \After this, I''ll get you any luxury handbag that you want. You know money is not a problem


    for me.\


    The request took Nina by surprise. But after hearing what was in it for her, she uttered excitedly, "You


    are so generous. Leave it to me. I''ll make sure to teach Annabel a lesson.\


    \You sound confident, but how sure are you about this?\


    \A hundred percent sure! Mr. Benton doesn''t show any concern for Annabel at work. Even the other


    employees iste her. Making her suffer will be a piece of cake for me.\


    Heather''s heart sang whenshe heard that Rupert didn''t care about Annabel.


    ¡°It''s settled then. You will get your reward once everything is done. Don''t let me down.


    Meanwhile, Annabel and Rupert sat in the back of his car. There was a huge gap between them.


    Turning his head, Rupert noticed that Annabel had been looking out of the window since she got in the


    car. Her silence was killing him. "Ahem! I had no idea that you were so good at ying the piano.


    When did you learn it?


    Annabel finally spared him a nce with her eyebrows raised slightly. She was taken aback by his


    sudden praise andquestion. \Was I that good? Anyway, I learned it just now.


    Rupert couldn''t believe his ears


    Seeing that he was shocked by her response, Annabel was overjoyed. She added with a proud smile,


    "I leamed it from Heather''s performance. What did you think about my performance? Were you held


    spellbound? I''m smart, aren''t I?


    Rupert looked away andmented with annoyance, "It''s so difficult tomunicate with you.


    Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.


    Then don''t! I didn''t beg you to strike up a conversation with me. You started it!\


    Annabel also turned her headaway from him.

 Chapter 10

    Chapter 10


    Chapter 10 Just The Beginning


    Rupert pulled his tie irritably. He bit the insides of his mouth as he stared at the moving vehicles


    outside. He was angry; not at Annabel, but at himself. He regretted trying to strike up a conversation


    with her. Rupert couldn''t figure out why he was so ufortable whenever she was silent and ignored


    him. He should be doing the same since she obviously had no interest in him.


    The rest of the ride home was quiet and uneventful.


    As soon as the car halted in front of the vi, Rupert got out and went in. Annabel took her time.


    By the time she got in, Rupert was already sitting on the sofa in the living room with a ss of water in


    his hand. She didn''t spare him a nce. Instead, she ascended the stairs.


    Rupert set the ss on the table with a thud. He grunted like a wounded lion.


    Despite the noise, Annabel didn''t look back or stop. She continued to walk up slowly.


    Was he making a fuss because of what she said? He was so narrow- minded.


    How did he manage Benton Group with such a sensitive attitude? Weren''t his family afraid that he


    would bring the family''s business to ruin?


    The following morning, Erica and Cathy criticized Annabel as usual during breakfast.


    Annabel developed thick skin overtime, so she didn''t say anything. Her silence fanned the


    troublemakers¡¯ anger. They had wanted to get into a shouting contest with her this morning, but that


    wasn''t feasible now. #


    Annabel ate her breakfast as if she was the only one at the dining table. She then freshened up and left


    for work.


    Her job as a secretary was a piece of cake since she was naturally dutiful. She finished all her tasks in


    the morning, had lunch, and then took a nap.


    At three o''clock in the afternoon, she wentto the bathroom. When she came back, she met a pile of


    documents sitting on her desk.


    Nina was standing aside, so it was obviousshe just dropped them.


    \Why are these onmy desk?¡±


    Nina responded, \The data on these documents must be inputted into thepany''s system today.


    Another secretary was supposed to share the workload with you, but he had an emergency and left


    earlier than usual. You have to work on them alone. Finish it all today. Sort out the data correctly


    because they are needed tomorrow. Have I made myself clear?\


    Annabel silently leafed through the documents. The data wasa lot. It required hours upon hours of hard


    work. She would have to work overtime if she was to finish it alone today.


    \Why didn''t you give them to me earlier? As you can see, this is a lot of work!\


    Nina pointed at her menacingly. \Oh, please! What''s difficult in handling basic data records? You can''t


    fault me for handing them to you now. Just so you know, I was just notified of them. Working here can


    be very spontaneous. You know that! Why then are youining? Your title


    as Mr. Benton''s fiancee doesn''t excuse you from doing your duties here. As the head of this


    department, I have every right to assign tasks to you. If you can''t take it, just quit!¡±


    Even a blind man could see that Nina was just trying to make things difficult for Annabel. However,


    Annabel wasn''t going to let anyone beat her down.


    \It''s fine. I''ll handle it.¡±


    With this, Annabel sat down andgot down to work.


    A sinister smile appeared on Nina''s face. She had actually been notified about this in the


    morning,When she saw that Annabel had finished her other tasks so early, she intentionally gave a day


    offto the employee who was supposed to work on it. She also kept mute until it was almost closing


    hour.


    It was a heavy workload, so she calcted that Annabel would work until ten at night, and she would


    be exhausted even if she managed to finish it.


    \Remember to make no mistakes. Every single figure must be urate. One mistake can ruin the


    entire statistics and cost thepany a lot." These words were getting on Annabels nerves. She


    uttered impatiently, \Anything else? If you have something important to say, just say it all at once.


    Emm... That''s all.


    \Now, please leave. Don''t you have work to do?


    Nina felt humiliated in front of other employees.


    It was a p in the face for her because no one in this department ever went against her or said such


    words to her. How dare this newbie speak to her in that manner?


    Nina was way above Annabel in thispany, but she still felt


    somewhat inferior. She hated Annabel''s guts. ? With her fists clenched, she eyed Annabel and


    stormed away. She cursed under her breath, "Stupid girl! You may be all smiles now, but you will cry


    later. This is just the beginning. A greater punishment is


    Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org.


    on the way. No one will help you here. You are on your own.

 Chapter 11

    Chapter 11


    Chapter 11 Tedious Task


    It could be said that Annabel had a photographic memory. She memorized some of the figures at a


    nce, so she was quick to understand what all the documents were about. Only then did she begin to


    input the data into thepany''s system.


    It was a slightlyplex process, but she was up to the task. She quickly got used to it and her typing


    got faster by the second.


    The dense sound of her fingers hitting the keys on the keyboard attracted the attention of her


    colleagues. They began to whisper amongst themselves.


    "Wow! She types so fast. I thought I was a pro at typing, but from the look of things, she will beat me


    hands down."


    "Didn''t they say she is from the countryside where most people are poor? Howe she knows how to


    type so fast? Annabel is full of surprises." "I concur! Did you guys see what she did this morning? She


    finished all her tasks in the blink of an eye. She''s so hardworking for someone new to the corporate


    world. We were wrong about her. No wonder she managed to be Mr. Benton''s fiancee."


    "So what? Haven''t you noticed that Mr. Benton doesn''t pay attention to her at all? He doesn''t even talk


    to her. She has been speaking to Nina so rudely. I''m sure she was given this heavy task as


    punishment. It serves her right. The way I see it, she will have a hard time from now on. Let''s see how


    long she will hold on."


    ¡°Whatever! It''s none of our business. We shouldn''t get involved. The battle isn''t ours to fight..."


    Every word that was spoken just now wafted into Annabel''s ears. She had a lot on her te, so she


    ignored them. She didn''t intend to overwork herself. She would snack and havea drink whenever she


    was hungry or thirsty. And if she was tired, she would go for a walk.


    Closing hour soon rolled by. Most of the employees left, leaving Annabel, who still had a lot of work to


    do. She went to have dinner at six o''clock. She never joked with her meals.


    When she got back, she met Nina pounding on her desk like crazy. Annabel! Where the hell did you


    go? Are you done with the task I assigned to you? Howzy can you be? I made it clear that it must be


    completed today because it''s needed tomorrow. Instead of working hard to finish the task on time, you


    went about strolling, eating snacks, and drinking like azy glutton. Why are you behaving like this?Is it


    because you don''t know how to do the job? If so, you should tell me so I can give it to someone more


    capable. Will you bear the responsibility if thepany suffers any loss because of the dy?¡±


    Annabel covered her ears as Nina gave her an earful. In the end, she uttered, "If my memory serves


    me right, you said I must finish it today. It''s not even seven o''clock yet. Don''t rush me. I know exactly


    what I am doing!


    Nina wasn''t having it. She kept ranting. "Don''t talk big here. You just started to work here and¡ª


    Enough!Annabel shouted, raising her hand.


    Nina shut up immediately. The few workers present were stunned. Annabel detested noisy people.


    Nina was getting on her nerves, so she couldn''t take it anymore. "I still have many hours before the


    deadline. If you want to scold me that bad, you should wait until tomorrow. Leave


    Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.


    me be, will you? If you continue disturbing me, I''ll report to the higher- ups that I wasn''t able to work


    because of you. You will have to take responsibility for any losses, not me. You don''t want that, do


    you?" 2 Nina was short of words. She stared at Annabel in anger for a long time. Okay... You are


    shirking your responsibility now, aren''t you? Fine! We''ll see about that tomorrow!


    Nina then stormed out with her blood boiling and her face scarlet. Suddenly, she stormed back in and


    took out her anger on the other employees. "None of you can leave without finishing your work. A


    bunch ofzybones!


    Annabel sneered, ignored Nina, andcontinued to work.


    The other employees finished their work and left one after the other. At dusk, Annabel was left alone in


    the office.


    It wasn''t until half past nine that she finally finished her work.


    Other employees would have only finished the same task at about eleven without taking any breaks.


    But the efficient Annabel managed her time


    well and finished up earlier despite taking breaks in between.

 Chapter 12

    Chapter 12


    Chapter 12 Fear Of The Dark


    Just as Annabel was getting ready to leave, she got a call from Nina. "How long do you need to finish


    your task?"


    "I''m done," Annabel replied.


    "What? Did you crosscheck everything? Are you a hundred percent sure that there is no mistake?"


    ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.


    Nina didn''t expect her to finish it so soon.


    "Yes, I''m very sure. If you have nothing else to say, I''ll hang up now. I''m going home," Annabel said


    impatiently.


    "Wait! That''s not all. You can''t get off work now!" Nina raised her voice all of a sudden.


    "Why?" Annabel asked, stopping at the door.


    "Well, the thing is I just received a call. There''s another document that must be inputted into the


    system. I''m on my way with it. Just wait there." "Just send it to me via email. I can''t wait for you toe


    over at this time."


    "No, it''splicated. You haven''t handled this kind of work before. If you make a mistake, we will be in


    big trouble. Wait for me! Why are you whining like a spoiled child? As an employee of such a


    prestigiouspany, you should be prepared to work overtime. I''m already home, but I have no


    problem withing back just to make sure everything is set for tomorrow!"


    "Oh, I see."


    Annabel didn¡¯t give it much thought. She didn''t think Nina would have


    sacrificed her time just to make things difficult for her. After all, it was alreadyte. As Annabel waited,


    she listened to music and yed games to rx. Forty minutes passed and Nina still hadn''t arrived.


    Annabel went to thedies¡¯ room. She yed games for twenty minutes after returning to her desk, but


    Nina was still nowhere to be found.


    She called Nina. \Why haven''t you arrived yet? I have been waiting for over an hour!\


    \It''s not my fault that I''m runningte. I took a taxi to save time, but there was a car ident. I just got


    out of a very bad traffic. Not to worry, I''ll be there in thirty minutes. Gosh, what an unlucky day! The


    higher- ups should have notified me about this earlier. I can''t believe I''m rushing to the office at this


    time of the night! Hey, drive faster! I''m ina hurry!\


    Listening to Nina''sints, Annabel had a headache. Her patience was fast running out. \Just


    make it snappy!\


    Unbeknown to her, Nina was actually chilling at home in a big T-shirt. She dumpedher phone after


    hanging up and went into the bathroom. ¡°What an idiot! Annabel, you will wait for me until Christ


    comes.\ Ninaughed out loud like an evil witch.


    Another forty minutes passed and Nina still didn''t show up. Annabel''s patience bar was red now.


    She called Nina again. \Do you want me to spend the whole night here? Where are you?\


    At this time, Nina was lyingfortably on the sofa with a facial mask on her face. \Why are you so


    impatient? Do you think I enjoy beingte? My hands are tied now. Just continue waiting. I''m very


    close. I''ll be there in ten minutes. Hey, hurry up. Can we get there in ten minutes? Yes,


    right? Well, I...\ \I will wait here for ten more minutes. If you don''t show up afterward, Til leave!¡±


    When Nina heard the abrupt disconnect tone, she threw her phone on the sofa, picked up a grape, and


    ate it leisurely.


    It wasn''t until now that Annabel began to smell something fishy. After thinking for a while, she


    forwarded Nina''s phone number to someone and texted, \Find out the location of this number.\


    A response came five minutester.


    Annabel''s blood boiled as she stared ather phone screen. Nina was ina residential area, and she


    wasn''t moving at all.


    Ina fit of pique, she pped the table. \Damn it! How dare you y dirty tricks on me, Nina? It seems I


    have been too kind to you. What was I thinking when I believed that you were indeed on your way?\


    Annabel picked up her bag and walked toward the door as she began nning how to take revenge.


    Just as she reached out for the doorknob, the light tripped off.


    The empty office instantly became dark.


    Annabel jumped and looked around in horror. She slowly walked back to her desk. She took out her


    phone from her bag and turned on the shlight.


    She had great fear ofthe dark ever sinceshe was a little girl.


    Her heart began to pound against her chest. Even though she was feeling cold allover, her palms and


    forehead were sweaty.


    As her fear worsened, she went under the table and hugged herself with her chin resting on her knees.


    The shlight of her phone wasn''t so bright. It didn''t do much to get rid of the darkness around her.


    What happened? Was the electricity off? How long will it take to be repaired?


    Shaking like a leaf, Annabel tapped her phone screen, intending to call the security office. But she


    suddenly realized that she didn''t have the


    number. She grew so nervous that she couldn''tthink straight anymore.

 Chapter 13

    Chapter 13


    Chapter 13 Where Is Annabel


    ¡°It''s already eleven but Annabel hasn''te back yet. Where the hell is she? Hanging around with


    men?"


    Rupert had just gone downstairs to get a ss of water when he heard Cathy''s irritable words.


    Erica huffed, "She must have lived a dissolute life in the countryside. Who knows if she''s having fun at


    some bar? What an annoying girl!"


    A strange feeling filled Rupert''s heart when he heard these words. But when he recalled how Annabel


    had behavedst night, the feeling dissipated.


    Her whereabouts was none of this business.


    ¡®As soon as Erica saw Rupert, she said, "I know you don''t care about Annabel. But you can''t just allow


    her to do whatever she likes as long as she''s under our roof. Any bad action from her would dent your


    image. After all, many people know that she''s your fiancee. I advise that you call off the engagement


    and throw her out of this house. Who knows what trouble she will cause if she continues to stay here?


    We can''t clean up after her or face the consequences of her actions. You should do the needful."


    Rupert shrugged and said nonchntly, "Grandpa said the engagement will be called off in three


    months.¡±


    "She will stay here for three whole months?" Erica screamed. "Gosh! She has only been here for a few


    days, but I can''t stand her anymore. You''d better discuss it with your grandpa and drive her away as


    soon as possible!¡±


    "Why don''t you tell him yourself?" Rupert nced at his mother, raising one of his eyebrows This


    suggestion shut Erica up. She knew that Bruce would scold her harshly if she ever brought that up.


    Rupert went back upstairs, unwilling to continue the conversation.


    As soon as he walked into his study, he saw his phone on the desk lit up. A message just came in.


    He clicked itand saw oneword, Help.


    The message was from a strange number, so he reasoned that it wasa prank. He dropped the phone


    aside and continued to work. But for some reason, he couldn''t concentrate and was a little restless


    The clock had already chimed twelve. After having a shower, Ruperty down on his bed, but he


    couldn''t sleep a wink.


    He kept tossing and turning on his bed as he wondered why Annabel wasn''t back yet. Where could she


    have gone?


    \That''s none of your business, Rupert.\ Muttering those words, he closed his eyes and tried to shake off


    the thoughts of her.


    However, it didn''t work. He turned over as it urred to him that Annabel was new here. She didn''t


    know anyone else in Douburgh. Rupert suddenly remembered the strange message he received. The


    phone number seemed familiar. He checked the record of his chats with his grandfather.


    Bruce had sent him Annabel''s number, but he hadn''t bothered saving it. The phone number was the


    same as the one the strange message came from.


    Why did she askfor help? Wasshe in danger? #


    Suddenly, Rupert sat upand dialed the number,but it was switched off.


    His forehead broke out in cold sweat. He began to wonder if something bad had happened to Annabel.


    Without thinking twice, Rupert got out of bed and threw on some clothes. He couldn''t think of anywhere


    elsethat Annabel would be, so he went to thepany. He nned to interrogate the security guards


    and check the CCTV footage of her movement at work just to get some clues. Rupert saw that


    everywhere in thepany was pitch ck. The security guard on duty told him, There''s a problem


    with the power circuit. I have already made arrangements for it to be repaired at the crack of dawn


    before the employees arrive.


    When Rupert asked about Annabel, the security guard scratched the back of hishead and replied, I


    haven''t seen her.¡±


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    \What do you mean? Didn''t shee to work?" Rupert inquired with a frown.


    \I saw here to work, but I didn''t see her get off. I''m sure of it.¡± Annabel was quite famous in Benton


    Group. Almost everyone in thepany knew who she was. A sea of eyes followed her everywhere


    she went, so the security guard always noticed her whenever she went past the security post.


    Did that mean Annabel was stillin the building? And why did she send him that strange message?


    The security guard suddenly raised his hand and added, That reminds me, I heard some employees


    discussing on their way out that Nina gave Annabel a hard task, causing her to stay back after closing


    hour. I think she might be in there. Perhaps she was too tired and fell asleep.


    In a sh, Rupert barged into thepany and went upstairs to have a look. The security guard ran


    afterhim with a torchlight in his hand. \Annabel? Annabel!\


    Rupert called out several times. However, the only response he got was his voice echoing in the


    hallway. The first thing he saw when he got into the secretarial department was Annabel''s bag on a


    desk. He looked down and saw her feet.


    Rupert squatted in a hurry, and the security guard also pointed the shlight undemeath the desk.


    Annabel was curled up like a fetus. Her face was deathly pale and her


    sweaty body was trembling. his voice echoing in the hallway. The first thing he saw when he got into


    the secretarial department was Annabel''s bag on a desk. He looked down and saw her feet.


    Rupert squatted in a hurry, and the security guard also pointed the shlight undemeath the desk.


    Annabel was curled up like a fetus. Her face was deathly pale and her


    sweaty body was trembling.

 Chapter 14

    Chapter 14


    Chapter 14 Wishful Thinking


    ¡°Hey, Annabel? Annabel!" Rupert uttered, holding her in his arms and patting her face gently. "What''s


    wrong with you? Are you hurt?"


    Still shaking with her eyes closed, Annabel murmured, "It''s so dark... I''m.


    scared. Don''t leave me... Don''t go..." Dark? It turned out she was scared of the dark.


    Rupert''s heart softened after this realization. As he looked at Annabel''s face, he recalled the little girl


    who huddled up beside him with a pale face years ago.


    A sense of pity brewed in his heart. Holding her hand, Rupert said, ¡°Don''t be scared. I''m here now. It''s


    all right. I''ll take you home."


    His assuring words worked like magic. Annabel stopped shaking. She kept mumbling, but Rupert


    couldn''t make out what she was saying. He just stood upright with her in his arms


    "Tl never leave you. You are safe now. Don''t be scared, okay?" He continued tofort her on the way


    out.


    Rupert gently put her in the passenger seat. When he tried to fasten the seatbelt for her, he saw that


    she was gripping his shirt with both hands. The woman in front of him was totally different from the one


    who told him off yesterday. His heart ached to see her like this.


    Rupert med himself for noting sooner. If he had saved her number when Bruce sent it to him,


    he would have saved her earlier. Anyway, it was betterte than never. He couldn''t even bear to think


    of


    what would happen to her if she stayed in the dark for the whole night.


    Rupert drove home at a high speed and carried Annabel to her bedroom He wiped the sweat on her


    forehead with a wet towel and then tucked her in. Just as he tured to leave, a hand grasped his pant.


    He turned around, only to find that Annabel''s eyebrows were knitted as


    she slept uneasily. Her face was still a little pale.


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    He tried to loosen her grip, but she caught his hand instead.


    \Don''t go... Stay with me please.. Her voice was shaky, not indifferent like it usually was. It was like that


    of a child who needed to beforted.


    Suddenly, Rupert imagined Annabel¡¯s face changing into that of thatlittle girl. He blinked severally.


    From the first day he saw Annabel''s face, he felt that she had a striking resemnceto that girl. The


    feeling was stronger now.


    After hesitating for a while, Rupert sighed and sat on the edge of the bed. Rupert kept seeing the little


    girl''s face when he looked at Annabel with tenderness in his eyes. It was as if they were one and the


    same person. If she was the little girl, he didn''t mind staying with her and apanying her in the dark


    for the rest of his life. However, he dismissed the thought as wishful thinking.


    It was already dawn by the timeAnnabel work up.


    A chink of sunlight fell on her face. She yawnedand looked around in confusion. Before she could tell


    where she was, she met Rupert''s weird gaze.


    As soon as Annabel noticed she was holding his hand, she loosened her gripand sat up. \What are you


    doing here?


    ¡®The answer to her question came to her mind as soon as she blurted it out.


    She suffered a panic attack yesterday. Her phone ran out of power. She was hyperventting and her


    heart was beating faster than normal. Her throat was patched, so she texted Rupert a message instead


    of calling him.


    When she saw Rupert''s bloodshot eyes and overall tired look, she tried to recall what happenedst


    night. She scratched her head in embarrassment.


    You brought me back, didn''t you? Thank you. But why did you sleep in my room?


    Annabel didn''t think he needed to be here. In her opinion, he should have left once he tucked her in


    bed. Why did hey beside her as if they were a real couple?


    Rupert became cold again. \Weren''t youthe one who held my hand and begged me to stay with you?


    Have you forgotten?¡±


    Annabel''s face turned red immediately. \But... But... I didn''t mean to say that. I wasn''t in my right mind,


    butyou were. You should have left as soon as ] fell asleep.


    \Oh, so I was wrong tohave taken care of you for the whole night?


    No, I... Ididn''t mean that.\ Annabel just couldn''t wrap her head around why he went out of his way to


    look after her. She was used to him being cold and uncaring.


    This was what he got in return? Rupert sucked his teeth. He regretted feeling pity for her and staying


    by her sidest night.


    \Don''t read any meaning to my actions. I just didn''t want anything bad to happen to you. My grandpa


    would be mad at me ifyou got hurt. I did it for myself, so don''t tter yourself!\


    Words like this usually hurt women. In Annabels case, she was relieved. She thought that this was


    more like him.


    | didn''t have any intention to tter myself. Since you are so ruffled, it appears you gave this too much


    thought, she retorted, rolling her eyes


    athim.

 Chapter 15

    Chapter 15


    Chapter 15 Brush With Death


    Rupert shot her a searing re and stormed out. Outside, he bumped into Cathy. Cathy tilted her head


    and saw that Annabel was sitting up on the bed. She then looked at her cousin with her eyes squinted.


    "Rupert, why did youe out of Annabel''s room at this time?"


    Rupert turned a deaf ear to her and left.


    His reaction made Cathy even more curious. She followed him. "Don''t tell me you slept in Annabel''s


    room? What did you dost night?¡±


    Back in the room, Annabel became fidgety when she heard Cathy''s curious questions. She got out of


    bed and rushed into the bathroom to wash up


    She didn''t need anyone to tell her that she looked a mess. She was so embarrassed that Rupert saw


    her in that bad state.


    ¡°He''d better not say a word to anyone about what happened or how scared I lookedst night,"


    Annabel huffed, brushing her teeth.


    All this was Nina''s fault. Never again would Annabel be deceived by her. She knew that troublemaker''s


    intentions now.


    After Annabel washed up and got dressed, she went downstairs to the dining room. Rupert dropped his


    fork, stood up, and left without a word. This didn''t get to Annabel at all. She just sat down to have


    breakfast. His or anyone else''s attitude was the least of her worries now. She was starving andcked


    strength. She served herself some food.


    Cathy, who had been pestering Rupert for answers, was disappointed after he left. She turned to


    Annabel. "I underestimated you, Annabel. You have only been here for a few days, but you are already


    seducing Rupert. What did you do to him? Why did hee out of your room this morning?"


    "What?" Erica dropped her fork. She also queried Annabel, "What did you do to my son? Or should I


    say what did you two do? Besides, why did you stay outtest night? Where the hell did you go?¡±


    In the face of this joint interrogation, Annabel sneered inwardlyand shed them a sarcastic smile. "We


    are all adults. What else can a man and a woman do together behind closed doors at night?\


    \slut! All you know is toseduce men. Shame on you!\ Cathy stamped her feet.


    \Watch yournguage!\ Annabel took a huge bite of bacon and chewed gracefully. "I''m Rupert''s


    fiancee. 1 don''t have to seduce him to do anything. It just happened.\ +


    Speechless and angry at the same time, Cathy dropped her fork and stood up.


    She clenched her fists as she matched up the stairs in a fit of pique. Rupert was such an excellent


    man. Why did he ept to marry this bumpkin?


    Annabel didn''t deserve him!


    Annabel had her breakfast in peace and went out of thehouse. The driver stepped forward and said,


    "Miss Hewitt, Mr. Benton ordered me to drive you to work today.¡±


    Annabel halted in her tracks.


    Rupert asked hischauffeur to drive her to work?


    Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.


    What the hell washappening?


    Just as Annabel was about to say something, Erica showed up and coughed. She eyed Annabel and


    then ordered the driver, \Take me to the mall now.\


    \But Mr. Benton ordered me to drive MissHewitt to work." The driver hesitated as beads of sweat


    appeared on his forehead.


    \Don''t worry about me. Just drive her instead. I can find my way to work,\ Annabel said with a smile.


    She didn''t want the driver to get into trouble because of her. She walked out of the vi and took a taxi


    to Benton Group.


    On the way, she sighted a stray dog running in the middle of the traffic. "Please stop the car!" Annabel


    quickly gotout of the taxi, intending to take the dog to the sidewalk.


    Her grandfather had taken in a lot of stray dogs. Asa result, Annabel grew up to be a dog lover. She


    couldn''t bear to see any dog get hurt or be in danger.


    Annabel carefully walked towardthe dog. Suddenly, she sighted a red sports car speeding over.


    Ohno!


    The dog wasgoing to get crushed!


    Without sparing it a thought, Annabel rushed forward and took the dog in her arms. She shut her eyes,


    afraid of what would happen next.


    The screeching sound of tires hit Annabel''s ears as the sports carsped past her. After halting, a well-


    dressed woman stuck her headout of the car window and yelled, \Madwoman! Get away from my car!\


    Annabel looked at this woman, only to see that her face was familiar.

 Chapter 16

    Chapter 16


    Chapter 16 His Admirers


    The whimpers of the dog pulled Annabel''s attention away from the familiar woman. She rushed it to the


    vet.


    Its front leg had been hit by the car before she got it out of the way.


    As Annabel waited in the waiting room, she saw from the clock that she was almost runningte for


    work.


    She thought for a while before dialing Rupert''s number.


    "What''s up?" Rupert''s low and cold voice came from the other end of the phone.


    "Ermm. I just called to inform you that something came up. I''ll be some hourste this morning."


    Annabel asked for permission forteing. ¡°And how is that my business? You don''t have to inform


    me about such a trifle!" Rupert uttered irritably.


    The next second, the call was disconnected.


    Annabel pursed her lips. She wondered why he was behaving indifferent, yet so angry. Perhaps he was


    still not in a good mood.


    Anyway, she had done her part by informing him. The vet examined the dog carefully and reported that


    it was just a small wound that would heal in no time.


    "Oh, that''s good to know, but can it be admitted here for further observation?" Annabel was still a little


    worried.


    "Of course!" responded the veterinarian with a smile.


    Annabel paid two thousand dors for the treatment and left without the dog. She nned to find


    someone to adopt it once itpletely


    recovered. It was almost eleven o''clock by the time Annabel arrived at Benton Group. "Annabel, do you


    have any idea what time it is? Why did you arrive sote?" Nina approached Annabel with a deep


    frown, not even giving her time to catch her breath. @


    "Good morning, Nina. It wasn''t intentional. I had something to deal with this morning," Annabel said


    politely.


    Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.


    \It wasn''t intentional?\ Nina sneered. \Spare me your silly excuse, Annabel. You are just a newbie, but


    you are already skipping work. Are you doing this because you already consider yourself as the boss''s


    wife?" Despite her irritation, Annabel uttered calmly, "Let me get this straight. I''mte, not absent from


    work. Besides, I already applied for permission forteing, so I''m not in the wrong here.\


    \Shut up! How dare you talk back at me? When did you ask me for permission? You know what? I can''t


    tolerate your excesses anymore. You are fired!\ Nina pointed at Annabel, her anger shooting to the


    roof. # Sensing that the matter was getting out of hand, Annabel pushed Nina''s finger away and said


    firmly, \| asked Mr. Benton for permission. You just fired me because I camete. Does that mean you


    have more authority than the owner of thispany?\


    Nina looked horrified for a second. When she saw that a crowd had gathered, she stuttered, "You are


    taking nonsense. Let''s go to Mr. Benton''s office so he can set things straight.\


    \Okay, let''s go." Annabel readily agreed.


    She had it in mind to expose Nina for how she made her stay at work overtimest night.


    Pulling Annabel by the arm, Nina walked to the door of the CEO''s office. She tidied her hair and clothes


    and looked at herself in the ss nearby before knocking on the door. Compared to Nina, it could be


    said that Annabel looked a mess.


    She had been through a lot just to save the stray dog earlier. Her neat suit was wrinkled, and there was


    a mud stain on her shirt from hugging the dog so tightly.


    Seeing how Nina paid attention to her looks and put on a smile, Annabel finally understood why she


    was so mean to her.


    Nina had a thing for Rupert.


    Annabel happenedto be Rupert''snominal fiancee.


    No wonder Nina regarded her as a thorn in the flesh.


    ¡°Comein.


    Nina''s smile got more enchanting as soon as she heard Rupert''s attractive voice. She opened the door


    gently.


    Her smile froze the second she got into the office.


    Annabel walked in. She peered over Nina''s shoulder and saw a woman standing very close to Rupert.


    This woman was beautiful, to say the least. Her long curly chestnut hair fell over her neck and reached


    her cleavage. The red short skirt she was wearing set off her curves and pretty legs


    Her made-up face was familiar. She was the same woman who almost ran over the stray dog and


    cursed Annabel this morning.¡°Mr. Benton, this is the featured product for next season...\


    The woman stood very closeto Rupert. Her beautiful eyes gleamed with obsession.


    Everything made sense now. It tumed out that this woman was an employeehere. No wonder she


    looked familiar.


    And judging from her expression, she must be one of Rupert''s admirers.


    Crazy! How many women had a crush on this cold-blooded man? Annabel frowned slightly and looked


    at the lofty man with dissatisfaction. He looked dashing in the ck handmade Armani suit. His bushy


    eyebrows were knitted. Under his high nose was a pair of thin lips that looked kissable. He looked like


    a Greek god.


    It was no surprise thata handsome and rich man attracted the attention


    of countless women.However, Annabel was not one of them.


    She wasn''t interested inhim in spite of his looks and heavy pocket; his


    arrogance made him undesirable.Anyway, they would break off their engagement in three months.


    It didn''t matter to her that there was a string of women trying to win his heart.

 Chapter 17

    Chapter 17


    Chapter 17 Being Fair


    "Bernice, could you kindly excuse me? I need to speak to Mr.Benton about something."


    Nina nced at the red-ddy before turning her attention to Rupert.


    The name Bernice sounded familiar to Annabel.


    Annabel suddenly realized that Bernice was the director of the design department of a jewelrypany


    owned by Benton Group.


    Her family had a connection with the Benton family, which enabled her to be a director at such a


    young age.


    "I''m also speaking with Mr.Benton.Nina, don''t you understand that firste, first served?"


    Bernice expressed her dissatisfaction.


    Rupert leaned in his chair and cast a chilly look at Annabel.


    Annabel had contacted him this morning and told him she would arrive Jate to work.


    He wondered why she was in such a mess.And why Nina yanked her over so angrily.


    "Modify it,"


    Rupert stated as he handed Bernice the design.


    "All right, Mr.Benton."


    Bernice nodded, took the design draft, and stood back.Rupert''s expression hardened as he looked at


    Nina and Annabel.


    "What''s up?"


    "Mr.Benton, Annabel arrivedte to work today for no apparent reason.I can''t keep such a careless


    employee in our secretary department," Ninained.


    ording to rumors, Bruce forced Rupert into epting Annabel as his fiancee.


    Rupert not only had no feelings for Annabel but also disliked her.


    Nina believed Rupert would be impressed if she took advantage of this opportunity to drive Annabel


    away.


    "She informed me she would bete today,"


    Rupert stated indifferently while fiddling with his pen.


    Nina was taken aback.


    Her lips moved, but she couldn''t think of anything to say.


    It was reported that Rupert disliked Annabel, who came from the countryside.


    Nina didn''t understand why Rupert defended her.


    "All right, you may leave now."


    Rupert loosened his tie impatiently.


    Nina and Bernice turned around and walked toward the door.


    "Wait a minute, Nina,"


    Annabel remarked, clearing her voice.


    Nina stopped and inquired, "What?"


    Annabel''s eyes darkened.


    "Aren''t you going to offer me an exnation for what happenedst night?"


    "What exactly happenedst night?" Nina replied and looked away with guilty.


    "You stated you would bring a document to me and requested me to stay in thepany to work


    overtime. But there was no document to deal with."


    Annabel squinted.


    "You nned to have me wait at the office all night long.Don''t you think you owe me an exnation?"


    ? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.


    Nina had not anticipated that Annabel would bring up what happenedst night in front of Rupert.


    Her countenance changed, but she acted calm and asked, "What are you talking about, Annabel? I


    only requested you to finish your work before heading home yesterday.When did I say I would bring


    you a document? Did you misunderstand me?"


    Annabel knew that Nina would deny it.


    So, she took out her phone and clicked the button.


    Nina''s voice was heard saying, "Well, the thing is I just received a call.There''s another document that


    must be inputted into the system.I''m on my way with it.Just wait there."


    Nina had no idea Annabel recorded the phone call ofst night.She bit her lip and responded, "It wasn''t


    like that, Mr.Benton.Don''t trust Annabel.She¡ª"


    Annabel interrupted Nina with a mocking smile.


    "Are you going to im that the recording is fake? That I had someone synthesize it? It''s easy to prove


    it.We''ll know whether it''s true or not if we get an expert to analyze it."


    Nina''s face became pallid.


    She intended to say that the recording was a fake and that Annabel wronged her, but now that Annabel


    said so, she had nothing to say.The thought that Rupert could find an expert to examine the recording


    scared Nina.


    "I¡ª"


    Nina struggled to open her mouth.


    "Apologize to Annabel,"


    Rupert interrupted Nina.


    Annabel was shocked.


    She thought that things wouldn''t go so well.


    Nina was a senior employee of Benton Group, and Annabel and Rupert hated each other.It seemed


    that Rupert was a man who could tell right from wrong.

 Chapter 19

    Chapter 19


    Chapter 19 The Stolen Ring No?


    That meant Annabel wasn''t the girl Rupert met when he was a child.


    A disappointed look was written all over Rupert''s handsome face.


    Oblivious to how he was feeling, Annabel stared at him in suspicion.


    What did he mean? Did he want her to get kidnapped? None of them said anything for the rest of the


    ride.


    When they got home, Erica handed Rupert an invitation and said, "Don''t forget Brock Norman is


    holding a banquet for his seventieth birthday this weekend."


    The banquet was scheduled to hold in Imperial Hotel¡ªthe most luxurious hotel in the city.


    All the guests were either rich, powerful, or both.


    Annabel had gotten her fair share of attending banquets after thepany''s anniversary a few days


    back.


    Much to her displeasure, Erica woke her up early in the morning and lectured her about it.


    "Get up! You must not embarrass this family!"


    Erica uttered coldly, wagging her finger at Annabel.


    The banquet hall was bustling with life.


    Many people were chatting and cheering in their dashing outfits.


    However, the whole thing was boring to Annabel.


    She sat in a corner and looked around until her eyes fell on Rupert, who was standing out in the crowd


    like a star.


    With a huff, she stood up and decided to go to the rooftop to get some fresh air.


    She had just taken a few steps when a group of young women stopped her; Heather and her mean


    friends.


    Heather stretched out her hand to unt a shining diamond ring that made her look nobler.


    With a taunting smirk, she said, "See? This is a famous limited edition piece designed by world-ss


    designer, Ada.


    My grandfather bought it at an auction abroad for my birthdayst year."


    One of Heather''s friends crooned, "Oh, it''s so beautiful! It suits you perfectly.No one else can pull it off


    like you do.Gorgeous!"


    The women''s fawning behavior made Annabel sick to her stomach.She looked at them with a frown.


    How shameless can these women be? As far as she was concerned, there was nothing special about


    that ring.


    It was beautiful, but the diamond was so small.


    It was nothingpared to the huge diamonds her own grandfather gifted her.


    "Excuse me,dies."


    Annabel moved to the side and walked past them without a backward nce.


    "Bumpkin! She''s so ssless!"


    Heather and her friends cursed, ring at her back.


    Annabel spent a great deal of time on the rooftop.


    The moment she reluctantly returned to the banquet hall, a uniformed waiter pointed at her and


    shouted, "It''s her! She''s the one I saw just now!"


    Annabel halted in her tracks.


    She was at a loss what the waiter was insinuating.


    Where the hell did he see her? And why was he shouting? Heather burst through the crowd that had


    gathered in the blink of an eye.


    "So, it was you who stole my diamond ring!"


    Stole her diamond ring? What the hell? Frowning deeply, Annabel looked at Heather and asked, "What


    diamond ring?"


    Heather''s friends surrounded Annabel and joined in the usation.


    "Gosh! I find it surprising that Rupert''s fiancee is a thief."


    "I''m not surprised at all.Bumpkins like her have no morals.Remember how she gawked at the ring


    when she saw it a while back? She can never afford such an expensive ring, so she stole it!"


    "Heather, there''s no point exchanging words with her.Just call the cops!"


    A realization hit Annabel at this moment.


    These people were using her of stealing.


    It was a set-up! She nced at Heather''s hand and found that the diamond ring was gone.


    "what''s going on here?"


    Brock walked to the middle of the crowd with the aid of his walking stick.


    "Grandpa, please help me."


    Heather held her chest and put on a sad mask.


    Pointing at Annabel, she continued, "This girl stole the diamond ring you gifted me.And she''s


    pretending not to know anything about it!"


    "Don''t worry, I have got this."


    Brock patted his granddaughter on the shoulder.


    Then he turned to Annabel and inquired, "Did you steal Heather''s diamond ring?"


    "No, sir,"


    Annabel replied calmly.


    Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.


    Brock frowned and said, "I can afford to buy a million diamond rings.However, the missing one is


    Heather''s favorite.If you have it with you, please hand it over.I''ll buy you another one.Just return it


    now."


    Annabel was shocked.


    "How can I return what I didn''t take? The ring is not with me!"


    "Shame on you, Annabel! Someone saw you steal it with his own eyes.Why are you still denying it?"


    Be Astley, one of Heather''s friends, pulled the waiter who pointed at Annabel and yelled angrily.

 Chapter 20

    Chapter 20


    Chapter 20 wless Scheme


    "Oh, really?"


    Annabel scoffed with a shake of her head.


    She could see through Heather and her friends; they were trying to set her up.It annoyed her, but she


    looked forward to seeing what they would do next.


    "Can someone exin to me what happened?"


    Brock asked with a frown.


    He found it hard to believe that Rupert''s fiancee was a thief.


    ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.


    Nheless, he had to listen to his granddaughter''s cries because he doted on her and there was also


    an eyewitness.


    "Heather was showing us her diamond ring when Annabel passed by and gawked at it for a long time.


    It was obvious she liked it."


    Be stepped forward to exin.


    Annabel''s jaw dropped at how skillful she was at lying.


    When did she say or act like she fancied the ring? And she stared at it for a long time? After a pause,


    Be continued, "Before we went dancing, Heather took off the ring and put it in her purse.After we


    finished dancing, the ring was gone."


    "We looked for it everywhere.


    This waiter told us that he happened to see someone steal my ring and that person was Annabel!"


    Heather added, still holding her chest as if her heart was aching badly.


    She deserved an Oscar for her excellent acting.


    Like the mastermind that she was, she nned a wless scheme to humiliate Annabel today.


    After the party, everyone would hate her and Rupert would refuse to marry her.


    After ousting this countrywoman, Heather envisioned how she would marry into the Benton family with


    ease.


    Unfazed by the lies, Annabel sneered and turned to look at the waiter with sharp eyes.


    She asked, "Did you see me stealing Heather''s ring?"


    A cold shiver ran down the waiter''s spine.


    He lowered his head, not daring to look into Annabel''s sharp eyes.


    But he nodded and said in a small voice, "Yes, 1 saw it with my own eyes."


    "Don''t worry.She can''t do anything to you.Just tell us the truth!"


    Be winked at him secretly.


    Taking the hint, the waiter raised his head and said, "When 1 went to the bathroom a few minutes ago,


    I saw this woman wearing the ring.


    I didn''t think anything of it.


    But as soon as she saw me, she took it off and put it in her purse."


    "Annabel! How despicable can you be? Give Heather her ring now! You have brought shame to the


    Benton family.Don¡¯t make matters worse!"


    Erica''s snarky voice was suddenly heard.


    She came over with Cathy on her heels.


    "Calm down, Auntie.She''s not part of the Benton family yet, so she can''t bring us shame."


    Cathy tried tofort her.


    Afterward, she red at Annabel and said, "This girl has turned out to be a thief.I''m sure Rupert won''t


    marry her."


    These words turned more people against Annabel.


    They believed without evidence that she was guilty.


    Annabel sneered in the face of the strong antagonism from them.


    The matter was gradually getting out of hand.


    "Let''s not drag this matter, Annabel.Just hand over the ring you stole."


    Brock stretched out his left hand, his face darkening.


    He was fed up with the whole issue already.He hadn''t expected such a thing would happen at his


    birthday party.


    Annabel''s patience and tolerance were running out.


    "I said I didn''t take it!"


    "You didn''t take it? The waiter said you hid it in your purse.Open it if you are telling the truth!"


    Heather grabbed Annabel''s arm just when thetter was about to walk away.


    Brock snapped his fingers, signaling the security guards to surround Annabel.


    In the middle of this human barricade, Annabel frowned.


    These people weren''t going to let her go if the matter wasn''t solved now.


    Annabel had no choice but to hold out her purse to Heather.


    "You want to check it? Fine!"


    Annabel noticed that a hint of mischief shed in Heather''s eyes as she grabbed the purse.


    Heather handed the purse to the head of the security guards and ordered, "Open it and check it


    thoroughly."


    The security head immediately did as he was told.He unzipped the purse under the gaze of everyone


    present.


    "She''s really the thief!"


    Heather''s shining diamond ring was in Annabel''s purse!

 Chapter 21

    Chapter 21


    Chapter 21 One-man Support


    This is my ring!"


    Heather let out a cry and looked at Annabel contemptuously.


    "You stole my ring! Now that it has been found in your purse, it''s safe to say that you are nothing but a


    shameless thief.Are you still going to deny it?"


    The strange appearance of the diamond ring in her purse didn''t ruffle Annabel at all.She had expected


    this to happen.


    The moment the waiter testified against her, Annabel was sure that the ring was in her purse.


    Someone had put it there when she wasn''t looking.


    The culprit was none other than Heather.


    "Annabel, if you returned the ring to me and apologized to me just now, I could have let it go."


    From the corner of her eye, Heather saw the man she loved.


    She changed her arrogant tone to an extremely soft one just to paint herself as an understanding


    person.


    "You are far too kind, Heather.A shameless thief like Annabel doesn''t deserve to be let off the hook so


    easily.We''d better inform the police.Otherwise, she would continue to go about stealing people''s


    valuables!"


    Be urged her friend.


    "Well, you have a point there.Please call the police,"


    Heather agreed, nodding thoughtfully.


    "You deserve it, Annabel! Theft is an uneptable crime.You should go to jail to join other criminals!"


    Cathy piped up, her eyes glistening with smugness.


    It was obvious she was enjoying the show.


    Despite it all, there was still no panic on Annabel''s face.


    She looked at them as if she wasn''t being roasted.


    They wanted to call the cops? That would be great! It would be more interesting to expose Heather''s


    scheme in front of the police.


    "What''s the matter?"


    A familiar male voice suddenly jolted Annabel back to reality.


    Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org.


    She turned her head and saw Rupert''s tall and straight figure.His tailored suit outlined his perfect


    figure.His face was as handsome as ever, and his eyes were sharp and deep.


    The lights of the banquet hall coated him with ayer of golden hue.His aura was so intimidating that


    people wanted to bow to him.


    "Mr.Benton!"


    The crowd broke in half, making way for Rupert.He walked steadily towards Annabel.


    "Thank God you are here, Rupert.Annabel stole my diamond ring!"


    Heatherined, putting on a pitiful mask.


    "It was a gift from my grandpa for my birthday."


    "You must be mistaken,"


    Rupert uttered with a deep frown.


    Huh? Annabel was surprised.


    Was Rupert defending her? Strange!


    "Rupert, don''t be deceived by Annabel''s innocent look!"


    Cathy yelled before Heather could say something.


    "Annabel stole the ring.Someone caught her red-handed.Also, the ring was found in her purse just


    now.Everyone saw it with their eyes.It''s no mistake at all!"


    "Yes, that''s right.I didn''t want to believe that Annabel stole my ring.After all, she¡¯s your fiancee.But..."


    Heather paused and moved closer to Rupert.


    "We all saw the ring in her purse.How could it have gotten there if Annabel hadn''t taken it? The


    evidence is as clear as day.Rupert, you won''t defend her, will you?"


    Annabel still didn''t get worked up as she watched Heather badmouth her.


    On the contrary, she reasoned that Heather would make a fortune if she decided to be an actress.


    Still in doubt, Rupert turned to Annabel and asked, "Did you steal the ring?"


    "If I say no, will you trust me?" Annabel asked back, looking into his eyes.


    "Yes, I trust you,"


    Rupert blurted out without hesitation.He saw that she looked unfazed and had sincerity in her eyes, so


    he was willing to trust her even though everyone else was against her.


    Annabel smiled brightly.It came as a surprise that Rupert trusted her in this situation.


    "Rupert!"


    Cathy stamped her feet in anger.


    She didn''t understand why her cousin saw something good in this bumpkin.


    Did Annabel give him a love portion? "Make it clear, Annabel! How did the ring get into your purse if


    you didn''t steal it?"


    Be asked after getting Heather''s wink.


    Staring at Heather in the eye, Annabel said with a smile, "Someone put the ring in my purse just to


    frame me!"


    Heather swallowed uneasily as her palms became sweaty.She then looked away awkwardly.


    Did Annabel know what she did? Impossible! Every part of her scheme was just perfect.


    Annabel was supposed to end up humiliated and in jail.


    "Go and check the surveince footage,"


    Rupert ordered his assistant, Finley Wagner.


    "Yes, sir."


    Finley nodded and hurried to the monitoring room.


    Annabel''s eyshes fluttered.


    There were surveince cameras installed in the banquet hall.


    The footage would unearth the truth about the matter.


    However, Annabel couldn''t help but wonder if they could get a hold of the footage.


    Heather had drafted this wless scheme.


    Wouldn''t she do everything to cover her tracks? Sure enough, Finley returned bearing bad news.


    "Mr.Benton, the surveince cameras in this hall are all broken."


    "All of them? How can that be?"


    Rupert''s eyes narrowed.


    This was indeed strange.It was a five-star hotel.


    Brock booked the best hall, so the management must have equipped the hall to the teeth.


    Why then did all the cameras develop a fault at the same time? An idea suddenly popped up in


    Annabel''s mind.


    She cleared her throat and said, "Since there''s no CCTV footage, I know another way we can get to the


    bottom of this.My fingerprints would be on the ring if I stole it.A forensic test should be carried out."


    "What''s the point of going that far, Annabel?" Heather asked.


    "I will let this slide for Rupert''s sake as long as you apologize."


    An apology from Annabel would mean that she was guilty.She would bebeled a thief who owned up


    to her crime.


    Worse still, Rupert would be very disappointed in her if she admitted it after he already dered his


    support for her.


    To crown it all, Erica wouldn''t fail to taunt her and kick her out before the three-month timespan


    psed.


    On the flip side, Heather would be regarded as a woman who was kind-hearted enough to forgive a


    thief.


    Then she would walk her way into Rupert''s heart without hassle.


    "Are you saying you don''t want to get to the root of the matter?" Annabel asked, squinting at Heather.


    Those words made Heather sit on pins and needles.


    She gritted her teeth and uttered, "Far from it.I want to get to the root of the matter."


    "Okay, then call the cops toe investigate."


    Annabel''s face was void of any expression.She hadn''t touched the diamond ring, so she was sure her


    fingerprints weren''t on it.She was going to be vindicated after the forensic test, for sure.


    "Rupert, what do you think?"


    Brock looked at Rupert questioningly.He wanted the young man''s opinion since he was engaged to the


    used.


    Rupert acquiesced by making a phone call to the police chief, who arrived at the banquet hall with


    members of the forensic department in a matter of minutes.


    "Good evening, Mr.Benton.This is the best forensic expert in the force," the chief said respectfully,


    pushing the expert forward.

 Chapter 22

    Chapter 22


    Chapter 22 Shocking Proof Of Innocence


    The forensic expert got down to business.


    Shortly after, he returned to the crowd, cleared his throat, and dered, "The forensic test shows that


    Annabel Hewitt''s fingerprints are on this ring."


    Annabel''s heart skipped a beat.


    Her fingerprints were on the ring! How was that possible? She had never touched it.


    Since Rupert called the cops himself, there was no way the forensic expert was bribed by Heather.It


    stood to reason that she had gotten Annabel''s fingerprints somehow.But how?


    "Annabel, now that it has been proven that you stole the ring, what else do you have to say?" A


    comcent smile appeared on Heather''s face.


    "Officer, she stole my ring.Please arrest her so she can face thew!"


    Heather pointed to Annabel.


    "Annabel, did you really steal it?" Rupert asked.


    He could feel it in his guts that there was more to this than met the eye.Although he had only known


    her for a few days, he didn''t think she was a thief.


    "Of course not." Annabel was still calm.


    "You heard the forensic expert.Your fingerprints are on the ring! Why are you still denying it?"


    Heather red at Annabel.


    "Rupert, why are you still giving her the benefit of the doubt? The Benton family despises thieves.You


    deserve someone better than her!"


    Cathy uttered, adding insult to injury "Miss Hewitt, you have toe with us and cooperate with us


    during the investigation."


    The chief officer stepped forward.


    All the evidence was against Annabel.She was the prime suspect, so the cops couldn''t let her go scot-


    free.


    They would interrogate her and do some investigation before deciding on her fate.


    "No, thanks.I can prove that I have never touched this ring here and now," Annabel said, taking a step


    back from the officer. Her voice wasn''t loud, but it was decisive and prative.


    "Prove it? What else is there to prove? You are the thief, Annabel.Own up to it!"


    Heather raised her voice and couldn''t restrain the annoyance on her face.


    Everyone, except Rupert, now believed beyond any doubt that Annabel was guilty of the usation.


    They gave her disgusted looks.


    It seemed like there was no way out for her now.


    Heather was confident that Annabel would end up in jail.She was already jubting in her mind.


    "Sorry to burst your bubble, but I have a way to prove it."


    A smirk appeared at the corners of Annabel¡¯s mouth.


    She turned to the chief beside her and said, "Please give me the ring."


    The chief took a look at Rupert.


    After getting approval, he handed the ziplock bag containing the ring to Annabel.


    With the ziplock bag raised up high, Annabel scanned through the crowd and finally set her eyes on the


    waiter.


    "Did you see me wearing this ring?"


    "Yes, I saw it with my own eyes," the waiter replied.


    Annabel said calmly, "Watch this, everyone."


    She stretched out her hand for everyone to see.


    "Take note of how my hand looks now."


    Her fingers were smooth and tender.


    "What is she up to?"


    Confused murmurs came from the crowd as everyone fixed their eyes on her.


    Rupert''s face was expressionless, but he had questioning eyes as he stared at Annabel.


    He was intrigued by how Annabel managed to stay calm through the storm and evenmand the


    attention of everyone.


    The confidence she exuded was something that no woman from the countryside usually had.


    Rupert longed to see how she would prove her innocence despite the evidence against her.


    Under the gaze of everyone present, Annabel unlocked the ziplock bag and held the ring in her hand.


    In a couple of minutes, her fingers began to swell.


    Red bumps also appeared on them.


    "Oh, my God! What''s happening to her hand? It looks so awful!"


    The onlookers were shocked by what they were witnessing.


    After a while, Annabel put the ring back into the ziplock bag and returned it to the chief officer.


    She raised her hand and said, "I''m actually to tinum, and the band is made of tinum.You all saw


    how my fingers became swollen shortly after I touched the ring.The reaction usuallysts for a few


    hours.If I had stolen the ring, my hand should have been swollen red and covered with painful bumps


    before now.It only became swollen just now.In essence, this is the first time I ever held the ring, so I


    didn¡¯t steal it!"


    As Annabel spoke, she raised her swollen hand for all to see.


    "No, it''s impossible!"


    Heather stared at Annabel''s hand in disbelief.


    How could this be? How could it be such a coincidence that Annabel was allergic to tinum? "You


    must have done something!"


    Heather snatched the ring from the policeman and looked at it carefully, trying to find out something


    wrong.


    To her disappointment, there was nothing wrong.


    It was exactly how she remembered it to be.


    Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.


    Heather''s expression changed.


    She was dumbfounded.


    She had meticulously set everything up.


    Why did her n fail? No! At the sight of the disappointment on Heather''s face, Annabel smiled and


    snatched the ring with her normal hand.


    "It''s hard to convince you, huh? Not to worry, I''ll show you again!"


    The result was the same.Her left hand became swollen in a few minutes just like the right.


    "This is enough proof that I didn''t steal the ring, right?"


    Annabel uttered slowly.


    "well, it''s clear that Miss Hewitt is allergic to tinum.So, she couldn''t possibly have stolen the ring."


    The police chief aired his opinion after weighing all the terms.


    "Thank you, officer."


    Annabel then turned to the waiter sharply and inquired, "You have some exining to do, don''t you?"


    "I.."


    Beads of sweat appeared on the waiter''s forehead.He fiddled with his fingers and looked at Heather for


    help.


    Heather shot him a murderous re, gritting her teeth.


    The waiter shivered and sank to his knees before Annabel.


    "I''m sorry.I stole the ring," he uttered with tears in his eyes.


    "Oh, really?"


    Annabel''s sarcastic tone indicated that she didn''t believe him at all.


    There was no way a mere waiter like him could have gotten ess to Heather and stolen the ring


    without her noticing.


    Besides, he didn''t seem like someone who coulde up with such a perfect scheme.


    "I''m sorry.I stole the ring because I was blinded by greed.Please forgive me.Such a thing won''t repeat


    itself."


    Seeing that the waiter took the me for everything, Heather breathed a sigh of relief.

 Chapter 23

    Chapter 23


    Chapter 23 Forced Apology


    "Oh, my God! So, it was you that stole my ring.But how did it get into Annabel¡¯s purse?"


    Heather questioned the waiter just to pin the whole thing on him.


    "I nned to sell the ring after getting off work.However, you began to look for it and even asked the


    security to search everywhere.I was scared of getting exposed, so I slipped the ring into her purse


    when no one was looking.Please forgive me.I didn''t mean it.My mother is lying seriously ill in the


    hospital, and she needs surgery.I have no money, so I was forced to steal."


    "Tell me, who put you up to this?" Annabel asked, frowning at him.


    "No one.I did on my own ord," the waiter answered in a trembling voice, but he kept looking at


    Heather with fear.


    Heather feared that everything would be exposed if Annabel continued to interrogate the waiter.


    Biting her lower lip, she chipped in, "You know what? I don''t want to pursue the matter.I''ll let you off the


    hook because you did it for your mother."


    "Thank you.I''m sorry once again."


    The waiter thanked and apologized to Heather.


    "You don''t want to pursue it? That wasn''t what you said when I was used of stealing the ring.Why


    the sudden change of mind?"


    Annabel uttered expressionlessly.


    "That''s enough, everyone.Since the ring has been found and Heather has forgiven the thief, there''s no


    point dragging the matter,"Brock piped up when he saw that Heather was too embarrassed to say a


    word.Heather waved her hand in a hurry and asked the police to take the waiter away.She took the


    ring, turned around, and was about to leave.


    "Wait a minute." Annabel stepped forward and blocked Heather''s way.


    This schemer wanted to leave after causing so much damage? Annabel wasn''t going to allow her to


    get away with this.No one dared to humiliate her and leave just like that.


    "What''s the matter?"


    Heather looked at Annabel warily.


    With a smirk, Annabel uttered, "Are you going to leave just like that? You humiliated me in front of all


    these people.I almost got arrested for what I didn''t do.The least you can do before leaving is to


    apologize to me.Go on, I''m waiting!"


    ? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.


    "No way!"


    Heather''s blood was boiling.


    Thest thing she wanted to do was to apologize to Annabel, a country bumpkin, in front of all these


    dignitaries.


    What would that make her? "Apologize to her," Rupert said in a deep and cold voice.


    The terrifying expression on his face made Heather take a step back.


    Balling her hands into fists, she said very reluctantly, "I''m sorry, Annabel.I shouldn''t have used you


    wrongly just now."


    Annabel rubbed her ear and asked, "What did you say? I didn''t hear you."


    Biting back the curses she had for Annabel, Heather sighed deeply and uttered through gritted teeth,


    "I''m sorry!"


    The shame was too much for her to bear.She wanted to disappear immediately.


    Unlike his granddaughter, Brock wasn''t ashamed to apologize.


    He cleared his throat and said, "I''m sorry for what happened, Annabel.Heather isn''t at fault.It was just


    one big misunderstanding.Don''t take it to heart, okay?"


    "It''s fine.I just hope that next time such a thing happens, you will give the used a listening ear and


    find out the truth before taking sides.False usations are very destructive to a person," Annabel


    intoned with a polite smile.


    At this moment, Brock became extremely embarrassed.He faked a smile and muttered,


    "Noted.Anyway, are your hands okay? How about I ask someone to take you to the hospital?"


    "No, thanks.I''m tired.I''ll take my leave now."


    The issue drained Annabel''s strength.She yawned, picked up her purse, and left under the gaze of


    everyone.


    As she stood by the roadside for a taxi, lightning suddenly shed and thunder struck.


    The air became chilly; it was about to rain.


    What an unlucky night! Annabel didn¡¯t have an umbre, and there was no taxi in sight.


    A raindrop suddenly fell on her face, sending a chill to her entire body.


    Just as she began looking for where to take shelter, a ck Bentley stopped right next to her.It was


    Rupert''s.


    The car door opened, and Rupert''s handsome face came into view.


    "Get in," he said simply.


    Annabel was a little stunned.


    Why did Rupert leave the party too? Did he purposely leave because of her? But why? With a raised


    eyebrow, Rupert uttered, "Are you not getting in?"


    "Thank you."


    As soon as Annabel sat in the passenger seat, she remembered what happened thest time.She


    quickly fastened her seat belt to avoid a repetition.


    Rupert swallowed hard.


    His hands tightened over the steering wheel.


    Annabel looked so hot this evening.


    The red dress she had on entuated her curves.


    One of her thighs was visible due to the split on the side of the dress.


    Damn, she was just too sexy! "where are we going?"


    Looking out of the window, Annabel realized that this was not the way home.


    Rupert tilted his head and cast a nce at her.


    "To the hospital."


    Hospital?


    "Why are we going to the hospital?"


    Annabel was confused.


    Rupert frowned.


    "Have you forgotten that your hands are red and swollen?"How considerate of him! "Thank you, but


    you need not bother.It''s just a minor allergy reaction," Annabel said with a smile.


    "You call that minor? Besides, why did you hurt yourself just to prove your innocence?"


    "What else could I have done? Should I have allowed them to frame me as a shameless thief?"


    Annabel slightly tilted her body.


    "You should have employed another means.A better one," Rupert responded coldly.


    "What other means? Can you think of any that is better than the one I used?"


    Annabel fired back, rubbing the space between her eyebrows.It had been a close shave for her.She


    had almost gotten arrested because of Heather''s wless scheme.Her allergy to tinum was the only


    thing that could prove that she never touched the ring.


    Annabel didn¡¯t think there were any better ways.


    Rupert looked at her and said in a low voice, "You should have turned to me for help."


    How was turning to him for help a better way? What could he have done to help her? Annabel couldn''t


    understand this.She said with a faint smile, "Anyway, thank you."


    She was grateful that he trusted her against all odds.


    Rupert snorted without responding.


    Again, he found her intriguing.She was calm and very smart.


    This wasn''t how he imagined her to be before they met.


    Rupert took her to the hospital.


    The doctor checked the allergy reaction and revealed that it was nothing serious.He then prescribed an


    ointment.


    After they got home, Annabel wanted to go back to her room, but Rupert stopped her.


    "You should sleep in my room.I''m worried about you."


    Annabel wanted to refuse, but when she saw the sincerity in his eyes, she nodded.The two of them


    walked into his room.


    "I''m going to take a shower."


    Rupert strode to the bathroom.


    The pattering sound of water was heard shortly after.


    Sitting on the sofa, Annabel took out the ointment the doctor prescribed and carefully applied it on her


    fingers.Her fingers itched.


    After applying the ointment, Annabel stood up but her head identally bumped into Rupert''s chin.


    A sharp pain came from the crown of her head.She raised her head, only to see Rupert standing in


    front of her.


    "Ouch! When did you get here?" she asked, her eyes widening in surprise.

 Chapter 24

    Chapter 24


    Chapter 24 You Are Not My Type


    Annabel had been so engrossed in applying the ointment that she didn''t notice his presence.


    Here he was standing in a white bathrobe with part of his broad chest visible.


    The collision made his chin hurt, so his face was a little knitted.


    Droplets of water fell from the tip of his hair.His eyebrows and eyshes were also wet.


    Annabel took in his appearance for an indeterminate amount of time.She had to admit that he was very


    good-looking.


    "Have you feasted your eyes enough?" Rupert asked with a smug smile, jarring her from her world of


    fantasy.


    "When did you get here? You scared the shit out of me.Stop tiptoeing like a thief.And get dressed


    immediately!"


    Annabel rubbed her head and looked away shyly.


    Rupert chuckled and buttoned up the bathrobe.


    Rubbing his chin, he uttered teasingly, "My chin hurts because you bumped into me.What are you


    going to do about this?"


    She bumped into him, but sheined instead of apologizing.


    "I...I''m going to take a shower."


    Annabel was a little flustered under his intense gaze.She grabbed clean clothes and rushed into the


    bathroom.She muttered to herself, "Why did hee out dressed like that? Oh, God.Why am I


    sweating all of a sudden?"


    Staring at Annabel as she ran away from him, Rupert couldn''t help but wonder if he was scary.


    Knock! Knock! Knock! Annabel was still showering when she suddenly heard a series of knocks on the


    bathroom door.


    "Who is there?"


    Her heart skipped a bit as she rinsed thether off her face.


    Who could be knocking? Was it Rupert? He was the only one in the room.


    What did he want? Sure enough, Rupert''s attractive voice came from the other side.


    "It''s me."


    Annabel put up her guard immediately.


    "What do you want? Can''t you tell I''m still taking a shower? Go away!"


    "You dropped something," Rupert said in a low and hoarse voice.


    "What''s that?"


    Annabel turned off the shower and wrapped herself in a short bath towel.She thought Rupert was


    lying.She didn¡¯t think she had dropped something.


    Even if she had, couldn''t he wait until she finished having her shower? This man was up to something!


    He always behaved decently.


    But could it be that he was actually a peeping Tom? At the thought of this, Annabel made up her mind


    to fight Rupert off with all her strength if he dared to make any sexual advances at her.


    "You should have a look at it yourself."


    A smile tugged at the corners of Rupert''s mouth as he took a look at the item in his hand.


    Annabel was confused.She checked the pile of clothes she had brought into the bathroom.


    To her dismay, her clean underwear was missing.It must have fallen outside when she was in a hurry.


    Was that what Rupert was holding? This was so embarrassing.


    Annabel pulled her hair as she grew anxious.


    Her face turned red.


    After much hesitation, she tiptoed to the door, opened it a little, and stuck her head out to say, "I


    dropped it by ident.Hand it over."


    The orange light shone on her face.Her smooth and tender skin was glittering with droplets of water.It


    was slightly red.


    Rupert couldn''t help gawking at her.


    His lips curled up in a big smile.


    He held out the underwear and said softly, "Be careful.Don''t drop it again."


    "Thank you!"


    Annabel snatched it, and her hand brushed his briefly.


    The electrifying heat from his hand made her cheeks burn.


    Seeing that he smiled more brightly, she shut the door in his face.She could hear her heart beating fast.


    Gosh! What was wrong with her? This was so embarrassing! For the first time, Annabel regretted


    agreeing toe to this household just to please her grandfather.


    It dawned on her that she was asking for trouble.


    Annabel took a few deep breaths to dispel the inexplicable tension in her heart.


    After taking a shower, she walked out of the bathroom to find Rupert sitting on the sofa.He had his legs


    crossed leisurely with a financial magazine in his hands.His handsome eyes were narrowed and fixed


    on the magazine.


    "I''m going to bed."


    Annabel walked to him.


    The moment she finished speaking, she regretted it.Her words were ambiguous.


    "Oh? Is that an invitation?"


    Rupert raised his head and asked in a charming voice.


    What? How was that an invitation? Annabel only said that because she was so tired and wanted to


    sleep immediately.


    How could he twist her words to mean something else? His mind was so corrupt! "Rupert Benton!"


    Annabel put on a serious face.Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.


    "Stop being narcissistic.We are only together because of our grandfathers.All these will be over in three


    months.Behave yourself!"


    He being was narcissistic? Never had any woman said such to Rupert before.


    A cold glint suddenly took the ce of the warmness in his eyes.


    He eyed her from head to toe and uttered, "Don''t tter yourself.You don''t even have a good figure.If I


    want to sleep with someone, it won''t be you.You are not my type.I like my women curvy, sophisticated,


    and nice!"


    Did he just say that she had a bad figure? Annabel couldn''t believe her ears.


    She had a good curvaceous figure that turned heads! "You also don''t have a good figure! None one in


    your family has a good figure.You are all ugly, too!"


    Annabel fired back, rolling her eyes at him.


    She could be likened to a rabbit whose carrot was just stolen.


    Rupert looked away and said, "I don''t have time for this.I''m going to the study."


    He sprang to his feet and left without a backward nce.However, he couldn''t get Annabel out of his


    mind.


    She was beautiful, smart, confident, and neither humble nor pushy.She was his spec! But unfortunately,


    she was not the one he was looking for.


    The incident that happened to him when he was thirteen years old reyed in his head.


    "Rupert, your hand is injured.Let me bind it up for you."


    A girl in a ponytail, who was a few years younger than him, held out a handkerchief.She carefully


    bound up his wound and made a beautiful bowknot.


    "Does it hurt?"


    The girl raised her head, revealing her beautiful big eyes.


    Rupert wrapped his arms around her and said firmly, "No, it doesn''t.Don''t be afraid, Candy.Help will


    come soon.I''m sure of that."


    As soon as Rupert jolted back to reality, he opened the drawer and took out a faded handkerchief.He


    stared at it for a long time.


    Where was Candy now? Was she living a good life? The following morning, Annabel woke up to find


    that she was all alone in the room.


    The other side of the bed was cold.


    Did Rupert stay in the study all night? Annabel rubbed her temples and wondered if she had misjudged


    him.


    A powerful and handsome man like him had many admirers.


    Annabel was Known to be a country girl.


    How would he take a fancy to her when he had better options? Annabel was delighted to know that he


    didn''t want her.She didn''t want anything toplicate matters.


    Theck of love was the perfect excuse she could give her grandfather.


    At the thought of this, Annabel hummed a song happily as she left for work.She had barely sat at her


    desk for a few minutes when Nina sent for her.


    "What can I do for you?"


    Annabel looked at Nina indifferently.She''d had it up to here with this woman''s constant troubles.She


    wondered what Nina had up her sleeves this time around.

 Chapter 25

    Chapter 25


    Chapter 25 Overstepping Boundaries


    "There¡¯s a new task for you, Annabel.Ourpany is cooperating with Lady Fashion for next


    season.You will be responsible for the project."


    Jealousy flickered in Nina''s eyes as she spoke.


    She handed a few documents to Annabel and continued, "These documents contain all the needed


    information about the project.Take a look at them quickly."


    "Okay," said Annabel as she took over the documents.


    She then turned around and returned to her desk.


    Nina scowled with jealousy as she stared at Annabel¡¯s back.She had been in charge of the project.


    However, Rupert called her to his office this morning and ordered her to give Annabel the project.She


    couldn''t understand why.


    What was so good about that hillbilly? Was it because she was Rupert''s fiancee? Just as Nina was


    fuming, a text message came through.


    "How far with the task I gave you thest time?"


    The message was from Heather.


    Nina thought for a while and soon replied, "Don''t worry.I''m on it.That bumpkin will be ousted this time."


    Heather replied simply, "Do it ASAP!"


    She was running out of patience.Her ploy to frame Annabel as a thief had failed.


    Annabel had not only proved her innocence but also made Heather seem like a fool.


    Heather wouldn''t want to lose to Annabel again.


    Clenching the phone in her hand, Heather said with an evil expression, "Just wait and see,


    Annabel.You''ll weep buckets by the time I''m done with you."


    Annabel spent the entire day studying the documents Nina handed to her.


    The project was about theunch of a new series of jewelry for the next season by Benton Group in


    coboration with Lady Fashion.


    It was already at the design stage.


    All Annabel needed to do was check out the progress and point out any discrepancies.It was a piece of


    cake.


    When Annabel got back from work, she saw that her belongings were no longer in Rupert''s room; they


    had been moved to a guest room on the first floor.


    "Who moved my things here?"


    Annabel inquired, looking confused.


    Cathy showed up out of nowhere.She then said with a smug smile, "I did.Do you have a problem with


    that?"


    "Do you have any idea that touching someone else''s things counts as infringement of privacy and


    attempted theft?"


    Annabel folded her arms and leaned against the door frame with an indifferent expression.


    "They are just shabby suitcases!"


    Cathy scoffed.


    "The Benton family took you in and fed you good food these past few days.I''m sure the guest room is


    far better than the master bedroom in the shack where your family lives.You are very ungrateful.If you


    don''t want this room, you should go back to your dpidated home!"


    Shabby suitcases? Annabel stared at Cathy as if she was looking at a fool.


    These leather suitcases were specially made for her by a top foreign designer.


    They were more luxurious than those of most popr brands.


    Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.


    Everything, from the design to the workmanship and materials used, was the best of the best.


    How dare Cathy run them down? It appeared she didn''t know anything about fashion and quality.


    "What''s going on here?"


    Rupert arrived home to meet a heated quarrel ongoing on the first floor.


    "Rupert!"


    Cathy grabbed his arm and spoke in an aggrieved tone.


    "I was kind to help Annabel to move her things.Instead of thanking me, she used me of stealing and


    infringing her privacy.Even beggars would not want her suitcases.How can I steal anything from her?"


    Annabel snapped her fingers and uttered, "Rupert, you heard her, right? She moved my things without


    my permission!"


    With a frown, Rupert pulled his arm away and asked firmly, "Cathy, why did you move Annabel''s


    things?"


    The searing re Cathy received from him made her step back in fear.


    "Your mom gave the order."


    Hearing this, Rupert nodded his head thoughtfully.He knew his mother disliked Annabel.


    However, he didn''t like that she was being treated unfairly.


    If his grandfather found out about this, he would throw a fit.


    "Take Annabel''s things back to my room,"


    Rupert ordered a servant.


    "There will be no need for that."


    Annabel refused once she remembered what transpired between themst night.


    Rupert was a little annoyed by her refusal.She would rather stay in a guest room than stay with him?


    Displeased, Rupert said, "Suit yourself."


    "Yes, I will do just that.This room isn''t bad, after all."


    Annabel shrugged.She didn''t mind staying here.She could stay anywhere else as long as it wasn''t


    Rupert''s bedroom.She didn''t want to face the embarrassment she facedst night again.


    The guest room was beautifully decorated and livable, so Annabel liked it.


    After arranging her things in the room, she sat on the sofa to rest.Her phone suddenly rang.She looked


    at the screen, only to see that it was Marcel.


    "Hello, Annabel speaking," she uttered, pressing the phone to her ear.


    "Hey! It¡¯s me, Annabel.Are you free this Sunday night?"


    Marcel''s voice came from the other end of the line.


    Annabel didn''t have a lot on her te, so she figured that she would be free on Sunday.She replied


    with a smile, "Yes, I''m free.What''s up?"


    "I just finished shooting a new drama.I''d appreciate it if you can celebrate with me."


    Marcel invited her with expectation.


    "Congrattions on the sess of the shoot!"


    Annabel was happy to hear the good news.


    "Seven o''clock on Sunday night at Charming Bar? All right, I''ll see you then."


    "Who was that on the phone?"


    A sharp voice suddenly came from behind as soon as Annabel got off the phone.She almost jumped


    out of her skin.She turned around and saw Rupert''s handsome face.


    "You know that''s none of your business, right?"


    Annabel stood up and queried with a frown.


    "Besides, why did youe into my room without permission? Don''t you know to knock?"


    Rupert''s face darkened when she wasn''t going to tell him the truth.


    Judging by the way Annabel smiled so brightly as she spoke on the phone, he reasoned that the caller


    was a man.But now, she was aggressive.


    "This is my home.I can enter any room I want," Rupert said coldly.


    "Anyway, I came here to inform you that we will go to visit my grandpa this weekend."


    "Okay, no problem."


    Annabel agreed without hesitation.


    Bruce was good friends with her grandfather.


    Since she was in Douburgh, she felt obligated to pay the old man a visit.


    Rupert was stunned by her agreement.He had expected her to say no.


    Thinking of the call just now, he said coldly, "Remember you are my fiancee.


    Don''t bring shame to me and my family by going to the bar with some man."


    What did he mean by that? Was he prohibiting her from going out on Sunday night? What nonsense!


    He had no right to do that.


    Could it be that he saw himself as her real fiance? "I''m a grown woman, Rupert.I''m free to go wherever


    I want, with whomever I want.My actions have nothing to do with you or your family.This engagement


    will be called off in three months.Don''t you think you have gone too far?"


    Annabel yelled at him.


    Without waiting for Rupert to reply, she pointed at the door and added, "I want to go to bed now.Please


    use the door!"


    Rupert''s handsome face twitched.Was she driving him out?

 Chapter 26

    Chapter 26


    Chapter 26 Lovey-dovey Act


    Annabel pushed Rupert out and shut the door in his face.


    Rupert was furious, but he couldn''t do anything.


    It was the first time someone was driving him away.


    And this person was a woman.


    He wanted to lend her a hand.He asked Nina to hand over the cooperation project with Lady Fashion to


    Annabel just so she would have more opportunities to learn.


    Since she was still a newbie, Rupert figured that she would have a hard time dealing with the big


    project.


    He wanted to teach her whatever she found difficult.


    To his dismay, she drove him out of her room like he was a pest.


    What an ungrateful woman! Annabel didn''t have the slightest idea what Rupert was thinking.


    If she knew that he saw her as someone who didn''t know the ropes of the new project, she would be


    bbergasted.


    Instead of going to bed like she earlier said, Annabel took out aptop from her suitcase and opened


    an encrypted file.


    The file contained a new dress design she made.


    One of Annabel''s identities was Leo¡ªthe most famous fashion designer in the world.


    Leo appeared out of nowhere two years ago.


    The big break came after Leo designed the wedding dress of a princess from Etrada Kingdom.


    Leo became a viral sensation overnight in the fashion industry.


    However, no one knew who this excellent designer was.


    Leo stayed out of the public eye and didn¡¯t attend award shows, fashion shows, or even granted any


    interviews.


    All the media interaction was done by Anika Mendoza, the person in charge of Leo Studio.


    Everything about Leo was a secret; no one even knew what gender Leo was.


    They were in for a big surprise if the truth ever got out that the famous and revered designer was a


    woman in her early twenties.


    Annabel devoted herself to work and revised a few details of the design.


    Soon, it was done.She sent the design drawings to Anika and texted, novelebook "Launch the


    Elsa series immediately."


    "Got it!" replied Anika quickly.


    Sunday soon rolled by.


    Early in the morning, Rupert took Annabel to his grandfather''s ce.It was a three-story vi that was


    located in the middle of a huge mountain.


    There was a river nearby.


    The serene scenery was a sight to behold.


    The butler, Jaxen Dawson, warmly weed Rupert and Annabel in.


    "Where is Grandpa?" Rupert asked, walking in.


    Jaxen replied, "He is waiting for you inside.You must be Annabel."


    Annabel smiled and nodded politely.


    Rupert angled his arm and signaled Annabel to lock arms with him.


    "What are you doing?" queried Annabel, giving him a wary nce.


    "What does it look like?" Rupert frowned slightly.


    "You need to behave well in front of my grandfather.Remember that he''s old and sick." Annabel


    understood.


    After a moment of hesitation, she locked arms with him.


    She also prayed that Bruce would get well soon.


    The two walked into the living room with their arms locked like a loving couple.


    A grey-haired man was sitting on a sofa in the living room.He had on a pair of gold-rimmed sses.He


    was Bruce Benton, Rupert''s grandfather.


    "Good morning, Grandpa!"


    Rupert greeted, walking toward Bruce.


    With a sweet smile, Annabel went with him and greeted, "Hello, Bruce."


    Bruce stood up and looked at Annabel with loving eyes.


    "It''s so good to see you, Anna.You''ve grown up."


    Thest time he saw Annabel was five years ago.


    At that time, she was just an immature teenager.


    Now, she was a slim and tall woman with bright eyes and a pretty face.


    She and Rupert were a perfect match in Bruce''s eyes.


    "How are you doing, Bruce? My grandpa has been worried about you."


    Annabel helped Bruce take his seat again.She lowered her head and took a closer look at him.She was


    always sick as a child.novelebookHer grandfather hired the best doctor to take care of her at


    home.


    Due to being with medics every day, Annabel picked up many medical skills.


    After examining Bruce carefully, she saw that his face was ruddy and he didn''t look sickly.


    His body wasn''t like that of a sick or weak person at all.


    Bruce was just pretending to be sick.


    Rupert was a filial grandson.He was ready to go to great lengths to please his grandfather.


    Bruce knew this, so he feigned ill health just to force Rupert to agree to marry Annabel.


    He was ying tricks on the oblivious Rupert.


    N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content.


    Annabel thanked her stars that she found the truth.


    However, she felt pity for Bruce because he would be disappointed when she called off the


    engagement.


    As Annabel went over the whole thing in her head, she turned her head to look at Rupert.


    Rupert shed her a doting smile and held her hand.


    Annabel''s first instinct was to pull her hand back.


    However, when she remembered the talk she had with him outside, she stiffened and smiled back at


    him.


    Bruce didn''t notice any awkwardness.


    He felt these two already had feelings for each other, so he smiled with satisfaction.


    At this moment, Jaxen came rushing and announced, "Erica and Heather Norman are here."


    What? Erica was here? With Heather? A faint frown appeared on Annabel''s face when she saw these


    women.


    "Dad, how are you? Are you feeling better? Heather has been worried sick about you, so I brought her


    to visit you," said Erica.


    "Hello, Bruce." Heather smiled sweetly.


    "I wanted to visit you when I heard you were sick, but I didn''t want to disturb you.I''m here now.It''s good


    to see that you are recovering well."


    The smile on Bruce''s face faded a little.He knew very well that Heather had feelings for his


    grandson.He also knew that his daughter-inw, Erica, liked Heather and disliked Annabel just


    because she came from the countryside.


    No one was good enough for Rupert like Annabel, as far as Bruce was concerned.He felt that Annabel


    was a thousand times better than Heather.


    And that was as fact.


    They only looked down on Annabel because they didn''t know who she really was.


    "Mom, why are you here?"


    Rupert''s face was contorted with irritation when he saw Heather.


    He brought Annabel here to visit Bruce.


    Why did his mother show up with Heather today of all days?


    "why can''t I be here? Heather is a filial and well-mannered young girl.She has always wanted to


    visit.She happened to be free today, so we came together."


    Erica smiled and nudged Heather toward Rupert.


    Taking the hint, Heather squeezed herself between Rupert and Annabel.She then pressed her side on


    Rupert shamelessly.


    It was crystal clear to Annabel that Erica brought Heather here to tell her off.She pursed her lips and


    said nothing.


    So, Erica disliked her this much? With her eyes glistening with obsession, Heather held Rupert''s arm


    and said, "Rupert, my brother will be back from abroad in a few days.Let''s have a get-together then,


    okay?"


    "I don''t have time," Rupert refused coldly without hesitation.


    "Why don''t you have time? Is it because of work?" Heather asked in a disappointed tone.


    Rupert shook Heather''s grip off, went to Annabel, and wrapped his arm around her waist.


    "Annabel just came to Douburgh, so I have to show her around."


    After freezing for a moment, Annabel snuggled into Rupert''s arms and said cutely, "Oh, baby.I want to


    go shopping.We should also go to some of the best restaurants, okay?"


    "Anything for you, darling."


    Rupert looked down at her dotingly.Heather''s jaw dropped at the sight of these two being lovey-


    dovey.Her face turned green with envy.


    Still, she hid her jealousy, took out a small box, and held it out to Bruce.


    "Bruce, I brought you some tonics.My grandfather had them shipped from abroad just for you,"


    Heather said, setting the box down on the table beside Bruce.


    After a pause, she looked at Annabel and mused, "Annabel, this should be your first time seeing these,


    right? You know what? I''ll bring some for you next time."


    "Thanks, but no thanks,"


    Annabel replied indifferently, ignoring her sarcasm.


    Heather then folded her arms and inquired, "Annabel, what gift did you bring for Bruce?"

 Chapter 27

    Chapter 27


    Chapter 27 Strange Picture


    Heather stared at Annabel with a corner of her lips raised.


    In her eyes, it was impossible for a poor girl like Annabel to bring a decent gift or anything at all for


    Bruce.She wanted to paint herself as the only woman qualified enough to be Rupert''s wife.


    It had gotten to her that Bruce was the one who got Rupert and Annabel engaged.She wanted to seize


    this opportunity to change Bruce''s mind.She had been sucking up to Erica for a long time, and it


    worked.


    However, Rupert was still cold and distant to her.


    Erica informed her that Rupert stayed engaged to Annabel just to please his grandfather.


    As a result, Heather figured that she had to work extra hard to leave a good impression on Bruce while


    also pulling Annabel down, so she could be the new Mrs.Benton soon.


    "I didn''t prepare any gift."


    Strangely, there was no panic on Annabels face.


    Disdain shed through Heather''s eyes.She knew that this hillbilly came empty-handed.


    Annabel was so rude and uncultured in front of Bruce.It appeared she would be kicked out very soon.


    To her greatest surprise, Annabel took out a painting from her bag and said with a bright smile, "This is


    M''s work, Woman with a Parasol.My grandpa asked me to give it to you."


    Bruce''s eyes lit up as soon as he saw the painting.


    He said happily, "This is nice.Thank Leonard for me."


    Heather''s mouth was agape as she stared at the painting.


    The figure in the painting was lifelike.


    It looked like a masterpiece worth millions.


    Compared to the painting, Heather''s gift was nothing.


    Bruce was a lover of paintings.


    He smiled from ear to ear as he looked at the painting with bright eyes.


    How was this possible? How did a pauper like Annabel get such a precious painting? It looked real, but


    was it fake? Yes, it must be a fake! At the thought of this, Heather blurted out, "Annabel, don''t you think


    it''s insulting to gift Bruce a fake painting?"


    A fake painting? Annabel''s eyebrows furrowed instantly.


    The painting was a real, not fake at all.


    Heather only made that assumption because she thought Annabel was from a poor family.


    "Heather, are you doubting Bruce''s ability to detect an original painting from a fake?"


    Annabel fired back sarcastically with a faint smile.


    Heather''s cheeks turned red in embarrassment.


    "That''s not what I meant.Everyone knows that M''s pieces are invaluable.How did you get this


    painting?"


    "What? Are you insinuating that I stole the painting?"


    Annabel uttered in a cold voice.


    Rupert, who had been silent, spoke up.


    "The painting is original."


    Questions swirled in his mind as he looked at Annabel.


    Wasn''t she from a poor family in the countryside? Howe her grandfather was able to get a hold of


    such a priceless piece of art? novelebookSuspicion had been growing in Rupert''s mind these past


    few days.He couldn''t brush off the feeling that Annabel wasn''t that simple.


    Despite Rupert''s confirmation, Heather didn''t back down.


    "But¡ª"


    "The painting is original, but I can''t say the same for your dress," Annabel cut Heather off.


    She shook her head dramatically and added, "It''s so fake!"


    "What nonsense are you talking about?"


    Heather was offended.


    "My dress was designed by an international designer, Leo.You won''t know who that is because you


    know nothing about fashion.How dare you say my dress is fake?"


    Annabel let out a chuckle.


    No one else knew Leo like she did.


    The dress Heather was wearing was exquisite.


    However, Annabel noticed right off the bat that it was just an expensive counterfeit.She had made this


    design, and she knew only two dresses were released for sale.


    A famous star bought one of them while the other was purchased by a princess of Etrada Kingdom


    Heather was neither of these two women, so she was wearing a fake.


    Judging from the way Heather was so bold, Annabel sensed that she didn''t know she had bought a


    fake one.


    "Contrary to what you think, I know about Leo and this dress.It might interest you to know that Leo


    always puts a heart-shaped mark on the hem of each dress.How about you check if your dress has this


    mark?"


    Annabel suggested with a smirk.


    The heart-shaped mark was a signature that she used for all the 1 clothing she designed under the


    name, Leo.


    Anika was in charge of iy the sewing, and no one could have copied the mark.


    "What heart-shaped mark? I''ve never heard of it.Stop talking 4 nonsense!"


    Heather didn''t believe her at all.


    What could this : bumpkin know about fashion? She felt that Annabel was just trying to get on her


    nerves.


    Annabel whipped out her phone, tapped on the screen, then said, "You should check the hottest


    fashion news today."


    Cuap.er ¨¦s duane ruiuie "The hottest fashion news?"


    Heather was confused.


    "Leounched a new series named Elsa today.The heart-shaped mark was introduced in the post."


    A smile tugged at the corners of Annabel''s lips as she spoke.


    The timing was just right.


    Theunching of the new series, Elsa, became the hottest fashion topic online.


    The post introduced the design concept of Leo in detail, including the heart-shaped mark.


    Suspiciously, Heather took out her phone and saw the news.


    Sure enough, Anika stated that every dress produced by Leo Studio had a heart-shaped mark to


    distinguish them from counterfeits.


    ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.


    Heather''s dress had none.Her face turned pale,novelebook then red.She was livid.


    The dress had cost her a fortune, but it was fake.


    She got embarrassed in front of Rupert.


    Even Erica looked at her skeptically.


    How could Heather have such a terrible judgment? Heather was short of words as she red at


    Annabel, who seemed so happy now.


    How did Annabel know so much? Rupert suddenly approached Annabel and whispered in her ear,


    "How did you know that?"


    As a businessman who coborated with fashionpanies, he knew about Leo Studio.


    They had never mentioned anything about the mark until this morning.


    How did Annabel know about it? "Well, I just heard it from my friend,"


    Annabel lied, shrugging indifferently.


    Rupert squinted at her.


    His instincts told him she was lying.


    He was just hearing about the heart-shaped mark.


    Why did Annabel''s so- called friend know about it even before it was announced? "I''m famished.


    Jaxen, tell the cook to set the table for lunch! Erica changed the subject to help Heather out.


    Jaxen looked at his boss for approval.


    He then did as he was told after receiving a nod from Bruce.


    Annabel sat down at the table.


    She was casually looking around when she caught sight of a photo on a small table by the corner.


    It was a picture of Bruce holding a white dog.


    The dog looked familiar.


    Annabel turned to Rupert and whispered, "Is the dog in the photo your grandpa''s?"


    Following the line of her vision, Rupert''s eyes fell on the photo.


    A hint of sadness appeared on his handsome face.


    "The dog was my grandmother''s.Its name is Dolly.Two years ago, she passed away, and Dolly ran


    away from home."


    Rupert had hired some people to search every nook and cranny of the city for Dolly, but the dog was


    nowhere to be found.He knew that Dolly''s disappearance made his grandfather sad.


    "I see," Annabel said thoughtfully.

 Chapter 28

    Chapter 28


    Chapter 28 Annabel, Thank You


    Annabel bowed and said politely, "I''m sorry.I have to leave for a while."


    "Where are you off to?" Rupert asked with a slight frown.


    "Lunch will be served soon."


    What was so important that Annabel wanted to leave at this time? "something just came up."


    With that, Annabel stood up and walked out of the door.She called the doctor at the veterinary hospital.


    "Hello, Annabel Hewitt speaking.I dropped off a dog for treatment a few days ago.How is it now?"


    The veterinarian''s voice came from the other end of the phone.


    "I was just about to call you.The dog has fully recovered."


    "Oh, that''s good to know.I''m on my way to pick it up now," said Annabel, breathing a sigh of relief.


    The dog Annabel saw Bruce holding in the picture shared a striking resemnce with the stray dog she


    saved some days back.


    More so, the cor was exactly the same.She could feel it in her guts that the stray dog was the long-


    lost Dolly.


    Judging how sad Rupert looked when he spoke about the dog, it seemed that it meant a lot to Bruce.


    Annabel wanted to get the dog back to the old man right away.


    Erica was fuming.


    "What''s wrong with Annabel? She just walked out on all of us!"


    ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.


    Heather echoed, "I can''t believe she left us all to wait for her before having lunch.Who does she think


    she is?"


    Coapier eo Annavel, Rupert nced at Bruce and said, "I guess there''s an emergency at work, so she


    went to deal with it."


    He made an excuse for Annabel even though he didn''t know why she left in a hurry.He just couldn''t sit


    back and watch these women badmouth her.


    "Oh, stop making up excuses for her.What''s so important than spending time with your grandfather?"


    Erica raised her voice.


    "She''s such a rude lowlife! Heather is much more respectful and decent than her."


    A smug smile appeared on Heather''s face.


    She feigned shyness and said, "I''m ttered, Erica."Bruce''s face darkened.


    "I''m not offended at all.Since Annabel rushed to thepany to solve a problem once she received the


    news, it shows she''s hardworking.That''smendable."


    Erica was rendered speechless by the old man''s words.


    Simrly, jealousy ravaged Heather''s insides.She bit her lower lip and cursed Annabel out in her


    mind.novelebookShe hated that bumpkin! Why did Bruce value her so much? In terms of family


    background and appearance, Annabel was no match for her.


    Why didn''t Bruce like her instead? Despite the questions Heather badly wanted to ask Bruce, she put


    on a worried expression and said, "Annabel should have told us when she will get back.It''s already


    lunchtime.Bruce, you shouldn''t go hungry.You need to be fed so you can recover faster."


    "Let''s just eat." Rupert frowned.


    He knew why Erica and Heather came here today.


    Although his engagement to Annabel was just for convenience, he couldn''t allow anyone to sling mud


    at her.


    "Jaxen, serve the dishes," Bruce ordered.


    "Yes, sir," Jaxen said respectfully and ordered the servants to serve the food.


    "Please have a drumstick.It is good for your health."


    Heather picked up a drumstick and put it on Bruce''s te.


    Bruce nodded, but he moved the drumstick aside and continued to eat like nothing happened.


    Embarrassed, Heather turned to look at Rupert.


    Today, Rupert wore a white shirt.


    The blue tie was loosened a little, and his sleeves were rolled up.He looked more easygoing.


    However, his handsome face was still cold and alienated.He was peeling a prawn at this moment.He


    looked elegant, noble, and perfect.


    Rupert made peeling a prawn look so exotic.Heather wished she was the prawn.She had always


    fantasized about being with Rupert.


    Why didn''t he reciprocate her love even though she gave him several green lights all these years?


    Heather quickly peeled a prawn and tried to put it on Rupert''s te.


    "Here, try this one I peeled for you."


    Rupert moved his te aside and said coldly, "No need.I don''t eat what someone else has touched."


    The prawn slipped from Heather''s hand, fell on the table, and then to the floor.


    Heather was stunned.She had swallowed her pride to peel a prawn for Rupert.However, he turned it


    down without hesitation.Her heart ached.


    "Rupert, I''m not just anyone."


    "Don''t be mean to her, Rupert.She peeled that prawn out of the goodness of her heart,"


    Erica chimed in.


    Rupert pursed his lips.


    Just as he was about to say something, he caught glimpse of a familiar figure from the corner of his


    eye.novelebookHe showed a soft smile.He raised his eyebrows and called out, "Annabel!"


    Following the direction of Rupert''s gaze, Heather saw Annabel trotting back with a white dog in her


    arms.


    She screamed, "Annabel, why did you bring a dog here? We are having lunch.Get that thing away!"


    "Woof! Woof! Woof!"


    The dog began to bark and struggled to get off Annabel¡¯s arms.


    "you are in a hurry, huh?"


    With a smile, Annabel bent down and let go of the dog.It took to its heels, jumped on Bruce''s legs, and


    rubbed against him intimately.


    "Dolly!"


    Bruce''s eyes lit up.He was so excited that his hands trembled slightly.He looked at the dog in his arms


    in disbelief.


    "Woof! Woof!"


    Dolly barked as if it was responding in the affirmative.


    "So good to see you, Dolly.I have missed you so much!"


    Bruce stroked Dolly''s fur, tears welling up in his eyes.


    The long-lost dog was finally home! "Annabel, where did you find Dolly?"


    Rupert''s inquiring eyes fell on Annabel.


    Only now did it dawn on him that Annabel went out to fetch Dolly.


    She had only seen a picture of the dog a few minutes back.


    How she was able to bring Dolly back so soon? Where she did see it? Rupert had so many questions


    in his mind.


    Annabel hade back on foot, so she was a little out of breath.


    She took a few deep breaths before answering with a smile, "Do you remember when I waste for


    work a few days ago and Nina almost fired me?"


    Rupert nodded.

 Chapter 29

    Chapter 29


    Chapter 29 Heather Lost


    Looking into Rupert''s eyes, Annabel gave him a sweet smile and said, "My pleasure."


    "Sit down, Anna.Dine with us."


    Bruce was in a good mood now that histe wife''s dog was back.


    "Jaxen, ask someone to bring a set of cutlery for Anna."


    "Yes, sir."


    Jaxen immediately did as he was told.


    Bruce moved his seat aside, signaling Annabel to sit next to Rupert.


    "Thank you, Bruce."


    Annabel sat down next to Rupert and smiled.


    "Thank you for bringing Dolly back, Anna.It means so much to me."


    Bruce embraced Dolly tightly as if he was never going to let it go.His misty eyes glistened with


    gratitude.


    Dolly had been missing for a long time.


    If it weren''t for Annabel, he wouldn''t have seen the dog again.


    How would he exin Dolly''s disappearance when he joined histe wife in the afterlife? Thank


    goodness Dolly was back home now! "I just found Dolly by chance."


    Annabel lowered her head and pet the dog.


    Dolly''s fur was soft.It felt good to touch it.


    The dog was cleaner and healthier than it was a few days ago.


    The vet had done a great job.


    Dolly wagged its tail as Annabel petted it.It was obvious it liked her.


    ¡°I say destiny made you cross path with Dolly," Brucemented happily, touching his beard.


    For the hundredth time, Heather was extremely jealous of Annabel as Bruce was so affectionate


    toward her.


    Today wasn''t going well for her at all.


    First, her gift to Bruce was belittled by the one Annabel gave.


    Then, it was revealed that the dress she had on was fake.


    And now, Annabel found favor in Bruce''s eyes because she found the lost dog.


    Heather had lost on all counts.Her ploy to win Bruce''s favor failed woefully.


    "Anna, eat to your fill, okay?" Bruce urged her kindly.


    Annabel nodded.She was eating when she saw a hand drop a peeled prawn on her te.


    Surprised, she raised her head to see Rupert smiling at her.He said gracefully, "Eat it.I don''t like


    prawns."


    Rupert peeled a prawn for her? It took Annabel time to process what just happened.N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content.


    Why was a nobleman like him doing such a thing for her? Perhaps he only did that because she


    reunited Bruce with Dolly.


    "Thank you," Annabel finally said with a smile.


    Watching them with evil eyes, Heather gritted her teeth and her fingers tightened around her fork.


    What did Rupert mean by he didn''t like prawns? Wasn''t he the same person who ate prawns a while


    back? Rupert turned down the prawn she peeled for him,novelebook but here he was treating


    Annabel like a queen.


    She lost to Annabel again in winning Rupert''s favor.


    Never had Heather been so frustrated before.


    Her fingernails pierced her palms.


    She vowed to teach Annabel a lesson!


    After lunch, Bruce went up to his room to take a nap.


    Rupert left for thepany while Annabel went shopping.


    She was going to hang out with Marcel in the evening.


    Her clothes had gotten ruffled and damped with sweat when she went to pick Dolly up from the vet.


    She had to change into something else.


    Annabel went to RD Boutique''s store in Douburgh.


    If her memory served her right, RD Boutique recently signed a contract with Leo Studio, so Elsa


    collection of this season should be sold here.


    As soon as Annabel entered the store, she saw an Elsa dress hanging in the most visible disy case.


    It was so beautiful that she wanted to try it on.


    How would her design look on her? "Excuse me, I want to try on this dress," Annabel said to the sales


    clerk.


    The clerk looked at her from head to toe.


    A look of disgust appeared on her face when she saw that Annabel''s clothes were messy.


    RD Boutique only got patronage from wealthy and famousdies in Douburgh.


    It was no ce for poor or even average women.


    Annabel wasn''t dressed in a shy way like most sophisticated women.


    As a result, the attendant concluded that she was poor.


    She cleared her throat and said, "I''m sorry, miss.This dress was just released by Leo Studio.It''s the


    most precious dress in this boutique.It costs a fortune.Only those who can afford to buy it are permitted


    to try it on."


    Annabel frowned.


    What? Did the attendant just look down on her? How was the attendant so sure that she couldn''t afford


    the dress? If Annabel wanted, she could buy every single item in this store.


    Money wasn''t a problem for her.


    How snobbish of this clerk to jump to conclusions like that! "Only those who can afford it are permitted


    to try it on? Fine, I''ll buy it!"


    Taking out a ck card from her purse, Annabel pped it down on the table.


    The sales clerk had met several dignitaries due to her line of work.


    As a result, she knew that this card was a rare VIP card with no restrictions.


    Only the top 1% of the society used this kind of card.


    With great suspicion, the clerk sized Annabel up again.


    She saw that her clothes were wrinkled and stained, but they seemed to be made with quality fabrics.


    Annabel had smooth and luscious skin.


    Her face was so beautiful.


    Could it be that Annabel was a member of a rich family or the mistress of a wealthy man, but she was


    keeping a low profile?novelebook Thinking of this, the attendant reasoned that she couldn''t afford


    to offend Annabel either way.


    Her heart sank.


    In no time, she put on a polite smile and carefully took the dress out of the disy case.


    She handed it to Annabel and said, "Here you go, miss.The fitting room is over there."


    With a snort, Annabel took the dress and walked to the fitting room.


    She brimmed with pride when she put the dress on.She mumbled proudly, "Wow! My studio really


    makes the best clothes."


    Everything from the design, fabric, and sewing was top-notch.


    It was obvious that Anika had put in great effort.


    This dress fitted Annabel perfectly as if it was specially made for her.


    She walked out of the fitting room with satisfaction.


    "Bring me the Elsa dress from Leo Studio now!"


    A familiar arrogant voice wafted into Annabel¡¯s ears as soon as she stepped out.


    The voice was Heather''s.She was standing in the store with her minion, Be.


    Be had worked with Heather to frame Annabel at the banquet.


    Heather was a regr customer at RD Boutique¡ªa VIP one at that.


    The clerk immediately weed her hospitably.


    "Miss Norman, this way, please!"


    "Bring me the Elsa dress from Leo Studio," repeated Heather impatiently.


    The clerk lowered her head and said regretfully, "I''m sorry, Miss Norman.Someone bought the dress


    just now."


    "what? Someone bought it? Who?" Heather was stunned.


    She hade here straight from Bruce''s home because of the embarrassment she felt after her dress


    was exposed to be a fake.She wanted to purchase the Elsa dress to avoid a repeat of that humiliating


    urrence.She didn''t expect someone else to buy it before her.


    As a result, she wanted to see the person who had the audacity to buy what she wanted.


    The clerk looked in the direction of the fitting room and saw Annabel standing there in the dress.She


    pointed at her and said, "There she is."

 Chapter 30

    Chapter 30


    Chapter 30 Lengthy Brawl


    Heather''s lips parted in awe when her eyes fell on a woman wearing the white Elsa dress.


    The young woman looked like a fairy out of a children''s storybook.Her attractive shoulders and


    corbone were visible.


    The fishbone dress set off her beautiful curvaceous body.She was noble, elegant, gorgeous, and


    somewhat nifty.Her appearance could turn heads no matter where she went.


    When Heather looked up, she was stunned to see Annabel staring back at her.She blinked and rubbed


    her eyes.


    It was hard to believe that this gorgeous woman was Annabel.


    Jealousy and hatred shed through Heather''s eyes.She pointed at Annabel and said to the clerk, "I''ll


    take that dress! Pack it for me!"


    The clerk was in a dilemma.


    "But she already said she wanted to buy it."


    "Has she paid for it?" Heather asked in an unfriendly tone.


    After a moment''s hesitation, the attendant replied, "Not yet."


    "Only payment confirms a sale.Heather is a VIP customer here.You should do as she told you just


    now!"


    Be did what she knew how to do best¡ªfawn over Heather.


    She eyed the clerk and added, "Have you forgotten who Heather is? If you don''t serve her well, you will


    be fired!"


    A cold sweat broke out on the clerk''s forehead.She began to tremble.


    Everyone in this city knew that the Norman family was powerful.


    Heather was Brock Norman''s favorite granddaughter.


    The clerk couldn''t afford to be in her bad books; she needed this job.


    In contrast, she didn''t know who Annabel was.She reasoned that it was better to offend her instead of


    Heather.


    After plucking up courage, the clerk walked up to Annabel and said, "Miss, you have to take off the


    dress.It has been bought."


    A sarcastic smile appeared on Annabel''s face.


    She asked back, "Didn''t I just tell you I wanted to buy it?"


    "But..."


    As the clerk was thinking of how to convince her to take off the dress, Be strode over and yelled at


    Annabel,novelebook "Heather likes this dress.Take it off now!"


    "Is this some kind of a joke?"


    Annabel threw her head back andughed.


    "I took a fancy to this dress first, and I said I wanted to buy it first.Don''t you know that shopping is first


    come, first served?"


    "Can you even afford to buy this dress?"


    Be lost it.


    "Do you know how much it¡¯s worth? You are poor, yet so arrogant!"


    Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org.


    "It''s none of your business whether I can afford it or not."


    Ignoring Be, Annabel picked up the ck card and said to the clerk, "Please charge my card for it."


    Heather''s eyes widened when she saw the card.She recalled that Rupert had a card like this one.


    Such bank cards were like rare treasures.


    Even Heather didn''t have one.


    Howe Annabel had one? Rupert must have given his to her! At the thought of how good Rupert


    was to Annabel, Heather wanted to strangle her to death there and then.


    Envy burned her heart again.


    She grabbed the clerk''s hand when she was about to take the ck card and said arrogantly, "I''ll pay


    double for it!"


    With her arms folded, Annabel frowned at Heather.


    She wondered if Heather was stalking her.


    Why did she bump into her in this store of all luxurious stores in Douburgh? What a small world!


    Annabel raised her eyebrows and said, "Heather, have you ever heard of firste, first served? I


    dered my intention to buy this dress first, so it''s mine.


    I won''t hand it over to you even if you pay millions for it!"


    "You, hillbilly? You don''t deserve this dress!"


    Heather stared at Annabel fiercely.


    In her opinion, dresses like this weren''t for just anyone.It was for wealthy and sophisticated women like


    her.


    Heather already pictured herself in it.She felt that she would be more beautiful than Annabel in it.


    Perhaps Rupert would fall in love with her if he saw her in this dress.


    "I don''t deserve this dress?"


    Annabel uttered with a chuckle.


    "It''s funnying from someone who can''t even differentiate between real and fake."


    "Annabel!"


    Heather''s face turned red.


    She wanted to chew Annabel out for insulting her, but words failed her.


    How dare Annabel mock her? She wasn''t just anybody; she was a Norman.


    What an insult! Erica didn''t even like Annabel, and Rupert was only with her because of his


    grandfather.


    He was sure not going to marry this lowlife.


    Annabel would never be Mrs.Benton! The thought of this brought great relief to Heather.


    She was determined to get this dress today no matter what it took.


    "Annabel, do yourself a favor by taking off the dress now!"


    Be stepped in again.She held the hem of the dress and pulled it up.


    "What are you doing?"


    Annabel pped Be''s hand and pushed her away.


    This bitch was about to strip her naked in public.


    The nerve of her! Annabel became furious.She was not a pushover! Be almost tripped and fell.


    "You poverty-stricken idiot! You have crossed the line!"


    Be was from the Astley family¡ªa family whose wealth and prestige had declined over the years but


    was still rich.She hung out with Heather, so she was naturally arrogant and troublesome.She was


    furious now that Annabel almost pushed her to the floor.


    "What are you waiting for? Call someone to take off that dress!" Be shouted at the clerk all of a


    sudden.


    "Excuse me for a minute,dies.I''ll go get the manager."


    The matter was getting out of hand, so the clerk had no choice but to inform the manager about it.She


    didn''t want to lose her job because of this.


    "Come on, make it snappy!"


    Heather urged with a snort.She was confident that the matter would be ruled in her favor.


    After all, she was a VIP customer here.She couldn''t help smiling at the thought of Annabel being


    stripped and kicked out of the boutique.


    Seeing that Annabel was sitting on the sofa leisurely, Heather walked over angrily, looked down, and


    yelled condescendingly, "You still have the opportunity to hand over the dress now.When the manager


    gets here, he won''t hesitate to strip you naked and throw you out.Do you want to be humiliated in


    public?"


    Annabel texted Anika, turning a deaf ear to the yapping woman.


    This annoyed Heather even more.She balled her fists and gritted her teeth.


    This bitch must be calling for help.


    Who was she texting? Rupert? Would hee over to fight for her? Mixed feelings swirled in Heather''s


    heart as she thought of Rupert.


    Anyway, she made up her mind to deal with Annabel today.


    Ten minutes passed before the manager came rushing into the boutique.


    "You won''t believe what happened here..."


    Heather was about toin to the manager, Curt Ramsey, when he just rushed past her.


    He went straight to Annabel, who was still sitting on the sofa, and said respectfully, "Good afternoon,


    Miss Hewitt."


    Annabel raised her head and asked indifferently, "You are the manager right? Is this how you do


    business here?"


    Curt broke out in a cold sweat and kept apologizing, "I''m sorry.I take the me for what


    happened.novelebookThat clerk didn''t know you and offended you just now.I apologize on her


    behalf."

 Chapter 31

    Chapter 31


    Chapter 31 Annabel Won


    Heather looked in disbelief at the scene ying out in front of her.


    Curt, the manager of the shop, just apologized to Annabel in person.


    How could this be possible? Be couldn''t help but ask Curt, "What is going on? Did you make a


    mistake? Why did you apologize to her? Heather likes this dress.You know her.She''s Brock''s favorite


    granddaughter.If you offend her, it''s the same as offending the entire Norman family.Do you realize the


    consequences of such an action? Can you afford to bear it?"


    But Curt didn¡¯t even pay any attention to Be.


    He wiped the sweat off his forehead and said, "Miss Hewitt, as part of our apology, we will give this


    dress to you for free.I sincerely hope you''re not angry."


    Just now, he had received a call from Anika, who was in charge of Leo Studio.


    She told him that her friend had been treated unfairly in RD Boutique''s store and asked him to solve


    the matter and make sure Annabel was satisfied.


    If he didn''t do it, Leo Studio would terminate the contract with RD Boutique.


    It had not been easy for RD Boutique to gain the opportunity to partner with Leo Studio.


    If Leo Studio decided to terminate the partnership, the losses RD Boutique would suffer would be


    incalcble.


    Therefore, no matter what the price was, Curt was willing to pay it, just to make sure that Annabel was


    satisfied with the customer service.


    Free gift? Heather, on the other hand, rubbed her ears in shock.


    Did she hear him right? The dress was worth ten million! Why would Curt give it to Annabel for free?


    "Wait! Are you sure you want to lose all that money?" Heather asked with a frown.


    "Look, I''ll buy the dress.I''ll pay three times the price."


    "I''m sorry.This dress belongs to Miss Hewitt," Curt replied with a smile.


    "Why don''t you look at other clothes? We have other high-end dresses that..."


    "I only want that one!"


    Heather couldn''t hold back her anger any longer.


    All her life, she had never failed to get what she wanted.


    Seeing that Heather was being unreasonable, Annabel stood up and said to Curt in a domineering


    tone, "You don''t have to give it to me for free.I''ll send someone to deliver the check here tomorrow."


    Then she turned around and made for the exit.She didn''t want to argue anymore with those two.


    After all, she had an appointment with Marcel in the evening.She didn''t want to bete.


    "Stop, Annabel!" Heather called after her.


    "Did you ask Rupert to stand up for you?"


    Heather didn''t know that Annabel had called Anika, not Rupert.


    In her mind, Annabel was just a country bumpkin who knew no one and had virtually no real


    connections other than Rupert.


    Why did Rupert care so much about Annabel? Why did he defend her even against the Norman family?


    Seeing the angry look on Heather''s face, Annabel felt very delighted.


    She raised her eyebrows and asked, "What do you think?"


    "Annabel, you''re so shameless.What else can you do apart from seducing men? Do you think Rupert


    loves you?" Heather was furious and jealous.


    "If he doesn''t love me, do you think he loves you?"


    Annabel retorted with a sneer.


    "You bitch!"


    Heather cursed angrily.


    N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content.


    Annabel¡¯s words hit her so hard that her face was twisted in anger.She raised her hand with the


    intention ofnding a p on Annabel''s face.


    But Curt quickly jumped in between them.


    From the conversation between Heather and Annabel, he hade to understand that there was an


    unusual rtionship between Annabel and Rupert.He knew who Rupert was.He was a very powerful


    and influential man.


    No one could afford to offend Rupert.


    With this in mind, Curt immediately asked the security guard to stop Heather and Be from getting


    close to Annabel.


    "Miss Hewitt, I''m sorry for all the trouble so far.Please ept my apologies," he said with a bow.


    Annabel smiled and walked out.


    She was content with leaving Heather in the dark and letting her think that it was Rupert standing up for


    her.


    Heather was so angry that she was gritting her teeth in fury.


    Annabel had won the battle of words.


    Before long, night fell.


    And at seven o''clock in the evening, Annabel arrived right on time to keep her appointment.


    Charming Bar was the most luxurious bar in Douburgh.


    The customers here were either rich or influential.


    "Annabel, here!"


    Marcel waved his hand.He and some of his friends in the entertainment industry had been drinking and


    ying finger -guessing games.


    With a smile, Annabel walked up to him and said, "Marc, your new game is finished so soon?


    Congrattions!"


    Marcel pulled out a chair for her and said, "Annabel, sit here.What would you like to drink? How about


    red wine? Let me pour you some wine."


    Annabel smiled and shook her head.She didn''t like drinking wine.


    "No, thanks.I''ll just take some soft drinks."


    "Come on, just a little.Today is my birthday."


    Marcel poured half a ss of wine for Annabel and another full ss for himself.


    "Annabel, let me propose a toast to you."


    "I should be the one proposing a toast to you, Marc.Happy birthday!"


    Annabel emptied the ss in one gulp.


    "Wow!" Marcel praised, pping loudly.


    Annabel chatted with Marcel for a while.


    All of a sudden, a beautiful song came from the center of the dance floor.


    Following the direction of the sound, Annabel saw a young girl in a red dress singing in the center of


    the stage.


    She had curly shoulder- length hair.


    Her voice was also very melodious, making the song she was singing sound so sweet.


    Seeing that Annabel was staring at the girl, Marcel informed her, "That''s the singer of the bar.Her name


    seems to be Angel."


    "She sings well."


    Annabel nodded in approval.


    Marcel grinned.


    "Yes, she''s good, but not as good as you.Annabel, I haven''t heard you sing for a long time.Why don''t


    you sing a song for me as a birthday gift?"


    "Yeah! Sing a song for Marc!" his friends urged.


    "Come on, Annabel," Marcel urged, too.


    When he was seventeen, Annabel''s wonderful singing left a deep impression on him.


    "Okay." Annabel agreed.


    After all, the bar was a ce where customers could sing songs.


    Under the warm apuse of the crowd, Annabel, wearing a white dress, slowly walked over to the


    center of the stage.


    "This song is for my good friend Marcel.Happy birthday to him!"


    It was a French song.It was very melodious and intoxicating.


    In the VIP box on the second floor, the tall and straight figure of a man was hidden in the dim light.


    His eyes were fixed intently on the beautiful young woman singing on the stage.


    Rupert hade here to talk business with a client, but he had not expected to see Annabel.


    He remembered Annabel had an appointment with someone in the bar, and he pulled a long face.


    It turned out that the person Annabel had an appointment with was Marcel.


    Seeing the dark look on Rupert''s face, the client said to him, "Mr.Benton, please have a taste of this


    beer.It''s thetest special beer of Charming Bar.It tastes really good."


    Turning to look at the beer, Rupert felt annoyed.He wondered if Annabel knew what she was doing.


    Nominally, she was his fiancee, but she was seeing another man in a bar and singing for him.Rupert''s


    face went dark with anger. But his client was confused, wondering if he had said something wrong that


    irritated Rupert.

 Chapter 32

    Chapter 32


    Chapter 32 First Kiss


    When Annabel finished singing the song, thunderous apuse resounded through the bar.


    Someone even started chanting, "One more song! One more song!"


    With a polite smile, Annabel stepped down and went back to Marcel''s table.


    "Annabel, you sing so well.It''s the sound of nature.You sing far better than Angel!" Marcel praised.


    "You tter me too much,"Annabel said with a grin.


    "Please excuse me.I want to go to the bathroom."


    Perhaps it was because she had taken her wine a little hastily that she felt difort in her stomach.


    As she approached the door of the bathroom, a middle-aged man in a suit and leather shoes stopped


    her.


    "Are you a new singer here?" he asked.


    Annabel looked up at him and saw that he was a middle-aged man with a beer belly.


    Wearing such an expensive designer suit didn''t seem appropriate for someone like him.


    At first nce, he looked just like an upstart.


    With an expressionless face, Annabel shook her head and said, "I''m not."


    The man grabbed her arm and put a stack of money into her hand.


    He looked her up and down with his lust-filled eyes and licked his lips.


    "Come on, beauty, just stay with me for one night.All this money will be yours."


    When he saw her singing on the stage earlier, he was fascinated and wanted to kiss her.


    He didn''t expect to meet her at the bathroom.He swallowed and stared straight at her chest, with dirty


    thoughts running through his mind.


    With a frown, Annabel took a few steps back and threw the stack of money at him.


    "Get out of my way!" she said angrily.


    Seeing that Annabel rejected his offer, the man pulled a long face.


    "Aren''t you just a singer at the bar? Don''t you mean to seduce men? You''re fortunate that I chose you!"


    Annabel could hardly believe her ears.


    How could such a disgusting man feel so good about himself? She took a few more steps back and


    warned, "If you don''t leave now, I''ll teach you a lesson!"But the man had no intention of leaving.He


    grabbed her shoulders with both hands, and pressed her into his arms.


    "Don''t be shy.As long as you serve me well, I promise you will have a good life in the future."


    Annabel felt sick at the sight of the man up close and she was just about to kick him when a familiar


    voice came from behind her.


    "Let her go!"


    The next second, the man screamed and fell heavily to the floor.


    At the same time, Rupert''s tall and strong figure appeared in front of Annabel.


    He had his foot on the man''s chest, his face cold and emotionless.


    Annabel was stunned.


    Rupert? Why was he here? "Who the fuck are you?"


    The middle-aged man was fuming mad, even though he was at Rupert''s mercy.


    "Do you know who I am? How dare you attack me? Believe it or not, I''ll make you suffer for..."


    It was at this point that he suddenly realized that the man standing over him was none other than


    Rupert Benton.


    The man shivered in fear and began to beg for mercy.


    "Mr.Benton...I didn''t know it''s you.Do you also have a crush on this woman? I''ll leave her to you.Please


    forgive me."


    Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org.


    Rupert looked down at him with his cold eyes, and the temperature in the ce seemed to have


    dropped to zero all of a sudden.


    "Get out of here!" he barked angrily.


    "Okay, okay.I''ll leave."


    The man rolled on the floor and struggled to his feet before fleeing the ce as fast as his legs could


    carry him.


    Annabel looked at Rupert until she finally recovered from her surprise.


    "Thank you."


    Regardless of what she felt, Rupert just helped her, though she didn''t really need his help.


    Rupert''s expression was still as cold as ice.


    Suddenly, a strong sense of oppression overwhelmed her.


    Annabel took a step back and said, "I have an appointment with my friend.I''m leaving now."


    But when she turned around to leave, Rupert''s arm was wrapped around her thin waist, and he pulled


    her into the men''s restroom.


    "Rupert, what are you doing?"


    Annabel gasped in shock.


    Luckily, there was no one inside the restroom.


    Rupert locked the door and pressed Annabel against it, holding her in ce to prevent her from


    moving.


    "Annabel, do you forget what you are?"


    Rupert demanded, his cold eyes narrowed.


    "What''s wrong with you? Let go of me! My friend is waiting for me!"


    Annabel struggled hard to get out of his iron grip, but it was all to no avail.


    "Marcel?"


    Rupert scoffed, his face bing colder.


    It was clear that he was very angry.


    "Annabel, listen carefully.You are my fiancee!"


    Previously, when he saw her singing a song to Marcel, he was very angry.


    But just now, when he saw her with that disgusting man outside the bathroom, he became even


    angrier.


    "so what?"


    Annabel wondered why he was being so angry.


    She didn''t do anything to offend him, did she? "My fiancee should behave herself, not seducing men."


    Rupert pressed her shoulders with both hands and red at her pretty face as he emphasized each


    word.


    What? When did she seduce men? Was there a mistake or what? Annabel was shocked to hear this


    and asked him, "Did you see me seducing any man?"


    "I did!"


    With knitted brows, Rupert tightened his grip on her shoulders.


    Just now, when he pulled her into the restroom, he saw she was wearing Leo''s dress.


    Leo''s dresses were very expensive.


    It had to be a gift from Marcel.


    If Marcel and Annabel had nothing to do with each other, how could he give her such an expensive


    dress? "Rupert, that''s enough!"


    Being used for seducing men, Annabel became furious.


    The man was unreasonable! The fact that he was staring at her like this made Annabel even angrier.


    "Don''t forget that we will call off the engagement in three months.So, what if I seduce men, huh? What


    does it have to do with you?"


    "Are you so cheap?"


    Rupert was irritated and disgusted.He stared at her cherry-like mouth with cold eyes and suddenly


    kissed her.


    The scalding temperature from his lips made Annabel''s body tremble, and her brain went down for a


    few seconds.


    It took a while before she realized what exactly was going on.


    Rupert was such a bastard! How dare he kiss her? This was her first kiss!

 Chapter 33

    Chapter 33


    Chapter 33 Misunderstanding


    At first, Rupert just wanted to punish Annabel.


    But her lips were so soft and sweet, and they seemed to have a magical effect on him, making him


    deeply addicted to them.


    This feeling was so strong that he couldn''t help but deepen the kiss.


    The sudden kiss made Annabel feel shy and angry.


    Rupert was 50 bossy that he pried her lips and teeth open with his tongue.


    Then he slid it into her mouth and kept kissing her passionately.


    Annabel could hardly breathe.


    Her heart was pounding.


    She wanted to push Rupert away, but he was pressing her hands to the door.


    The temperature in the restroom continued to rise.


    All of a sudden, Annabel bit down hard on his lip.


    The smell of blood hit her nostrils almost immediately.


    Feeling the pain of the bite, Rupert quickly let go of her.


    Finally, she could breathe.


    Annabel took a few deep breaths to calm herself down.


    She patted her burning face and gritted her teeth, ring at the man in front of her.


    "Rupert, you''re a bastard!"


    Rupert''s face darkened and he stared at Annabel intently.


    Did this woman hate him so much? 1 She even bit him! Thinking of when Annabel sang to Marcel just


    minutes ago, Rupert couldn''t help but imagine a scene where the two acted intimately.


    Instantly, his handsome face became hard and cold.


    He wiped the blood off his lips and said with a growl, "Marcel is not suitable for you."


    "What?"


    Annabel was irritated.


    She only saw Marcel like a brother, nothing else.


    It seemed Rupert misunderstood the rtionship between her and Marcel.


    But so what? What was the rtionship between her and Rupert anyway? He had no right to interfere.


    "It''s none of your business!"


    With onest fiery re, Annabel opened the door and left.


    It was enough! She didn''t want to be with such a dangerous man as Rupert for even one moment.


    Looking at Annabel''s retreating figure, Rupert frowned slightly.He didn''t know why he couldn''t control


    his emotions in front of Annabel.


    It was certainly not a good feeling.


    After being forcefully kissed by Rupert, Annabel was not in the mood to talk to Marcel and his friends


    anymore.


    She called him on the phone and said to him, "I''m leaving."


    "Annabel, what happened? Are you okay?"


    Marcel asked in concern, surprised at the unusual tone of her voice.


    "Nothing.I just feel a little ufortable," Annabel said, swiftlying up with an excuse.


    Marcel stood up in a hurry and asked, "Annabel, where are you? I''ll take you back."


    "No, thanks," Annabel refused.


    But Marcel was determined to take her home.He took the elevator to the first floor and waited for her at


    the gate.


    When Annabel reached the gate, she was surprised to see Marcel waiting for her.


    "Annabel, are you okay?" Marcel asked, hurrying forward to meet her.


    Annabel smiled.


    "I''m fine.Why are you here?"


    "I want to take you home," Marcel insisted.


    Seeing that she could not change his mind, Annabel nodded and said, "Okay."


    "Wait a minute.Let me drive the car over,"


    Marcel said in his gentlemanly manner.


    "Okay."


    Five minutester, Marcel drove his Maserati to the gate and stopped in front of Annabel.


    "Come on, get in," Marcel said, opening the door for her.


    "Thanks," Annabel said with a smile as she settled down in the passenger seat.


    Meanwhile, Rupert went back to his private box.His client was waiting patiently for him.


    "Mr.Benton, you''re back."


    Rupert''s face remained dark as the scenes at the restroom kept shing through his mind.


    That kiss had him intoxicated.


    But Annabel''s rejection made him very unhappy.


    Thinking of the scene where Annabel left angrily, Rupert became very worried about her.It was sote.


    Would she be in danger again? "I have to leave now,"


    Rupert said suddenly and got up again.


    Without another word, he left the box, leaving his client in shock.


    When Rupert arrived at the gate, he was just in time to see Annabel getting into Marcel''s car.


    He saw the two of them talking andughing, and the smile on Annabel''s face was different from the


    way she looked at him minutes ago at the restroom.


    Marcel stepped on the gas and drove away.


    Rupert''s expression became even scarier.


    "Mr.Benton, are you okay?"


    Rupert''s client asked in concern when he came out and saw Rupert standing at the gate.


    Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org.


    Rupert gave him a cold nce and said, "Let''s go back and drink."


    Marcel took Annabel back to the Benton family''s house and dropped her off.


    "Thank you," she said gratefully.


    "Don''t mention it."


    Annabel was his idol.


    Marcel would do anything for her.


    When she got to her room, Annabel quickly washed herself in the bathroom andy down to rest.


    The scenes at the bar''s restroom suddenly began to rey in her mind.


    The unexpected kiss from Rupert couldn''t be expelled from her thoughts.


    She tossed and turned in bed until midnight.


    "Rupert, you bastard!"


    Annabel cursed for the umpteenth time.


    She felt that it was all his fault that she couldn''t fall asleep.


    It was the first time that she had suffered from insomnia.


    Pursing her dry lips, Annabel stood up and went to get some water, but she found that there was no


    water in the room.


    She would have to go downstairs to the kitchen to get some water.


    But as she went down the stairs, she suddenly heard footsteps.


    Annabel became alert immediately.


    It waste at night.


    Could it be a thief moving around in the house? Annabel tiptoed and hid behind the nearest door.


    If it was really a thief, she would have to find a way to remain hidden.


    Just then, the front door was suddenly opened and a tall figure staggered in, reeking of alcohol.


    It was none other than Rupert! With a sigh of relief, Annabel came out of her hiding ce and headed


    towards the kitchen, but all of a sudden, a strong hand grabbed her.


    "Rupert, what are you doing?"


    Annabel screamed.She lost her bnce and fell.


    Coincidentally, Rupert fell before she did.


    He groaned as Annabel fell right on top of him.


    What was worse, her lipsnded on his and she could perceive the strong smell of alcohol from him.


    Annabel quickly stood up and frowned.


    What happened to Rupert? Was he drunk? But why did he drink so much? Annabel looked down at the


    figure lying on the floor and decided to ignore him.


    "Candy..." he murmured.


    When Annabel turned around and tried to walk away, Rupert grabbed her.


    "Don''t leave me, Candy," he said in a low and hoarse voice with so much sadness in it.


    Candy? Who the hell was that? Annabel was totally confused.


    Candy was certainly a female name.


    Was that the name of the girl that Rupert loved? Did he think she was that girl? "Rupert, let go of me,"


    Annabel scolded when he tried to pull her down on top of him again.

 Chapter 34

    Chapter 34


    Chapter 34 The Kiss


    Rupert was so drunk that his vision was blurred.


    When he opened his eyes, he saw a pretty girl standing in front of him.


    She looked so sweet and familiar.


    All of a sudden, he seemed to have returned to the days when he was thirteen.


    He and the girl were locked up in a dark room.


    There were guards outside and there was also a fierce dog inside.


    Rupert had always been afraid of dogs since he was a little child, so the girl held him in her arms to


    make him feel protected.


    "Dogs are not scary at all.But if you act scared, they will bark at you."


    In the darkness, the girl''s big eyes twinkled like stars in the night sky, lighting up Rupert''s heart.


    The two of them leaned against each other in silence.


    After a while, the girl joked, "Does this mean I''ve saved your life? If not for me, you would have been


    scared to death by this dog.


    So, you should marry me when we grow up!"


    "Okay."


    He nodded in agreement.


    In his drunken state, the girl standing in front of him and the figure in his memory seemed to be one


    and the same.


    Rupert asked, "Candy, do you remember? We were locked up together in that dark room.You saved me


    from the big dog and you also bandaged my wound."


    Dark room? Big dog? Bandage his wound? Annabel felt a headache, as if something shed through


    her memory.


    But unfortunately, she couldn''t grasp any of it.


    "Candy, do you know I''ve been looking for you all these years? It''s so good to finally see you again,"


    Rupert murmured, holding Annabel''s hand and rubbing it on his lips.He perceived a unique kind of


    sweet scent from her hand, leaving him in no doubt that this was his Candy.


    "Candy, you smell so good." Rupert was intoxicated by her scent.


    "Rupert, you''re drunk.Let go of me!" Annabel scolded.


    When this man was drunk, there was nothing she could.


    "No.I won''t let you go," Rupert refused, holding her hand tightly.


    "Please don''t leave me, Candy."


    "All right.Let me help you to your room." Annabel surrendered.She wanted to get rid of him quickly.


    After all, she couldn''t just stay in the living room with him throughout the night.She would just be kind


    and take him up to his room.


    Annabel tried to pull him up to his feet, but he was just so heavy.


    "Rupert, get up quickly.Don''t just lie here on the floor!"


    Rupert looked up at her with his unfocused eyes and murmured, "Okay, Candy.I''ll get up."


    Annabel was confused.


    Who the hell was this Candy? Rupert was nearly 1.9 meters tall.He looked slim in his clothes, but he


    was in fact a big man.


    Annabel, on the other hand, was only 1.65 meters tall.


    It was really hard for her to keep Rupert standing and prevent him from falling back down.


    Rupert put his arm around her shoulders and leaned on her.


    His face was resting on the side of her head, and his warm breath was fanning her face.


    Such closeness made Annabel feel a little ufortable.


    The kiss at the restroom of the bar shed through her mind again.


    She shifted to his side, but Rupert moved even closer to her.


    She was trying her best to resist the urge to just dump him right there and walk away.


    Gritting her teeth, she held him up and managed to help him climb up the stairs.


    When Annabel finally reached his floor and was about to breathe a sigh of relief, she heard a woman


    screaming, "What are you doing?"


    Annabel looked up and saw that it was Cathy.


    Annabel was too tired to exin to her, so she just stepped around her and helped Rupert to his room.


    "Stop, Annabel!"


    Cathy shouted after her.She had woken up in the middle of the night and heard some noises in the


    living room, so she went out to see what was going on.


    But as soon as she stepped out of her room, she saw Annabel and Rupert holding each other


    intimately.


    She took a closer look and found that Rupert appeared to be drunk.


    Cathy had never seen Rupert get drunk since she came to the Benton family at the age of seven.


    She couldn''t just stay calm and overlook it.


    For crying out loud, Rupert was dead drunk.


    And he was being supported by Annabel.


    It was clear to her that Annabel wanted to seduce Rupert and sleep with him.


    She marched forward and grabbed Annabel by the arm, demanding an exnation.


    "Why did you get Rupert drunk in the middle of the night? Are you trying to seduce him?"


    Annabel looked at Cathy indifferently and scoffed.


    "I''m his fiancee.So, he''s mine.Do you think I need to get him drunk to seduce him?"


    "Annabel!"


    Cathy bit her lip and followed behind Annabel.


    "He doesn''t need your help."


    "Okay.Then you should hold him."


    Annabel dumped Rupert in her arms.She was d to finally be rid of her burden.


    "Rupert, are you okay?" Cathy asked, looking at Rupert''s face.


    But her eyes had an obsessed look in them.


    Annabel was shocked.She knew what this look meant.She had seen this kind of look in Heather''s eyes,


    and in Nina¡¯s too.


    Was Cathy also in love with Rupert? But wasn''t she Rupert''s cousin? They were blood rtives! After


    watching Cathy help Rupert back to his room, Annabel shook her head and turned around to make her


    way back to her room.


    Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org.


    Cathy managed to get Rupert in bed and helped him take off his shoes.


    "Rupert, what happened? Why did you drink so much?"


    Rupert opened his dazed eyes and grumbled in disappointment, "You''re not Candy."


    "What? What did you say?" Cathy asked.


    Her ears had not picked up clearly what he just said.But Rupert didn¡¯t repeat himself.He simply closed


    his eyes and fell asleep.


    Sitting on the edge of the bed, Cathy stared intently at the handsome face of the sleeping man in front


    of her.


    Rupert was already snoring softly.His facial expression was a little softer than when he was awake.


    In fact, he was even more handsome and attractive now.


    But Cathy''s heart was aching badly.


    "Rupert, why don''t you notice me? I don''t want you to see me only as your cousin,"


    Cathy murmured in disappointment.


    She had fallen for Rupert since she was fourteen.


    But Rupert only treated her as his cousin.But she wasn''t really his cousin.She was adopted by Rupert¡¯s


    aunt.Her eyes were full of love and admiration.She slowly bent down and kissed the man she had


    secretly been in love with for so many years.


    When Annabel got back to her room, she found a diamond button in her hand.She recognized it as one


    of the cufflinks on the sleeves of Rupert''s suit.She must have torn it off by ident as she helped him


    up the stairs.


    After thinking for a while, Annabel turned around and went back to Rupert¡¯s room, with the intention of


    returning the button to the owner.


    She didn''t want to be falsely used of stealing.


    When she got to Rupert''s room, she found that the door was slightly open.


    So, she pushed it further and stepped in.


    "Rupert, I..."


    But the words froze on Annabel¡¯s lips.She was stunned by the sight in front of her.


    Cathy was kissing Rupert!

 Chapter 35

    Chapter 35


    Chapter 35 You''re Candy


    At the sound of the voice, Cathy turned around and saw Annabel standing at the door.Her heart


    skipped a beat.


    With a frown, Annabel demanded, "Cathy, what are you doing?"


    Cathy could not maintain eye contact as she answered, "Rupert is drunk, so I was wiping his mouth."


    "So, you had to wipe it with your own mouth, eh?" Annabel asked in a mocking tone.


    Then she looked down at Rupert.His eyes were closed and his breath came evenly.He seemed to be


    fast asleep.


    Judging from how drunk he was, he did not know what Cathy did.


    Was there a secret rtionship between the two? But Annabel quickly expelled the idea from her mind.


    Not long ago, Rupert had called her Candy, which was quite different from Cathy.


    Moreover, with his high status in society, it was impossible for Rupert to fall in love with his cousin.


    Most likely, whatever Cathy was doing was nothing but a product of her wishful thinking.


    "I''m warning you, don''t talk nonsense!" Cathy warned, her eyes filled with apprehension.


    To Rupert, she had always been a cousin.


    If he knew that she had secretly kissed him...


    Cathy didn''t dare to think about what would happen.


    Annabel gave her a quick nce and scoffed.


    "I''m not interested in telling anyone.But Cathy, I''m warning you, as long as I''m still engaged to Rupert,


    you''d better stop your dirty thoughts and acts.Or you''ll find out the consequences of a scandal about


    you falling in love with your cousin trending on the inte."


    "How dare you!" Cathy screamed.


    Rushing forward, she lifted her hand and was about to p Annabel.


    Annabel grabbed her arm and pushed her back, sending her stumbling to the floor.


    "Annabel, how dare you push me?" Cathy felt pain all over her body and her face was dark with anger.


    But Annabel didn''t even look at her.


    With a sneer, she turned and left the room without looking back.


    After returning to her room, Annabel sat down on the bed and thought for a while before picking up her


    phone and sending a message to Anthony.


    "Help me check the rtionship between Cathy Benton and Rupert Benton."


    Anthony and Ada were two of the world''s most famous hackers.


    Their superb skills had shocked the world many times.


    But Ada was the more mysterious one.


    It was said that she was Anthony''s teacher.


    N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content.


    Actually, Ada was Annabel.


    But she was not Anthony''s teacher.


    Long ago, Anthony had tried to attack her business, Star Entertainment, but Annabel had discovered


    the attempt and stopped the attack in time.


    After that, they became good friends.


    "Ada, it''ste.Can you let me sleep?"


    This was the response she got from Anthony.


    "Cut the crap! Just do as I say."


    Annabel and Anthony always bickered.


    "It''s just a simple piece of information, Ada.You can handle it in five minutes.Why do you need me?"


    Anthony whined.


    Annabel sent him an eye roll emoji.


    "I''mzy.Hurry up!"


    Ten minutester, Anthony sent Annabel detailed information about Cathy.


    Rupert''s aunt had adopted Cathy from an orphanage, so Cathy had no blood rtionship with Rupert.


    Annabel narrowed her eyes as she read the information.


    No wonder Cathy had a crush on Rupert and she was always picking on her simply because she was


    Rupert''s fiancee.


    Annabel began to doubt whether she had made the right decision by agreeing to her grandfather''s


    three-month agreement.


    At this point, she could only hope that the three months would pass as soon as possible.


    Then she would break off the engagement to Rupert and everything would be over.


    She could finally be herself again and do whatever she wanted to do.


    Eventually, the most unpleasant weekend in history finally came to an end.


    On the second day, Annabel went to Benton Group very early in the morning.


    Sitting at her desk, she was reading through the materials of the cooperation project with Lady Fashion.


    But all of a sudden, there was a loud bang, Nina had dumped arge pile of documents on Annabel''s


    desk, making the desk shake as if there was an earthquake.


    Annabel looked up and frowned.


    "What are you doing?"


    Looking down at Annabel, Nina ordered, "Enter these data and finish it before noon."


    Annabel nced at therge pile of documents and shook her head.


    Finish it before noon? Was she kidding? She looked at Nina and said, "I''m sorry.I''m now in charge of


    the cooperation project with Lady Fashion.These materials have nothing to do with this project.You''d


    better ask someone else to enter them."


    Nina''s face darkened and she retorted angrily, "I asked you to enter them.Don''t you see that everyone


    else is busy?"


    Annabel rolled her eyes.


    Did she look so idle? Clearing her throat, Annabel reminded her calmly, "Mr.Benton said that I only


    need to be responsible for the project with Lady Fashion.I don''t need to do anything else."


    Nina''s expression became even angrier and she was about to say something, but suddenly, the


    landline on Annabel¡¯s desk started ringing.


    Annabel looked at the screen and saw the number 888.


    That was the CEO''s line.She picked it up immediately and answered it.


    "Hello, this is Annabel from the secretarial department."


    "Send me a cup of coffee," Rupert ordered from the other end of the line.


    Annabel was stunned.


    Did Rupert just ask her to bring coffee to him? Before she could ask him to repeat himself, Rupert hung


    up.


    She would just do it then.


    Putting the phone away, Annabel stood up and said to Nina, "You heard that, right? Mr.Benton asked


    me to bring him coffee.You can ask someone else to deal with these data."


    As she spoke, she pushed the documents toward Nina.


    "Excuse me, please!"


    "Annabel Hewitt!"


    Nina was so angry, but she just didn''t know how to express it.


    Nina was so jealous of her right now.She gritted her teeth in impotent rage as she watched Annabel


    walk gracefully toward the door.


    Right there and then, she vowed to herself that Annabel would not be proud andcent for long.


    Meanwhile, Annabel went to the pantry to get a cup oftte and then took it straight to the CEO''s office.


    Standing in front of the door of the office, Annabel thought of Rupert''s handsome face, which made her


    heartbeat increase rapidly.She managed topose herself and knocked on the door.


    "Come in," Rupert called in an icy tone.


    Annabel pushed the door open and walked in.She put the coffee on his table and said, "Your coffee."


    Rupert narrowed his eyes and fixed them on Annabel.


    Last night, he was drunk and he thought he had seen Candy.He thought that Candy hade back.


    But when he woke up this morning, it was Cathy who was sitting on his bed.She imed she brought


    him to his room the previous night.


    But Cathy wasn''t Candy.


    Or did he see her in his dream? But why was the dream so damn real? "If there¡¯s nothing else, I''d like


    to take my leave,"


    Annabel said, avoiding making eye contact with him.She felt a little ufortable under Rupert''s gaze.


    When she was just about to turn around and leave, something urred to her.She brought out the


    diamond button and handed it to Rupert.


    "By the way, this is yours.Here you are."


    Rupert lowered his head and in the process, he perceived the unique fragrance of her hand.


    It was exactly the same asst night''s.He swiftly grabbed her hand and held it firmly, as if he was


    holding a rare treasure.His eyes twinkled and he said in a low and hoarse voice, "Candy...You are


    Candy."

 Chapter 36

    Chapter 36


    Chapter 36 Candy Candy? Again? Who was Candy?


    Annabel snapped, "Rupert, enough! Let go of my hand! Who the hell is Candy?"


    Her attitude was like ice-cold water that poured on Rupert.It instantly extinguished his enthusiasm.


    Clearly, she was not Candy.


    Candy wouldn''t resist him like this.


    Rupert let go of her hand and sat up straight.


    Then he leaned back in the chair again, his face now back to its usual coldness.


    He picked the button and asked, "Why was my button in your possession?"


    Annabel rubbed her aching hand and said angrily, "You were drunkst night.Youy on the floor and


    refused to get up.I must have pulled the button off identally when I carried you upstairs."


    Rupert''s eyebrows shot up.


    "So, you were the one who took me back to my roomst night?"


    "Yes.Butter, Cathy said she wanted to carry you.You two seem to be really close," Annabel said with


    a meaning look.


    She wished Rupert could understand her insinuation.


    But Rupert was only thinking of Candy.


    Besides, he only saw Cathy as his cousin and never thought anything else of her, and neither did he


    know how she felt about him.


    As a result, he didn''t understand what Annabel implied.


    What happenedst night came back to his mind again.


    Though he was drunk at the time, the feeling was very real.He knew he saw Candy.He held her hand


    and talked to her.


    Candy told him not to lie on the floor, and she pulled him up.


    All of this was real.


    Annabel said she helped him up from the floorst night, so the person he sawst night was Annabel.


    Yet, Annabel was not Candy.


    But why did she inspire in him the same feeling as Candy did? Engulfed by a sudden wave of


    excitement, Rupert jumped up on his feet and strode to Annabel.He looked down at her and asked with


    a slight smile, "Annabel, have you never been kidnapped before?"


    Annabel had never seen such tenderness in his eyes before.


    His low and attractive voice had a magic in it that could make one feel enchanted.But Annabel was not


    really happy.


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    If she remembered correctly, this was the second time that Rupert had asked her this question.


    Why did he care so much about whether or not she had been kidnapped in the past? She looked into


    his deep-set eyes and said in a serious tone, "Rupert, I don''t know why you always like to ask me this


    question.I''ll answer you for thest time.I''ve never been kidnapped before!"


    Rupert fixed his eyes on Annabel''s eyes as if he wanted to probe into her soul.She answered him very


    seriously and frankly.


    Such a reaction could not be faked.


    Annabel had never been kidnapped, which meant that she could not be Candy.


    Rupert''s eyes went dim.Seeing the disappointment on his face, Annabel felt curious and decided to


    probe further.She couldn''t help asking, "Who is Candy? The girl you love?"


    "A girl who is very important to me," Rupert said after a brief moment of silence.He didn''t know why he


    couldn''t admit to Annabel that he loved Candy.


    "Oh, okay."


    Seeing that Rupert was not eager to say any more, Annabel stopped asking.


    "Are you jealous?"


    Rupert suddenly asked.


    Jealous? No way! Why would she be jealous? Annabel couldn''t help but scoff at his arrogance in her


    mind.


    Clearly, this man felt too good about himself.


    Did he think that every woman in the world would pursue and tter him? Maybe there were several


    women who were pursuing and ttering him, but as far as Annabel was concerned, she was an


    exception.


    Pursing her lips, Annabel frowned and said, "Rupert, stop being stupid! I''m not interested in whatever


    you''re up to.It¡¯s none of my business which girl you love.Just don''t forget the rtionship between us!


    We have only a three-month contractual rtionship.In fact, it''s now less than three months.It''s only


    two months and three weeks left.When the contract ends, we will be strangers.Do you


    understand?"


    Strangers? When Rupert heard this word, he became very unhappy.He didn''t know why he cared so


    much about this.


    Maybe it was because being with Annabel made him feel like he was with Candy.


    This engagement of theirs was mandated by their grandfathers, and they had no real feelings for each


    other.


    Still, he treated her as a friend.


    But what about her? She saw him as just a stranger! "Annabel, am I really just an insignificant stranger


    to you?" Rupert asked, reaching out to grab her arm.


    "what else could you be?" Annabel asked with a shrug.


    Then she looked down at her arm which was still being held tightly by Rupert.


    "You''re hurting me, Rupert.Just let go of me!"


    But Rupert didn''t pay any heed to her and refused to let her go.His handsome face was hard and his


    brow was bunched up in a frown.


    There was aplicated emotion swirling in his eyes.


    Annabel struggled but failed to free her arm from his grasp.She stopped struggling when she got tired.


    "Annabel, what are you doing?" a female voice suddenly asked, breaking the silence in the room.


    Annabel turned and looked at who was at the door.It was no one other than Heather.


    Seeing that Heather was ring at her with jealousy in her eyes, Annabel quickly snuggled up to


    Rupert and said, "What my fiance and I are doing has nothing to do with you."


    Then she looked at Rupert and asked him affectionately, "Babe, do you agree?"


    Babe? Well, that was a lovely name.


    Rupert''s handsome face was still expressionless, but the corners of his mouth curled up slightly.


    Heather was so angry that her face turned red, while Finley, who was standing beside her, was


    fidgeting uneasily.


    "Mr.Benton, I''m sorry.I told Miss Norman that you were busy now, but she insisted oning in."


    His boss was famous for his indifference.


    But he didn''t like women getting close to him or staring at him.It was rare to find him making out with


    Annabel, but now that he chose to do it, he was interrupted.


    Surprisingly, with only an impatient wave of his hand, Rupert gestured for Finley to leave.


    Finley felt relieved and quickly hurried out of the CEO''s office.


    "Heather, why are you here?" Rupert asked, adjusting his tie and looking at her indifferently.


    With a smile that she thought was very charming, Heather walked up to Rupert and said in a soft voice,


    "Rupert, here''s the thing.We have prepared a preliminary prospectus for the partnership between


    Benton Group and Norman Group.I brought it for you to see."


    "Isn''t your brother in charge of the partnership?" Rupert asked with a frown.


    "He didn''t have time today, so he asked me to bring it instead." Heather blushed.


    But the truth was that she had brought it just to have the opportunity to meet Rupert.


    Rupert turned back to Annabel and said in an icy tone, "You can go."


    "Did you hear that? Get out of here right now! I want to exin the prospectus to Rupert!"


    Heather shouted at Annabel.She was ted that Rupert spoke to Annabel in such a manner.

 Chapter 37

    Chapter 37


    Chapter 37 An Unusual Meeting


    "Heather, I said you should go out," Rupert ordered, his cold voice making her feel as if she had fallen


    into an ice cer.


    "Rupert," Heather gasped, her eyes widened in disbelief.


    "But I haven''t exined the prospectus to you yet." Rupert frowned and nced at her impatiently.


    "Just drop it and go."


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    "But my brother told me to exin it to you carefully,"


    Heather insisted, wearing a sad and pained expression.


    Rupert was sending her out in the presence of Annabel.This was really embarrassing for her.


    Rupert always used to be cold to her, but he had never driven her away like he was doing today.His


    attitude toward her changed the day Annabel appeared.


    Rupert no longer even nced in her direction.


    Now, he was driving her out.She med all of this on Annabel.


    Seeing the frustrated look on Heather''s face, Annabel felt very delighted.


    To rub salt in Heather''s wound, she said with a sneer, "Do you doubt my fiance''s ability? Do you think


    he can''t read it by himself?"


    Ignoring her, Heather quickly grabbed Rupert''s arm and exined anxiously, "I didn''t mean that,


    Rupert."


    But Rupert pulled his arm out of her grip and told her with a frown, "Get out."


    Heather had no choice but to obey.She red at Annabel with fury in her eyes as she reluctantly


    walked out of the CEO''s office.


    "Well done," Annabel said to Rupert after Heather was gone.


    "So, I''m not a stranger after all?" Rupert asked jokingly.


    "Why did you call me your fiance?" Annabel smiled and shrugged.


    "Well, you love Candy, right? I''m only helping you drive other women away.You don''t want Candy to


    know that so many women are pestering you."


    Candy...


    Hearing the name from Annabel''s lips, Rupert hadplicated feelings.


    "If there is nothing else, I''ll take my leave," Annabel said and walked out of his office.


    Heather was standing outside the CEO''s office with an angry look.


    Seeing Annabeling out of the office, she stretched out her leg in the hope of tripping her up.


    But Annabel stepped over it safely.


    "Didn''t my fiance just ask you to leave thispany? What are you still doing here standing at the


    door? Are you guarding the door?" Annabel asked in a mocking tone.


    "Annabel, what did you say?" Heather fumed.


    Annabel likened her to a guard dog! Ignoring her, Annabel turned to Finley and told him, "We don''t


    allow outsiders to stay too long in ourpany, right? Why don''t you ask her to leave right now?"


    "Annabel, how dare you try to drive me away?"


    Heather shouted.She was so furious that her body was practically trembling.


    The fact that Rupert drove her away was not out of ce.


    At least, he owned thepany.


    But what right did Annabel have to drive her away?


    "Miss Norman, please leave!" Finley said, stopping Heather from marching up to her rival.


    Annabel, on the other hand, did not even wait to listen to Heather any further.She simply turned and


    went back to the secretarial department without looking back.


    But she''d hardly settled down behind her desk when thendline rang again.


    The call was again from Rupert again.


    Frowning, Annabel picked up the phone and answered it, "Rupert, why are you still calling me?"


    "Come to the conference room for a meeting," Rupert said from the other end of the line.


    "A meeting? What meeting?" Annabel asked in confusion.


    "The meeting about the cooperation project with Lady Fashion," Rupert said in a low voice.


    "Oh, okay then."


    When Annabel arrived at the meeting room with the relevant documents about the project, she found


    that Rupert was already seated there.He sat upright at the head of the table, wearing a perfectly cut


    ck suit, which made him look quite domineering.


    As usual, his face was expressionless.He looked very elegant and noble, quite like a supreme emperor


    overlooking his dominions.


    Nina, Bernice and Anais, the designers of the project, were also in attendance.


    Seeing Annabele in, all eyes focused on her.


    "Try not to bete for the next meeting,"


    Rupert cautioned, throwing her an indifferent nce and motioning for her to sit down.


    Annabel was surprised.


    How could he say she waste? She was not given prior notice of the meeting! Clearly, Nina was the


    one behind it.


    Without saying anything, Annabel found a seat and sat down.


    Rupert then signaled for the meeting to begin.


    Nina cleared her throat and started, "I''ve been in charge of the early stage of the Lady Fashion project,


    but next season''sunch will be under the supervision of Annabel.Annabel, please exin the overall


    situation of the project to Mr.Benton."


    She had not told Annabel about this meeting at all.So, Annabel had not prepared for it in any way.


    As for the details about the project, the information she had given to Annabel so far was negligible.


    Knowing that Annabel didn''t have much knowledge about this project, she was sure that there was no


    way she could give a good presentation to the CEO.


    Satisfied with the trap she had set, Nina looked at Annabel with a smile, waiting for her to make a fool


    of herself in front of everyone.


    Annabel could see through Nina''s trick.


    She stood up calmly and said point-nk, "I''m sorry.No one informed me of this meeting beforehand,


    so I didn''t prepare for it."


    "No one informed you?" Rupert asked in surprise.


    "I asked my assistant to send an e-mail to everyone in our department.How can you say no one


    informed you?"


    Nina said innocently, pretending to be shocked.


    "Or did you simply forget? How can you forget about such an important meeting? That''s very careless


    and irresponsible."


    Rupert was always strict with his staff.


    If it was found that Annabel forgot to prepare for the meeting due to her carelessness, she would be


    severely punished or even fired from thepany.


    But Annabel didn''t seem fazed.


    With a faint smile, she said to Nina, "I didn''t receive it.There is a record of every email I received.Even


    if it gets deleted, it can always be restored.I''m not so stupid as to lie about something like this."


    Nina''s expression darkened and she scowled in anger.


    Did Annabel just imply that she was stupid? She turned to Rupert and asked, "Mr.Benton, since


    Annabel isn''t ready, should we reschedule this meeting to another date?"


    "There''s no need for that," Annabel said even before Rupert could respond.


    Rupert''s eyebrows shot up in surprise.


    "I thought you said you were not prepared."


    "I was not.But that won''t hinder the meeting," Annabel said confidently.


    To the surprise of everyone present, Annabel calmly walked over to the whiteboard, picked up the


    marker, and said, "As the person in charge of a project, I should know the project like the back of my


    hand.


    I should be able to introduce the details of the project to others at any time, and I don¡¯t need to make


    special preparations for that."


    Nina scoffed when she heard this.


    Why was Annabel being so arrogant? Even she, who had been in charge of the project for nearly a


    year, could not introduce the whole project without adequate preparation.


    It had only been less than a week since Annabel took over the project.


    What had she learned about it that gave her so much confidence? She was eagerly waiting to see how


    Annabel would make a fool of herself in front of Rupert and the others.


    Meanwhile, Rupert leaned back in his chair with his legs crossed casually.


    With a thoughtful look, he looked at the calm and confident figure of Annabel.


    Could she really introduce the project without sufficient preparation?

 Chapter 38

    Chapter 38


    Chapter 38 You Surprised Me


    Annabel cleared her throat and said with a confident smile, "Now, let me introduce the overall situation


    and progress of the Lady Fashion project to you."


    With the pen, she drew the flow chart of the whole project on the whiteboard while exining the


    general details of the project.Her words were clear and easy to understand.


    Nina looked at her in disbelief.


    She was so shocked that she didn''t even realize that her nails were digging into her flesh.


    How could it be possible? How could Annabel introduce the whole project so fluently and clearly


    without any preparation? And she even drew a wonderful chart too! There had to be a mistake


    somewhere.


    Somehow, Annabel must have found out about the meeting and secretly prepared for it.


    Nina had nned to make a fool of Annabel in public, but she only ended up giving Annabel the


    chance to stand out.


    As far as she was concerned, Annabel was a bitch.


    And she vowed to herself that she would kick this bitch out of Benton Group one day.


    Rupert was also very surprised.


    His eyes were fixed on Annabel as she went on with the introduction.


    She was wearing a light pink business skirt and a white shirt.


    In the soft ambience of the conference room, she looked very elegant and capable.


    Her cherry red lips, which looked very sexy, made Rupert long to kiss her again.


    "Well, that''s all.I''m done.Is there anything that¡¯s not properly understood?" Annabel asked, looking


    around the room with a smile.


    All the participants seemed highly impressed by her smooth exnation and there were noints


    or questions heard from anyone.


    Rupert''s eyes had been fixed on Annabel throughout the duration of the presentation.


    Seeing her walking toward him, he couldn''t help but swallow hard.


    He felt Annabel was amazing.


    She exuded a noble temperament, and she looked so elegant and confident, like a queen.


    But wasn''t she from the countryside? Didn''t they say that she was a bumpkin who knew nothing? Why


    was she so amazing? It seemed there was more to Annabel than met the eye.


    "Mr.Benton, is there any problem?" Annabel asked with a faint smile when she noticed that Rupert was


    still staring at her.


    "No," Rupert said with those sexy thin lips of his.


    "Since there''s no problem, please let the chief designer, Anais, introduce the designs to us."


    Annabel returned to her seat and signaled for Anais to show the designs to everyone.


    Anais quickly unfolded the design drawings and began showing them to Rupert.


    "The theme is Ice and Fire.We are going tounch a set of high-quality jewelry including ne, ring


    and bracelet.These are my drawings." Rupert frowned.


    Apparently, he was not satisfied with the drawings.


    He turned to look at Annabel and asked in a low voice, "What''s your opinion?"


    Annabel looked at the drawings for a moment.


    The patterns were exquisite, with a lot of popr elements added.It was obvious that Anais had


    designed them carefully.


    But as far as Annabel was concerned, they could only be regarded as mediocre and unremarkable.


    Judging from the expression on Rupert''s face, he obviously thought the same.


    But why did he have to ask for her opinion? Wasn''t it obvious that this was only going to make her an


    enemy to the designer? Annabel red at the scheming man and shook her head.


    Then she spoke her mind.


    "Lady Fashion''s orientation is mostly fordies between 30 and 50 years old, so our designs should


    show their elegance.Anais'' designs are very beautiful, but there are a bit too ordinary.There are


    elements in them that are soulless."


    Anais¡¯ expression changed.


    Annabel ignored her expression and continued, "To put it simply, they are too vulgar.If a designer wants


    to draw a perfect design, the most important thing is to pour into their own feelings and give the design


    a soul of its own to make it unique."


    Hearing this, even Bernice began to feel embarrassed.


    Even though the chief designer was Anais, as the director of the jewelry design department, Bernice


    had given Anais a lot of her opinions.


    At the end, Anais received her approval to show them to Rupert.


    Now, the designs were being criticized by Annabel in the presence of Rupert.


    As far as Bernice was concerned, this was very damaging for the reputation of the design department.


    Before Bernice could fire a retort at Annabel, Rupert nodded his head in agreement.


    "Right, it''s truly vulgar."


    He had not expected that Annabel''s opinion would be exactly the same as his.He narrowed his eyes


    and stared at her in surprise, wondering why she knew so much.


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    "Well, we''ll modify it," Bernice said with a forced smile.


    Then she said to Anais, "Try to do a much better job, okay?"


    Anais blushed and nodded.


    "The leader of the Lady Fashion project will be visiting Douburgh next week.This time, their president


    wille along, so we must have perfect work to disy,"


    Rupert pointed out in a very serious tone.


    "We will go all out and create the best!"


    Through gritted teeth, Bernice promised that they woulde up with nothing but perfect designs.


    "Annabel, keep an eye on the progress," Rupert said with a nce at Annabel.


    Annabel couldn''t believe it.


    It had nothing to do with her! She wasn''t even a designer, and she didn''t contribute to the designs in


    any way.


    But being the project director, she could only nod stiffly and take the credit that she felt she did not


    deserve.


    After the meeting, everyone stood up and left the conference room.


    Annabel packed up her things and was about to go out when she heard Rupert''s maic voice from


    behind.


    "Annabel, please stay." Annabel paused and turned around.


    "What else can I do for you?"


    Rupert strode over to her and stared down at her face in silence.


    After a while, he asked in a soft voice, "Do you know a lot about jewelry design?"


    "I know a little about it," Annabel said with a slight smile.


    She was good at fashion design in general.So good that jewelry design was just a small case for her.


    "you surprise me," Rupert murmured, his deep eyes full of curiosity.


    Annabel simply shrugged and said nothing.


    Was what she had done really surprising to him? What if Rupert knew her true identity? Would he be


    more shocked? When she saw that he had nothing else to say, Annabel turned around and went to the


    bathroom.


    As soon as she entered the bathroom, she heard a low female voiceing from one of the stalls.


    It seemed like Nina¡¯s voice, and she mentioned her name.


    Annabel stopped to listen carefully.


    Nina was saying in a jealous and angry tone, "Miss Norman, don¡¯t worry.Our n will be perfect.I will


    certainly kick Annabel out of Benton Group!"


    Miss Norman? Heather? So, Nina was colluding with Heather? It seemed they had both set a trap to


    frame her.


    With narrowed eyes, Annabel decided to fight back.


    Annabel was never a pushover.And she would not be nice if Nina and Heather provoked her again.

 Chapter 39

    Chapter 39


    Chapter 39 A Good Show Is On


    The week went by quickly.


    Surprisingly, it was not really an eventful week.


    Heather didn''t show up at Benton Group again, and Nina didn''t give Annabel any more trouble.


    But Annabel knew they wouldn''t let her go so easily.


    She knew it was the calm before the storm.


    On the appointed day, Brett McCoy, the CEO of Lady Fashion, came on a visit to Benton Group.


    Being the person in charge of the Lady Fashion project, Annabel would pick him up at the airport.


    Before leaving, she checked and made sure that the materials needed for the meetingter in the


    afternoon were ready.


    After making sure everything was okay, Annabel stood up and got ready to go to the airport.


    But as she went out to take the elevator, she saw that the doors were about to close.


    She rushed over, shouting, "Wait for me please!"


    A tall figure walked over and put out his foot to keep the doors open.


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    "Thank you so much," Annabel said gratefully.


    But when she looked up at the person''s face, she was stunned.


    It was Rupert! Why was he here? She was surprised at the fact that he even kept the elevator doors


    open for her.


    Seeing the surprised look on her face, Rupert said in a low tone, "Come in quickly."


    "Oh, thank you," Annabel said with a smile and stepped into the elevator.


    Rupert quickly followed her in.


    "I''ll go to the airport with you," Rupert said tly when he noticed Annabel''s confused look.


    Annabel was surprised.


    "Don''t worry.I''ll go alone," she quickly said.


    How could Rupert go with her to pick someone up at the airport? He was a busy CEO, for crying out


    loud.


    But Rupert didn''t seem to agree with Annabel.


    With his hands in his pockets, he stood beside her, giving off an inexplicable sense of dominance.


    After a brief moment of silence, he gave Annabel a meaning look and mumbled, "Brett is my friend.Of


    course, I have to go meet him personally to show my sincerity."


    In fact, he didn¡¯t need to pick Brett up in person.But when he heard that Annabel was going to pick him


    up at the airport, Rupert decided to go with her.


    Annabel nodded in understanding and said nothing.


    In silence, they rode the elevator all the way to the underground garage.


    Rupert hade to work in a Rolls-Royce earlier in the morning.He opened the door of the car and


    motioned for Annabel to get in.


    "Thank you,"


    Annabel smiled and settled down in the passenger seat, fastening her seat belt.


    Rupert then got in and started the car.


    With his slender fingers gripping the steering wheel, he asked calmly, "Have you prepared for the


    meeting with Lady Fashion this afternoon?"


    Annabel puckered her lips and answered firmly, "Of course, I have.No problems with that at all."


    She knew the meeting was not going to be simple.It was a big deal with a lot at stake.But she was


    looking forward to it nheless.


    An hourter, they arrived at the airport.


    Annabel looked down at her watch.There were still ten minutes to go before Brett''s flight would arrive.


    "I''m going to the bathroom," Annabel said to Rupert.


    Rupert nodded in acknowledgement, and she rushed off.


    When she got to the bathroom, Annabel sent a message to someone.


    "How is it going?"


    Before long, she received a reply.


    "Everything is going well."


    Annabel nodded in satisfaction.It seemed that the big show in the afternoon would go down well.


    Everything was under control.


    When she finally returned to the hall, Brett''s ne had alreadynded and he had gotten off.


    Brett was a Frenchman.He was thirty years old, tall and burly, with blonde hair and fair skin.


    "Hi, Rupert!" Brett greeted Rupert happily, giving him a warm hug.


    "It''s been a while," Rupert said, keeping an expressionless face.


    With a polite smile, Annabel stepped forward and greeted Brett in French.


    "who is this beautifuldy?" Brett asked Rupert, looking at Annabel with amazement in his blue eyes.


    Frowning, Rupert introduced Annabel to him.


    "This is Annabel.She is in charge of the project."


    Rupert never expected that Annabel would speak French.His fiancee was not only far from being a


    country bumpkin, but she was also a very excellent woman.She was excellent enough to attract


    everyone''s attention, just like she had attracted Brett''s just now.


    Brett stretched out his arms wide open to hug Annabel.


    "You''re very beautiful.Have we met before?"


    Annabel only stretched out her hand and politely shook hands with him.


    "I don''t think so."


    But the truth was that, she had met Brett once before.


    When Annabel and her grandpa were traveling in France, she met Brett at a banquet.


    But she was a fifteen-year old girl at that time.


    Fortunately, Brett couldn''t recognize her anymore.


    This was very good for her, since she didn''t want to be exposed so soon.


    Together, Annabel and Rupert escorted Brett and his assistant back to Benton Group.


    Later, at two o''clock prompt, the meeting officially began.


    This time, Annabel prepared a beautiful PowerPoint presentation.


    Though Brett could speak English, Annabel gave a wonderful speech in French, exining the


    progress of the whole project.


    The French speakers in the room, especially Brett, nodded frequently, expressing their admiration and


    approval.


    Seeing that Annabel was being outstanding again, Nina''s eyes hardened in jealousy and she clenched


    her fists tightly.


    "Annabel, just wait and see.A good show is about to begin! Let¡¯s see how long you can be stay on


    top.Very soon, you''ll be kicked out!" she said to herself.


    After the speech, Annabel was warmly apuded.


    Even Rupert was not economical with his apuse.


    With a faint smile and a nod of gratitude, Annabel continued, "At this stage, let''s look at the specific


    drawings."


    Then she picked the folder and brought out the drawings.


    But when she saw what she was holding, her expression changed.


    Everyone present gasped in surprise.


    They all saw as Annabel took out a few sheets of nk paper from the file that was supposed to


    contain the drawings.


    But only one person wasn''t shocked.


    It was Nina.


    And she was the first to ask, "Annabel, what are you doing?"


    Being the project director, all the materials were brought to the conference room by Annabel after she


    had checked them herself.


    Now, the drawings were gone.


    And they had been reced with several sheets of nk paper.


    It was obvious that Annabel would have to take all the responsibility.


    Rupert would never forgive such a low-level mistake in an important meeting.


    It was expected that he would fire Annabel.


    Nina stole a nce at Rupert to see how he felt.


    Just as she expected, his handsome face was dark, and his tightly pursed lips indicated his extreme


    displeasure.


    A hint of happiness shed through Nina''s eyes.


    But maintaining a nk face, she started to scold Annabel in a voice loud enough for everyone to hear.


    "As the project director, how can you possibly lose the drawings? How dare you use some sheets of


    nk papers to fool us? We cannot allow an irresponsible person like you to continue working here!"


    2 Rupert''s face darkened even more.


    He looked at Annabel and asked, "What''s wrong?"

 Chapter 40

    Chapter 40


    Chapter 40 Impossible To Complete


    The drawings were lost? And they had been reced with some nk sheets of paper? Rupert didn''t


    think that Annabel was capable of making such a stupid mistake, so he was eager to hear her


    exnation.


    But Annabel didn''t intend to give any exnation.


    Instead, she said with a straight face, "Let''s not discuss this problem right now."


    Turning to Bernice, Annabel asked, "Is there a backup of the drawings?"


    With a disdainful look, Bernice replied, "Don''t you know that all our jewelry design drawings are hand-


    made? How could they have backups? Don''t you have themon sense to figure this out?"


    Annabel nodded in understanding and asked calmly, "Then how long will it take to redo the drawings?"


    "At least two days," Bernice answered unhesitatingly.


    "What do you mean by that, Annabel?" Nina demanded, ring at her.


    "Are you thinking of postponing the meeting? And then wait two days for the design department to redo


    the drawings? You want Mr.McCoy, who came from afar, to wait for two days just so you can make up


    for your stupid mistake?"


    All rights ? N?velDrama.Org.


    "Who said it would take two days? Just give me an hour," Annabel said calmly.


    "An hour? How can that be possible? Didn''t you hear Bernice say it would take at least two days?"


    Nina asked in a haughty tone.


    The calm and unhurried expression on Annabel''s face really disgusted and irritated her.


    Annabel was in serious trouble, yet she was still so calm.


    Nina just couldn''t stand that confident look on her face! "She needs two days, but it doesn''t mean that I


    need two days too. If she can''t do it, that doesn''t mean I can''t,"


    Annabel pointed out confidently.


    "It will only take me an hour."


    After a brief pause, Annabel turned to Brett and asked, "Mr.McCoy, would you please give us an hour?"


    "No problem at all," Brett agreed without any hesitation.


    He was also curious to see what Annabel would do.


    Even Rupert was curious too.He nced at Annabel and asked coldly, "So, what do you mean?"


    "Of course, I''ll have to draw new designs," Annabel said with a smile.


    Rupert''s eyes widened in surprise So, Annaktel was going to draw the designs by herself? And it would


    only take her an hour to finish them? How could that be possible? "Stop kidding, Annabel!"


    Nina scolded, as if Annabel had just described some sort of fantasy.


    "It''s just impossible!"


    "Then kindly wait and see,"


    Annabel said as she sat down and turned on herptop.


    In full view of everyone, she clicked the drawing software she had designed and opened it.


    Of course, it was impossible to finish the drawings by hand in an hour, but Annabel could do it with this


    software.


    She projected herputer screen to therger monitor, grabbed the mouse, and began to work on


    the designs skillfully and carefully.


    As the mouse moved all over the screen, the beautiful drawings gradually began to materialize.


    The conference room fell silent all of a sudden.


    Everyone stared at the projector in shock and disbelief.


    Eventually, it took only one hour for Annabel to finish the work that even a skilled designer would need


    two days toplete.


    "All done!"


    Annabel announced after applying the final stroke, and breathed a deep sigh of relief.It was all done,


    nicely and perfectly.


    She looked down at her watch.


    There was still five minutes left toplete an hour.


    Staring at the designs on the screen, Rupert was amazed.


    The three design drawings of the ring, ne and bracelet were lifelike and perfect.


    There were several slight differences between the designs drawn by Annabel and the previous ones


    drawn by the design department.


    It was these changes Annabel made that gave the jewelry a unique soul and made people so attracted


    to it.


    Even the chief designer of the jewelry design department couldn''t do this, but Annabel did.


    How many more surprises would Annabel give him? Nina stared wide-eyed at the drawings,


    speechless for what seemed like forever.


    How was it possible? How could Annabel finish all those drawings in less than an hour? Wasn''t she just


    a bumpkin from the countryside? Howe she was able to draw suchplicated designs? 7 Since


    Annabel had seeded with the designs, it meant that her n failed again! Nina felt very bad, but she


    could not show it.


    She could only bite her lip and re at Annabel secretly.


    Facing the still astonished group, Annabel cleared her throat and focused on Brett with a smile.


    "I''m sorry, Mr.McCoy.There was a small ident.But now, I''ve recreated the designs."


    She turned to the projector and began to exin the designs to him.


    "This is our Ice and Fire series.White represents ice, and red represents fire.That''s the theme of this


    issue."


    "Good," Brett nodded, giving Annabel a thumbs up.


    "I like your designs very much, especially the idea of double spinning.It''s very good!"


    The idea of double spinning was created by Annabel herself.She had mentioned it to Bernice earlier,


    but Bernice ignored her and did what she liked.


    As a result, Annabel never had any intention of showing Bernice''s designs to Brett.


    She had already figured that Nina would set a trap for her in the meeting, so she yed along and


    walked into the trap so she could draw her own designs in front of everyone, which she did and ended


    up surprising her audience.


    "Mr.McCoy, is there any problem? Is there anything you think should be modified?" Annabel asked with


    a polite smile.


    Brett shook his head.


    "No, no.Not at all.It''s perfect!"


    "Since you''re satisfied with it, we will put it into production andunch the Ice and Fire series as soon


    as possible.I believe this series will achieve more than the expected results," Annabel said in a


    confident tone.


    "Of course.And I''m looking forward to working with such an excellent person like you again in the


    future."


    Since Brett was satisfied with the designs and had noints whatsoever, there was nothing else to


    be said and done.


    Hence, the meeting was ended.


    Brett was intent on going to the hotel to have some rest, so he left immediately with his assistant.


    Watching him leave, both Nina and Bernice looked sullen and disappointed.


    As the director of the design department, Bernice had led her subordinates to perfect the revised


    drawings in the past few days, but they still turned out to be not as good as those drawn by an outsider.


    She felt so humiliated.


    How could she convince the CEO of her professionalism in the future? Nina, who had undertaken the


    task of stealing the drawings, thought that Annabel would be dismissed by Rupert for dereliction of


    duty.


    But Annabel not only solved the issue but also ended up making herself stand out.


    Even Brett praised her! Eventually, Nina and Bernice both stood up to leave, but Annabel called after


    them in a loud voice, "Wait!"

 Chapter 41

    Chapter 41


    Chapter 41 You Stole The Drawings


    "what''s the matter?"


    Nina and Bernice turned around to look askance at Annabel.


    They were trying their best to avoid showing their dissatisfaction with her.


    "Let''s talk about this now," Annabel said, waving the nk sheets she had found in her folder.


    Seeing the sheets in Annabel''s hand, Nina felt guilty.


    "What do you mean?"


    With the sheets in her hand, Annabel walked up to Rupert and handed them to him.


    "The drawings I kept in the folder turned into nk sheets.Mr.Benton, don''t you think there''s something


    strange going on?"


    Rupert took the nk sheets and put them on the conference table.His slender fingers tapped the table


    impatiently as he stared at the sheets.


    Obviously, someone had stolen the drawings and reced them with these sheets.


    There were not many people who had ess to the drawings, and Annabel had always been cautious


    in her work, so he knew she would not let such important documents be handled by just anyone.


    There were only two possibilities.


    One was that someone had reced the drawings and set Annabel up to make her look like a fool


    during the meeting.


    If this was the case, Rupert wouldn''t let this person go scot-free.


    Another possibility was that Annabel had switched the drawings herself, but why would she do that?


    Clearly, the case was beginning to get more and more interesting.


    Finally, Rupert said, "I''ll ask Finley to find out the truth."


    "Yes, sir," Finley said respectfully.


    Annabel exined, "Before I went to the airport, I checked the file.The drawings were there, intact.After


    I returned from the airport, I brought the file to the conference room.But like we all saw, the drawings


    turned into nk sheets of paper.That means, someone must have reced them while I was at the


    airport."


    "Annabel, you lost the drawings and you''re now trying to frame others.That''s all!" Nina retorted.


    Now that Rupert said he was going to intervene in the investigation, she was highly flustered.She knew


    very well how cruel Rupert could be.


    If he found out that she was the one who had stolen the drawings, the consequences would be dire.


    A shiver ran down Nina''s spine as she thought of what Rupert could possibly do to her.


    "What? You think I lost the drawings?" Annabel sneered.


    "Then why would I rece them with nk sheets? Do you think everyone is as stupid as you?"


    "What do you mean?"


    Nina demanded with a re, pretending to be calm and not bothered.Sheforted herself with the


    belief that what she did had been done secretly, so Annabel would not know anything about it.


    "If you don''t want people to know it, the best way is not to do it," Annabel said.


    Nina''s heart trembled in fear.She stole a quick nce at Rupert, who was silent.


    Seeing his face so expressionless and his eyes so sharp, Nina quickly looked away.


    "I...I don''t know what you''re talking about," Nina stuttered.


    "By the way, I have something else 1 need to do.This meeting is over, Annabel.I don''t have any more


    time to waste talking with you."


    With that, Nina got up to leave.


    "Stop!"


    Annabel shouted, her tone cold and harsh.


    "Nina, why are you in such a hurry? Do you have a guilty conscience?"


    "Guilty conscience? Why would I feel guilty?" Nina scoffed.


    "Because you asked someone to steal the drawings!" Annabel said, hitting the nail on the head.


    Nina''s expression changed a bit, but she said defiantly, "Annabel, don''t cast malicious usations


    against me.Do you know what nder means?"


    "nder?"


    Annabel chuckled.She was not surprised at all.She knew that Nina would not easily admit to it.But even


    if Nina denied it, it was only a waste of time.


    Annabel had already prepared for every scenario and she would expose Nina.


    "I have evidence to prove that you''re the initiator of this evil," Annabel said confidently.


    Rupert suddenly got up.He stood tall and straight, with a cold expression and his lips drawn into a thin


    line.He nced at Annabel and said in an indifferent tone, "Since you said you have evidence, go


    ahead and present it."


    Then he turned to Nina and Bernice, and ordered, "Come back and sit down!"


    Nina had no choice but to go back to the conference table and sit down.She was very nervous.


    Did Annabel really have evidence against her? But that could not be possible! Everything she did was


    secret and wless.


    Annabel could not have found any evidence! "Do you have any evidence to prove that I stole the


    drawings? Annabel, I''m warning you.nder is a very serious offence!"


    Nina took a deep breath.


    "I know you don''t like to obey me, but you can''t frame me!"


    "Funny," Annabel scoffed.


    "Mr.Benton is here.So, why are you anxious? If you didn''t do it, I believe Mr.Benton won''t do anything


    to you.But I''m sure he won''t let anyone get away with hurting thepany¡¯s interests."


    Then she looked at Rupert and asked, "Mr.Benton, am I right?"


    Rupert raised his eyebrows and nodded slightly.


    As far as he could see, it seemed Annabel had some evidence.His fiancee was getting more and more


    interesting.N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content.


    Rupert had asked Finley to investigate the matter, but now, it looked as if it would no longer be


    necessary.He would simply let Annabel handle the matter.


    But there was one strange question nagging at his mind.


    Why did Nina do such a thing? Though Nina was a little arrogant and domineering sometimes, she


    always did her work well.


    Why did she do such a thing that would damage thepany''s interests just to frame Annabel? What


    was more, she was the director of the secretarial department.


    If something bad was attributed to Annabel, Nina would be seen as a poor supervisor and it would do


    her career no good.


    Seeing that Rupert had no objection to her move, Annabel cleared her throat and said, "Let''s get to the


    point.Now that I''ve narrowed down the timeframe when the drawings must have been stolen, I just


    need to check the surveince footage during that timeframe to know who did it."


    But Nina quickly screamed, "But the surveince camera is broken, isn''t it?"


    "Oh, is it? It seems you pay much attention to such trifles," Annabel sneered.


    Truly, the surveince camera set in Annabel''s office happened to be broken the previous day.


    Of course, she knew why the surveince camera was broken.


    Nina didn''t want to leave any evidence that would show how she stole the drawings.


    Realizing that she had made a slip of tongue, Nina quickly tried to exin, "I don''t know anything about


    it. I only heard it from others."


    "But did you also hear that the surveince camera has been repaired?" Annabel asked with a smile.


    She had secretly asked someone to fix the surveince camera, so that Nina would walk into the trap


    unawares.


    "Really?" Nina asked in surprise, her voice trembling slightly.


    She had damaged the camera the previous day.How could it have been repaired so quickly? Rupert


    narrowed his sharp eyes and ordered Finley, "Go and get the surveince footage."

 Chapter 42

    Chapter 42


    Chapter 42 The Truth


    "Yes, sir."


    Finley nodded and left.


    Soon after, he came back with a copy of the surveince footage of the period during which Annabel


    was at the airport.


    "Mr.Benton, I''ve gotten it," Finley said, handing the U disk to Rupert.


    Rupert took it, leaned back on his chair and narrowed his eyes.


    What could be in the surveince footage? After turning it in his hand for a while, he dropped the U disk


    on the table and said indifferently, "y it."


    "Yes, sir," Finley said and quickly went on to turn on theputer and projector.


    Then he inserted the U disk and yed it.


    Nina wiped the cold sweat off her forehead and kept trying tofort herself.


    Even though they had gotten the surveince footage, so what? She didn''t rece the drawings by


    herself.She made the perfect arrangement and Annabel would not be able to link anything to her.


    The surveince footage started with Annabel sorting out her folders.She took out the drawings from a


    folder and carefully checked them.It could be seen clearly that Annabel was holding the drawings, not


    nk sheets of paper.


    After checking them, Annabel put the drawings back into the folder and put the folder in the drawer.


    Then she stood up and left for the airport.


    No one got close to Annabel''s desk until noon, which was time for lunch.


    All the staff in the building went to the cafeteria and there was no one in the offices.


    Just then, a middle-aged woman in a cleaner¡¯s uniform walked into Annabel''s office with her cleaning


    materials in her hands.She tiptoed to Annabel¡¯s desk and looked around to see if there was anyone.


    When she saw that there was no one, she opened the drawer, took out the drawings from the folder


    and put a few nk sheets in it.


    "It seems the cleaner was the one who did it," Nina said, relieved.


    Now that they checked the surveince footage and saw who did it, she would be able to get rid of the


    suspicion on her.


    The cleaner had taken her money.She should be hiding in the countryside now.


    Nina would see how Annabel was going to make a fool of herself.


    "Annabel, you ndered me, iming that I stole the drawings.Now, you''ve checked the surveince


    footage and it turns out that it was not me,"


    Nina pointed out, her pride and arrogance now back in full.


    "You used me in public.Shouldn''t you apologize to me?"


    "Hold on," Annabel said, gesturing for Finley to stop the footage.


    "Yes, we''ve all seen it.It was the cleaner, Talia, who reced the drawings.But why did she do that?


    What good would it be to her?"


    "you can find her and ask her about it," Nina quipped, confident of the fact that Annabel couldn''t find


    Talia.


    With a frown, Rupert promptly gestured for Finley to set out to find Talia.


    Finley quickly made a phone call.


    Then, he told Rupert, "Talia resigned at one o''clock this afternoon."


    At one o''clock? That was after she reced the drawings.


    She resigned as soon as she reced the drawings, which meant that everything was premeditated


    "Investigate it and make sure you find her!"


    This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org.


    Rupert ordered in an icy tone.


    But Annabel smiled and shook her head.


    "Don''t bother.I''ll ask Talia toe here right away.Then the truth will be revealed."


    "What?" Rupert asked in surprise.


    Annabel brought out her phone and dialed a number.


    Then she said into the phone, "Talia, you cane here now.Yes, the conference room on the


    eighteenth floor."


    Nina began to panic.


    How could Annabel rave Talia''s phone number? Why would she call Talia toe here at such a


    moment? Could it be...? No, it was impossible! Perhaps Annabel was just trying to bluff.


    Nina knew she could not afford to panic and lose her cool.


    She just had to try to calm down.


    Ten minutester, the middle-aged woman in a cleaner''s uniform appeared at the door of the


    conference room.It was none other than Talia.


    "Talia, pleasee in." Annabel nodded at her, beckoning for her to step in.


    Talia looked a little nervous, but nevertheless, she walked in.


    The moment Nina saw Talia, her face turned pale.


    Talia had resigned and returned to the countryside.


    So, why was she here now? "Talia, did you steal the drawings in my folder and rece them with nk


    sheets?" Annabel asked calmly.


    Talia nodded and said, "Yes."


    "Why did you do that?" Annabel riessed.


    Talia Icwered her eyes ard murmured, "Someone gave me five hundred thousand and asked me to


    rece the drawings."


    "Who was it? Is that person in this room?" Annabel asked.


    "Yes. It''s her!"


    Talia said, suddenly pointing at Nina.


    "She paid me to do it!"


    "Don''t throw false usations at me.Did Annabel ask you to frame me? I''m sure Annabel bribed you!"


    Nina shouted in panic, trying to me Annabel as much as she could.


    Seeing how anxious Nina was, Annabel smiled.


    Everything went smoothly ording to her n.


    Days ago, when she heard Nina and Heather''s call in the bathroom, she knew that the two of them


    were conspiring against her.


    She asked Anthony to secretly eavesdrop on Nina''s phone and eventually, she learned that Nina''s n


    was to steal the drawings in an attempt to make Rupert expel Annabel from Benton Group for


    dereliction of duty.


    Knowing that Talia''s son was seriously ill and in urgent need of money, Nina nned to hire her to steal


    the drawings.


    Later, Annabel found Talia and also contacted the doctor who had treated her as a child and asked him


    to help treat Talia''s son.


    Soon, the child began to get better and better.


    Talia was very grateful.


    With tears in her eyes, she thanked Annabel profusely and promised to do anything for her.


    Annabel came up with an idea.She asked Talia to ept Nina''s money, promise her that she would


    steal the drawings, and secretly collect evidence during the process.


    This was all she needed to deal with Nina.


    Nina wanted to set her up and force her out of thepany, so she would simply do the same thing


    back to her.


    "Talia, did I tell you to set her up?" Annabel asked casually.


    Talia seemed to find the idea ridiculous and shook her head enthusiastically.


    "No.She instructed me to steal your drawings."


    "Nonsense!" Nina shouted in denial.


    "What did Annabel bribe you with? Why are you using me falsely and shamelessly?"


    "I didn''t use you falsely.This is the recording of the conversation we had when you gave me money


    to rece the drawings."


    As she spoke, Talia took out a recorder pen from her pocket.


    When Rupert saw the pen, a hint of surprise shed across his handsome face.He had seen this


    recording pen in Annabel¡¯s room before.


    Was it Annabel who had given it to Talia? In other words, Annabel had already seen through Nina''s


    scheme.


    Clearly, all of Talia''s actions and how she turned against Nina had been arranged by Annabel.

 Chapter 43

    Chapter 43


    Chapter 43 You Are Fired


    Talia held the recorder pen and pressed the switch.


    Immediately, the conversation between the two began to y.


    "Talia, I''ve transferred 250 thousand dors to your ount.After that, I''ll give you another 250


    thousand.With this money, you can have your son treated.With the rest, you can raise him to be strong,


    healthy andfortable."


    The voice in the recorder was none other than Nina''s.


    Talia¡¯s voice was a little nervous albeit quite excited as she asked, "So much money...What do you


    want me to do?"


    "It''s very simple.You just need to rece some drawings in Annabel''s office," Nina said.


    "But if anyone finds out..."


    Talia murmured in hesitation.


    "Don''t worry.You can go to her office and pretend to be cleaning when no one is around.No one will


    suspect you."


    Then Nina added with a chuckle, "Besides, as a cleaner, you earn 3 thousand a month.How many


    years do you have to work to earn 500 thousand? After this task ispleted, you can resign and go to


    the countryside to hide.You can find another job after this matter is forgotten.Isn''t it a perfect n?"


    Talia seemed convinced and said, "Okay, I agree!"


    Nina was very d to hear this.


    "That''s good! I''ll inform you of exactly what you''re expected to do when it¡¯s time.Remember, only you


    and I know this matter.Don''t let anyone else find out about it!"


    "Don''t worry.I won''t tell anyone," Talia promised.


    Then the recording came to an end.


    Annabel looked at Nina and sneered, "Nina, what else do you want to say now?"


    "No, that''s not me!"


    Nina shouted in denial, her face pale and her forehead dripping with sweat.She would never admit to it.


    "Everyone here has heard it.It''s clearly your voice,"


    Annabel retorted.


    This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org.


    She turned on theputer and opened an email.


    "If you insist that the voice is not yours, I have other evidence."


    She put the email on the projector so that everyone would see the contents clearly.


    "This is the record of Talia¡¯s bank ount.I''ve asked my friend to check it.The sum of money was


    transferred to Talia via a foreign ount, and the ount holder is..."


    Annabel paused and looked straight at Nina.


    "It''s your father, Bernie Jones."


    Nina''s eyes widened in disbelief.


    How could Annabel find out it was her father''s ount? She had been very careful!


    "I have human testimony and material evidence.Nina, do you still think I am falsely using


    you?"Annabel asked.


    "No...It''s impossible,"


    Nina wanted to defend herself, but she couldn''t say a word.


    The truth was clear to everyone.


    No matter what she said, it would be in vain.She was doomed! This time, there was no two ways about


    it.


    "Annabel, it''s you,"


    Nina suddenly croaked, her eyes red.She jumped up and rushed at Annabel.


    "You bitch! It''s all a trap you set!"


    "Trap?"


    Annabel scoffed as she grabbed Nina''s hand before she could p her.


    "If you didn''t try to frame me in the first ce, how would I have gotten any evidence? This is called


    shooting yourself in the foot!"


    "Nina, why did you do this?"


    Rupert, who had been sitting silently all along, suddenly asked.His eyes looked cold and hard, and at


    the sound of his voice, the room became eerily quiet.


    "Mr.Benton, I..."


    Nina stuttered helplessly.


    Rupert''s cold eyes made her shiver involuntarily.


    It was as if she had fallen into an icyke.


    The coldness in Rupert''s eyes was like a sharp knife stabbing into her body.


    Without waiting for a response from her, he dered, "Nina Jones, you''re fired.From this moment on,


    you''re no longer an employee of Benton Group."


    What? Fired? Nina''s face turned pale.


    "No, Mr.Benton.You can''t fire me!"


    Nina shouted as if she''d lost her mind and swiftly pounced on him.


    "Rupert, do you realize I did all this because of you? I love you! Don''t you know that? Since the day I


    came into thispany, I''ve been in love with you!"


    "Fuck off!"


    Rupert growled, pushing her away in disgust, making her lose her bnce and fall on the floor.


    Nina''s forehead hit the corner of the table, causing blood to flow.She raised her eyes and looked at the


    man in front of her that was so indifferent and heartless to her.


    "But you never pay attention to me.No matter how hard I work and how much I''ve done for you, you


    never pay attention to me.I thought you were born to be indifferent to all women.I believed that as long


    as I worked hard, you would see how good I was and fall in love with me one day.But everything


    changed since Annabel came! You only paid attention to her.She''s just a bumpkin from the


    countryside.How could she be your fiancee? How could she get your love? She never deserved it!


    Annabel is a bitch and she doesn''t deserve you!"


    Annabel rolled her eyes.She was just a nominal fiancee.


    The girl Rupert truly loved was Candy.But she didn''t expect that Nina was so much in love with Rupert.


    Unfortunately for her, she had fallen in love with the wrong person and gone about it the wrong way.


    Jealousy had blinded her.


    For the sake of keeping Rupert for herself, she framed Annabel and sacrificed thepany''s interests.


    At the end, she only destroyed her own future.


    "Nina Jones, leave Benton Group within ten minutes.I don''t want to see you ever again!"


    Rupert ordered, looking down at her in disgust.


    "No, Rupert, listen to me.I love you! Please don''t drive me away.Please..."


    But before Nina could say anything more, Finley quickly pulled her on her feet and dragged her to the


    door, "Mr.Benton doesn''t want to see you.You''d better leave right now!"


    Seeing Nina crying as she was sent away, Annabel frowned slightly.She had just given the woman a


    dose of her own medicine.


    If she had been a little careless, she would probably be the one being driven away now.


    "That''s all for today.I don''t want to hear anything like this happening again,"


    Rupert warned, ncing around at everyone present with his sharp eyes.


    None of them dared to look into his angry eyes.


    They all lowered their heads, except for Annabel.


    Rupert walked out of the conference room, but he stopped at the door.He turned around and gave


    Annabel a meaningful look.


    "Annabel,e to my office," he ordered.

 Chapter 44

    Chapter 44


    Chapter 44 Who Exactly Is Annabel


    Annabel followed Rupert back to his office.


    "What''s the matter?" she asked.


    Rupert sat on the sofa and crossed his legs.


    Then he pointed to a spot beside him.


    "Sit down," he ordered.


    Confused, Annabel sat next to him.


    "Rupert, what''s the matter?"


    Rupert opened his thin lips slightly and said in a calm voice, "You were the initiator, weren''t you?"


    The initiator? Was he angry? Was heining about the fact that she had exposed Nina in public?


    Or was he unhappy that he had to fire Nina? Was he ming her for it? Annabel looked warily at him


    and asked, "Rupert, what do you mean?"


    The man turned his expressionless face and looked into her eyes.His eyes were like two whirlpools,


    deep and unfathomable.He nodded slightly and shifted close to her.


    "You already knew that Nina would rece the drawings.And you arranged for Talia to expose her


    crime.Everything was arranged by you, right?"


    Rupert already knew the answer, but he just wanted to hear it from Annabel herself.


    Annabel must have known for long that Nina was going to frame her, so she went ahead and arranged


    to trap her.


    Not only did Nina get exposed but also got fired from Benton Group.


    At the same time, this would be a warning to Bernice, thereby killing two birds with one stone.


    Everything that happened today was under Annabel¡¯s control.Her means was urate, ruthless and


    decisive.He appreciated it so much.It was hard to imagine that a young girl from the countryside would


    be so smart and courageous.


    Again, Rupert shifted even closer to Annabel.


    The distance between the two was virtually non-existent, making Annabel''s face turn red with


    embarrassment.


    Why did he move so close to her? She quickly shifted away from him and said in a serious tone, "No.Of


    course, the initiator was Nina.I didn''t try to set her up; I just defended myself.She wanted to frame


    me.How could I sit still and wait for her to destroy me? If she hadn''t tried to frame me, these things


    wouldn''t have happened.So, I just gave her a dose of her own medicine.I don¡¯t think I did anything


    wrong."


    "Did I say that you did something wrong?"


    Rupert asked with a ghost of a smile on his lips.


    Annabel was shocked.


    Didn''t Rupert bring her here to me her? "You''re free to tell me if such a thing happens again," Rupert


    said and moved closer to Annabel again.


    Leaning sideways, he put his hands on Annabel''s sides.His lips were close to her ear as he said, "I


    won''t sit and watch my fiancee being set up."


    Wrapped in the aura of this strong man, Annabel''s heart began to beat fast.


    "I can handle such a small matter.You don''t need to bother yourself."


    His closeness made her quite ufortable.


    What was wrong with the man? Why did he get so close to her? Wasn''t he afraid that Candy would be


    jealous? "So, who the hell are you?" Rupert asked, his enchanting eyes dark with curiosity.


    "Why do you know jewelry design? If I''m not mistaken, the drawing software you used today was


    designed by Ada.What''s your rtionship with her?" Annabel was stunned.


    What was Rupert suspecting? Was her true identity exposed? Annabel quickly stood up and smiled at


    him.


    "You know who I am.I''m your nominal fiancee.If there is nothing else, I''d like to go back to work."


    With that, Annabel turned around and left.


    Staring at her pretty figure as she walked away, Rupert was full ofplex emotions.


    After thinking for a while, he called Finley and ordered, "Do a background check on Annabel.I want


    every information about her!"


    "Annabel?"


    Finley was a little surprised.


    Wasn''t Annabel the CEO''s fiancee? Why was the CEO investigating his fiancee? It was so strange!


    When he got no response from the surprised and confused Finley, Rupert shouted at him, "Hurry up!"


    "Yes, sir," Finley responded with a start and jumped up to go carry out the errand.


    An hourter, Finley came back with some anxiety.


    "Mr.Benton, I''ve checked it."


    "What''s the result?"


    There was a hint of eagerness in Rupert''s voice.


    Finley handed him the information, saying, "I only found this."


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    Rupert took the document from him and read the few words on it.


    Annabel, 20 years old, lived in the suburb of Georgia.


    Except for this little information, there was even no basic information about her parents or educational


    background.


    "That''s all?" Rupert asked, his eyes narrowed in displeasure.


    "No other information?" Finley scratched ¡®his head in embarrassment and shifted from one foot to the


    other.


    "I''m sorry, sir.I can''t find anything else."


    "Fine.You can leave now," Rupert said dismissively.


    When Finley was gone, Rupert sat back and fell into deep thought.


    If Finley of all people couldn''t find any serious information about her, then it was clear that his fiancee


    was not an ordinary individual.


    The only option he had left was to ask his grandfather about it.


    Since Annabel was arranged for him Bruce, he would probably know her very well.


    Rupert walked out to his car and drove all the way to Bruce''s house.


    When he got there, he saw Bruce watering the flowers in the garden.


    "Rupert, aren''t you supposed to be at thepany by this time? Howe you have time to visit me?"


    Bruce asked, quite surprised to see his grandson all of a sudden.


    "Grandpa, I''m here to visit you.How are you feeling?" Rupert asked, taking the kettle from the old man''s


    hand and helping him water the flowers.


    "I''m fine," Bruce said, looking at his grandson, who was absent- minded.


    "Tell me, what do you want from me?" He knew his grandson very well.


    Rupert was a workaholic.


    If it wasn''t something very important, he wouldn''t havee during working hours.


    "Grandpa, can you tell me who Annabel really is?" Rupert asked without preamble.


    Bruce tilted his head and looked at Rupert.So, his grandson left his work only to ask about Annabel? It


    seemed the young man was interested in her.


    "What? You finally found out how good she is?" Bruce asked with a smile.


    "I''m just curious." Rupert shrugged.


    "She''s very different from what I thought."


    "You have to find it out by yourself.I can only tell you that though I''m old, I''m still in full possession of all


    my faculties and I would never choose the wrong girl as my granddaughter-inw," Bruce said, stroking


    his beard proudly.


    "All right."


    Seeing that his grandfather would not tell him what he wanted to know, Rupert didn''t bother to ask


    anymore.He said goodbye and left.


    As he walked out of the house, Rupert was upset.


    If there was no Candy, he might ept Annabel.


    After all, a beautiful, smart, confident, capable and bold girl like Annabel was very attractive to any


    sane man.


    But his heart was filled with Candy.


    He had promised to marry Candy; he would not marry anyone else.

 Chapter 45

    Chapter 45


    Chapter 45 Annabel, Go To Die


    Rupert didn''t want to admit that he was attracted to Annabel.


    Her voice, face, smile and every move appeared in Rupert''s mind and lingered for a long time.It was


    already off duty time when Rupert returned from Bruce''s house.He called home, but Tracy told him that


    Annabel hadn''te home yet.


    Rupert drove straight to Benton Group.It was already dark.


    The staff in the office were leaving work one after the other, but Annabel was still buried in her


    work.She didn''t seem to know it, but she was the only one left in the office.


    While she was staring at theputer screen and working on the report, a shadow was suddenly cast


    over her.


    "Who''s that?" Annabel asked, looking up immediately.She saw Rupert looking back at her.


    He was wearing a white shirt, and the sleeves were rolled up.The light shone on him, as if he was


    coated with ayer of gold, which made him look extraordinary and noble.


    "Rupert, why are you here?" Annabel asked in surprise.


    Rupert smiled and said in a serious tone, "I''m here to see how the Ice and Fire series is progressing."


    Annabel was puzzled.


    Though the Lady Fashion project was a key project of the design department, the main business of


    Benton Group was not jewelry making.


    There were many more important projects than the Lady Fashion project.


    No matter how important the project was, the progress was usually reported to Rupert by the


    employees.


    It waste, but Rupert was here to see how it was going.


    Why would hee and supervise such a small project? Annabel felt there was something he was not


    telling her.


    But since Rupert only said he hade to see how the project was going, Annabel had to answer


    honestly, "Everything is going well.I''m checking the financial statements concerning the production of


    the series."


    "Really? Let me have a look," Rupert said calmly.


    "Okay."


    Annabel shrugged, pointing at theputer screen.


    "This is the report from the production department.I haven''t finished reading it yet."


    "Okay," Rupert nodded.


    He turned around and stood behind her.He bent down, with one hand on the table and the other hand


    pointing to the screen.


    "Look, you can write more details here."


    The way he positioned himself, it looked as if he was holding Annabel in his arms.


    The two of them were so close that Annabel could even perceive the faint smell of tobo from


    him.Her heart began to beat faster and faster.


    "Then I''ll ask the production department to do it tomorrow," Annabel turned to him and said stiffly.


    But she did not expect to find that he was staring straight at her.


    Caught off guard, Annabel blushed and quickly said, "If there¡¯s no other problem, I''d like to go on with


    my task."


    "It''ste now.You can continue tomorrow.I''ll drive you home," Rupert offered.


    He looked at his watch; it was already ten o''clock in the evening.


    Annabel refused.


    "I don''t like to postpone things till the next day."


    "Okay,"Rupert nodded, showing no intention of leaving.


    "Are you going to supervise me here?" Annabel asked when she saw that he was still in the same old


    position.


    Seeing the embarrassed look on her face, Rupert looked at her with raised eyebrows.


    "If there''s a problem, I can point it out in time," he said in a businesslike tone.


    Annabel was far from pleased with this.


    How could she work when he was so close to her? She quickly turned off theputer and said,


    "Forget it.I''ll finish it tomorrow."


    Rupert straightened up and looked at her with a faint smile.


    "Didn''t you say that you didn''t like to postpone a day''s work?"


    "I''m tired," Annabel replied, quickly picking up her handbag and walking over to the door.


    Rupert chuckled and walked after her.


    "I''ll go back with you."


    Annabel didn''t know what to say, so she just stayed quiet.


    They both rode the elevator and soon ended up at the underground garage.


    But before Rupert could open the car door, a figure rushed up to him and grabbed his arm.


    "Rupert, I''ve been waiting for you!"


    Annabel took a closer look and saw that it was Nina.


    Rupert pulled his arm out of her grasp in disgust.


    "Nina, why are you still here? I said I didn''t want to see you again! Get out of here!"


    "Rupert, please don''t fire me,"


    Nina begged in tears, her eyes already red and puffy from so much crying.


    "I can even work as a cleaner as long as you don¡¯t fire me.Please, just let me stay in Benton Group, so


    I can be close to..."


    Before Nina could finish her statement, Rupert cut her off harshly.


    "I asked you to get out.Don''t you understand that? Benton Group will never ept people like you who


    work against the interests of thepany for your own selfish reasons."


    "Rupert, I''m sorry.I know I was wrong!"


    Nina wailed, crying and begging profusely.


    Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org.


    "I know I was wrong, but what I did, I did it because I love you so much.Rupert, I''m begging you, don''t


    fire me.You don''t know how much I love you.As long as I can stay with you, 1 will do anything you ask


    me to do."


    Rupert frowned, his handsome face filled with disgust and contempt.


    What sort of problematic woman was this? But before he could call Finley and ask him to get the


    security to take Nina away, Annabel stepped forward and sneered.


    "Rupert doesn''t want to see you again.Why are you being so obstinate?"


    "Annabel, what are you doing here?" Nina asked, her eyes filled with jealousy and resentment.


    She had not noticed that Annabel was standing beside Rupert until now.


    "Is there any problem with me being with my fiance?" Annabel scoffed, holding Rupert''s arm to prove


    her point.


    With a smile, Rupert stretched out his other hand and took Annabel''s other hand.


    Annabel felt the warmth of his touch and she couldn''t help but blush.


    As far as she was concerned, all of this was just an act to drive Nina away.


    So why was Rupert holding her hand? Looking at the scene ying out in front of her, Nina became


    filled with extreme hatred.


    "Annabel, it''s you.You took Rupert away from me! If it weren''t for you, Rupert wouldn''t have fired


    me.Without you, he would have fallen in love with me!"


    "Nina, quit dreaming.Rupert would never fall in love with you."


    Annabel found the assertion very funny and childish.


    What the hell was wrong with Nina? 2 Meanwhile, Nina was still fuming at the sight of Rupert''s


    tenderness for ¡®Annabel, which was in sharp contrast to hisck of feeling for her.


    This only gave rise to sadness, desperation, jealousy, and hate in her heart.


    ring fiercely at Annabel, Nina suddenly pulled out a knife from her pocket and stabbed at her with all


    her strength.Her face twisted and she shouted, "Annabel, go to die!"

 Chapter 46

    Chapter 46


    Chapter 46 Rupert Was Injured


    It happened so fast.None of them had expected Nina to have a knife.


    The razor-sharp de of the knife was stabbed straight at Annabel with heavy force.


    Annabel was shocked, but she recovered quickly enough to raise her foot with the intention of kicking


    the knife, but Rupert stood in front of her.


    "Step back!"


    Rupert cautioned, holding Annabel with one hand and grabbing Nina''s knife arm with the other.It never


    urred to Annabel that Rupert would risk his life to protect her.She had already released her foot by


    the time he stood in front of her, so she ended up kicking him without meaning to.


    This caused Rupert to shift by instinct, making him miss catching Nina''s hand.


    As a result, the sharp de grazed the back of his hand.


    "Shit!"


    Rupert cursed beneath his breath as both the knife and Annabel''s kick hit at once. He had not nned


    for Annabel''s sudden kick.It took himpletely unawares.


    "Rupert, are you okay?" Annabel asked with concern when she saw a sh of pain on Rupert''s


    face.She had nned to kick Nina with all her strength, not him.


    When he protected her by standing in front of her, it was toote for her to withdraw her leg.And in


    addition, the cut on the back of his hand was already causing blood to flow.


    "I''m fine," Rupert answered, his face dark with displeasure.He pressed the wound with his left hand to


    stop the blood flow, but it seemed he was still feeling the pain from Annabel''s kick.


    "Rupert, I''m sorry.I didn¡¯t mean to hurt you," Nina apologized. She was just as shocked as the two of


    them.


    How could she stab Rupert of all people? She was only trying to stab Annabel.Why did Rupert risk his


    life to protect Annabel? As far as she was concerned, it was all because of the bitch, Annabel.If it


    weren''t for her, Rupert would not have been hurt.


    "Annabel, you bitch! You let Rupert get hurt!"


    As Nina kept railing and cursing, a security guard who heard the noise arrived at the scene.


    "Mr.Benton, are you okay?" he asked in concern.


    "She stabbed him.Hold her," Annabel said, pointing at Nina.


    "I didn''t!"


    Nina screamed and ran away, but the security guard went after her.


    Annabel didn''t bother to pay any more attention to Nina and the guard.She turned to Rupert to check


    his wound.


    "It was a knife cut.You need to disinfect it and stop the bleeding as soon as possible," she pointed out.


    "There is a medical kit in the trunk of my car," Rupert said, pointing at his vehicle which was just


    nearby.


    "Let me help you to the car," Annabel offered.


    Looking at his legs, she couldn''t help but felt guilty.Rupert wouldn''t have been hurt if he hadn''t tried to


    save her.But she did not need his help.


    After helping him sit in the car, Annabel went to the trunk to get the kit.


    Annabel took out alcohol and cotton swabs from the box and carefully cleaned Rupert''s wound.He felt


    a sense of coolness from her touch.


    Staring at the woman in front of him, Rupert didn¡¯t seem to feel any more pain.And she was so skilled


    at bandaging.


    Where did she learn this? Did she also have medical knowledge? How many more surprises did


    Annabel have in store for him? After cleaning it, she gently blew on the wound with her mouth.


    "It may hurt.Please bear it," she warned.


    Then she applied some iodine on it.


    Rupert instantly felt the biting sensation, but he didn''t flinch.He hardly noticed the biting sensation


    because his entire focus was on Annabel.He felt as if the softest part of his heart was being caressed


    by a feather.


    An indescribable emotion was growing in his heart.And he couldn''t help reaching out his hand to take


    hers.But Annabel thought he was being impatient, so she held his hand down and said, "Don''t move.It''ll


    be fine soon."


    Feeling the warmth from her palm, Rupert became softer than ever, and he said in a low voice, "Thank


    you, Anna."


    Anna? Surprised, Annabel raised her head to look at him.It was the first time that Rupert had called her


    Anna.Thought it was just an ordinary pet name, it sounded so different.


    "Anna, haven''t we met before?" Rupert asked with a smile and moved closer to her.


    This girl in front of him was so kind.


    For some reason, he always felt that she was like Candy, the girl in his memory.


    By now, the two of them were so close that his lips could touch her forehead if he were to move forward


    just a bit.


    When he called her ¡®Anna, it sounded like he was calling out to his beloved.


    Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org.


    Annabel was confused and looked at Rupert.


    Why did he always ask her strange questions? How could they have met each other before?


    Regardless, Annabel rubbed her temples and tried to recall the past.She had no known memory of


    someone like Rupert.


    The first time she saw him was less than a month ago.


    They met at his house.


    Annabel was sure that before then, there was no prior meeting between them.


    "No." Annabel shook her head in denial.


    "I lived in the countryside before.How could we have met?"


    "I see."


    Rupert nodded thoughtfully, a dash of disappointment shing through his eyes.


    "Well, don''t think too much.I haven''t finished bandaging your wound yet."


    Annabel lowered her head and continued to bandage his wound.


    Few minutester, the bandage was finally done and Annabel breathed a sigh of relief.


    Though the wound on Rupert''s hand bled, it was just a rtively slight cut.He needed to go to the


    hospital to have it disinfected and bandaged.He would be fine after taking some anti-inmmatory


    drugs.But the effect of her kick on his leg seemed to be more serious.


    As she packed up the medicine box, Annabel said, "I just gave you the simplest first-aid treatment.You


    have to go to the hospital to get properly examined.I''ll take you there."


    "Can you drive?" Rupert asked.


    "Yes," Annabel nodded.


    upying the driver''s seat, Annabel skillfully stepped on the elerator and drove straight for the


    hospital.


    Sitting beside her in the front passenger seat, Rupert rubbed the spot where she kicked him.


    "Why did you kick me? Did you want to murder your fiance?"


    "It wasn''t deliberate,"Annabel said with a frown.


    "I was going to kick Nina.I didn''t know you would suddenlye between us.If it weren''t for you, 1


    would have subdued her."


    "Really?" Rupert asked, his eyebrows raised in surprise.He didn''t even see the kicking.


    And it was hard and urate, unlike what an ordinary girl could do.Was Annabel good at fighting?

 Chapter 47

    Chapter 47


    Chapter 47 Was Candy Gone


    Realizing that her tongue slipped, Annabel cleared her throat and exined, "I took up Taekwondo in


    school."


    Taekwondo? Rupert chuckled and said nothing more.


    Soon, they arrived at the hospital, where a doctor gave Rupert a thorough examination.


    Just as Annabel expected, the cut on Rupert¡¯s hand wasn''t serious.


    As for his leg, he suffered severe bruising, but no bones were broken.He would be fine after resting for


    a few days.


    Annabel heaved a sigh of relief.


    "You''re going to be okay."


    Rupert looked at her and asked, "Why? Do you care about me?"


    "what''s wrong with caring about you? After all, you got hurt trying to save me."


    Annabel pursed her lips.She was grateful to him although his help was unnecessary.


    "Apply this ointment three times a day.And take these pills, one in the morning and one in the evening."


    The doctor gave Rupert a detailed prescription.


    "Thanks."


    Annabel carefully took note.It was already early morning by the time they came out of the hospital.


    As soon as they got in the car, Rupert suddenly said, "Go to Water Moon Community."


    "Huh? Aren''t we going home?" Annabel asked in confusion.


    "It''s sote,"Rupert said, smiling faintly.


    The truth was that he didn''t want his mother to find out that he was injured, let alone that he got injured


    saving Annabel.


    On the one hand, he didn''t want Erica to take out her anger on Annabel.


    On the other hand, whenever Annabel was in the Benton family''s home, she''d hide in the guest room.


    Rupert never got to spend time with her alone.


    And now, he suddenly wanted to be alone with her.


    Maybe his grandfather was right; he should try to get to know her.


    The streets at night were very quiet.


    Outside the car, colorful neon city lights illuminated Annabel''s pretty face through the window, making


    her look almost magical.


    With his eyes half-closed, Rupert leaned back in his seat and watched her.He never took his eyes off


    the girl as she focused on driving.


    Suddenly, the silence was broken by Rupert.


    "Annabel, Nina was fired.What do you think about that?"


    "Huh?"


    Annabel was a little confused at first.


    After it sank in, she shrugged and said, "She deserved it.She tried to hurt you.You would''ve been an


    idiot if you forgave her."


    What Annabel said was totally different from what Rupert wanted to hear.He sat up and looked at her,


    saying slowly, "I mean, I''m going to promote you.You''ll be the next director of the secretary


    department."


    Although Annabel had only been in thepany for a few weeks, he knew that she could take the


    responsibility.


    Rupert wanted to give Annabel a chance.


    Unexpectedly, Annabel shook her head resolutely.


    "No, thanks." Rupert was stunned.


    "Why not?"


    It was known to all that everyone wanted the position of director in Benton Group.


    But Annabel refused his offer without so much as batting an eysh.


    Annabel pursed her lips disapprovingly.


    "I''m doing it for your sake.I''ll be breaking off the engagement to you in two months, then I''ll leave and


    you''ll have to select a new director.You have to think about the future."


    "Where are you going?" Rupert''s expression darkened.


    "Anywhere but here.I don''t want to stay in your home," Annabel answered casually.


    By then, the world would be her oyster.Scowling, Rupert didn''t say anything more on the subject.He felt


    very unhappy, and it showed.


    Did he have no position in her heart at all? ? Half an hourter, they reached Water Moon Community.


    It was a luxury residential area located in the center of Douburgh.It was owned by Benton Group, and it


    just so happened to be very close to the Benton Group building.


    Whenever Rupert workedte, he woulde here to rest.


    "Here we are," Annabel announced.


    However, Rupert didn''t reply.


    Annabel turned to look at Rupert, only to find that thetter had fallen asleep.


    She tapped his shoulder and said loudly, "Rupert, we''re here.Time to wake up."


    Rupert frowned deeply in his sleep.In his dream, he seemed to have returned to that small, dark room


    again.


    Several gangsters had beaten him to a pulp.He was exhausted and felt that he could no longer hold on.


    Candy shook his hand and said anxiously, "Wake up! They''re gone! Let''s get out of here while we still


    can!"


    Half-asleep and groggy, Rupert heard the anxious voice once more.


    "Rupert, wake up!"


    Candy...


    Candy was calling him! The next moment, he grabbed Candy''s hand and the two ran wildly into the


    woods.


    "Hurry up! They''re right behind us!"


    Soon, they encountered a cliff.


    In the distance, they could hear the shouts of the gangsters chasing after them.


    "I.can''t run anymore..." Candy said.


    Rupert could do nothing but watch as Candy fell into the abyss.


    "Candy, no!"


    All of a sudden, Rupert grabbed Annabel''s hand.


    "Candy, don''t leave me!"


    "Rupert? What''s going on with you?"


    Stunned, Annabel looked at Rupert, wide-eyed.


    What on earth was wrong with him? It seemed Candy left him.


    All rights ? N?velDrama.Org.


    But why? Did she not like Rupert? Did she reject him? Such a thing seemed impossible.


    With Rupert''s handsome face and high status, he made for the perfect husband.


    It was impossible for a girl to turn a blind eye to his charm.


    But judging from the way Rupert cried out just now, he seemed to love this Candy deeply.


    So why? Why would Candy leave him? Was Candy gone? That was probably why Rupert was so


    obsessed with her.


    The more Annabel thought about it, the more she believed in her theory, so she didn''t ask him any


    questions.


    Cold sweat trickled down his forehead.


    Rupert reached up to wipe it off.


    The next second, he regained his cold and alienating look and said, "Nothing.Just a bad dream."


    "Anyway, we''re here already."


    As she spoke, Annabel opened the door for him.


    Rupert pointed at his injured leg and smiled meaningfully.


    "You have to help me."


    Annabel looked at him indignantly.


    "You''re the one who kicked me, remember?" Rupert said matter-of -factly.


    "Fine."


    Annabel gritted her teeth and begrudgingly helped him out of the car.


    With Rupert''s arm around her shoulder, Annabel helped him walk to the elevator.


    The two were so close to each other that Annabel could feel Rupert''s hot breath on her neck.


    And the man was heavy.


    Soon, she was out of breath.


    When they finally arrived at the door to his apartment, she found that it was locked.


    Raising her head to look at Rupert, Annabel asked breathlessly, "Where''s the key?"


    "In my pocket."


    "Okay.Give it to me."


    Annabel was tired of supporting him, and it wasn''t like she was going to reach into his pocket to get the


    key for him.


    Rupert held up his injured right hand and nced at Annabel with a faint smile.


    "I got injured saving you.You''ll have to get the key from my pocket."


    Jesus Christ! Was he making things hard for her on purpose?

 Chapter 48

    Chapter 48


    Chapter 48 Feed Me


    Gritting her teeth, Annabel did her best to support Rupert with one hand while the other reached into


    his pocket.


    Annabel''s hand rummaged through the pocket.


    Soon, her fingers brushed against something.


    Rupert stiffened.


    "What''re you looking for? The key or something else?"


    "Sorry!"


    When Annabel realized what she had touched just now, her face turned as red as a tomato.She


    apologized in a hurry and started searching for the key in the opposite direction.


    What was going on today? Was the universe determined to give her a hard time? Even the key decided


    to hide from her! She reached into the deepest part of the pocket, but she still couldn''t find the damn


    key.


    Annabel fumbled in Rupert''s pocket anxiously, but to no avail.


    Through the cloth, Rupert could feel Annabel''s hand brushing against his thigh.Her touch sent waves of


    electricity through him, which felt both excruciating and intoxicating.


    "Rupert, where''s your key? There''s no key here!"


    After a while, Annabel was so tired that she broke into a sweat.Still, Rupert was leaning on her.He


    unhurriedly patted his pocket with his uninjured hand and frowned.It seemed that the key wasn¡¯t there.


    After a while, his expression darkened.


    "I just remembered, it''s in the other pocket."


    "What the¡ª" Annabel cursed.


    Rupert shrugged and just pointed to the pocket on his right.


    Annabel was so exasperated.This scheming man must have done it on purpose! She just kicked him!


    How could he be so mean? Besides, she didn''t mean to hurt him! He was the one who jumped in front


    of her to block the knife.


    Annabel grumbled to herself as she fumbled to unlock the door.


    Finally, the door opened, and she used thest of her strength to drag Rupert to the couch.


    "Stay there first."


    Just as she was about to stand up, her legs buckled from underneath her.


    "Ah!"


    With a scream, Annabel fell into Rupert''s arms.


    "Can''t you wait before you start throwing yourself at me? We just got here."


    Rupert teased her.


    Annabel''s ears immediately turned red.She red at him and spat, "It''s all because you practically


    made me carry you all the way here!"


    Rupert unhurriedly leaned back on the sofa and shrugged.


    "You kicked me."


    Annabel was speechless.She never meant to kick him! "Time for your medicine."


    At a loss, Annabel decided to change the topic.She stood up and fetched the medicine the doctor had


    prescribed and put it in front of Rupert.


    "One pill a night..."


    Before she could finish her sentence, her stomach began to growl.


    Rupert chuckled.


    "Hungry?"


    Annabel was a little embarrassed.She had been busy all day and forgot to eat dinner.


    Indeed, she was famished.


    "I''m hungry, too.Let''s order some takeout."


    As Rupert spoke, he took out his phone.


    "What do you want to eat?"


    "Is there anything in the fridge? I can cook.My cooking is not that bad."


    Truth be told, Annabel didn''t like takeout.She always felt that it was too unhealthy.


    "You can cook?"


    Rupert''s eyebrows shot up in surprise.


    Annabel smiled.


    "Of course.But I seldom cook.You''re so lucky today.Consider it a reward for saving my life."


    "One usually has to marry the other person for saving their life." Rupert suddenly sat up straight.


    His usually indifferent eyes shed meaningfully as he stared at the woman in front of him.


    Marry? Annabel rolled her eyes at him, stood up, and went to the kitchen.


    Rupert hired a housekeeper for this apartment.


    Sometimes, he would ask her to prepare dinner for him, so the housekeeper made it a habit to keep


    the fridge fully stocked in case of need.


    Annabel opened the fridge and found that it had a lot of fruits, vegetables, and frozen goods.It was very


    late now, so she decided to cook something simple.


    Spaghetti sounded perfect.She chose the ingredients one by one, washed them, and began to cook.


    After taking his medicine, Rupert craned his neck to look inside the kitchen.


    From his angle, he could only see Annabel''s back.She had put on an apron and was busy in the


    kitchen, like a good wife who was preparing dinner for her husband.


    Rupert''s expression softened.He couldn''t help but stand up and walk to the kitchen.


    Bruce''s words suddenly echoed in his mind.


    "Anna''s a good girl.As long as you spend more time with her, you''ll see that for yourself.Rupert, you


    won''t want to miss her."


    Maybe he should try to get to know Annabel more.


    Just as Annabel was about to put all the ingredients into the pot, Rupert''s maic voice interrupted


    her.


    "Do you need help?"


    When Annabel turned around, she saw Rupert leaning against the door frame with his hands in his


    trouser pockets.


    His handsome face looked unusually gentle at the moment, there was a faint smile tugging at the


    corner of his sexy lips, and his charming eyes were staring right at her.His eyes were like two


    whirlpools, drowning anyone who dared to look straight into them.


    Being stared at by Rupert like this, Annabel suddenly felt a little shy.She quickly averted her gaze and


    looked at his leg.


    Frowning, she asked, "I thought you couldn''t walk?"


    Rupert said, "You''re right.I need you to help me to the dining room."


    "Go by yourself.Can''t you see I''m busy?"


    Annabel pushed him out of the kitchen and mmed the door behind her.


    Despite being kicked out, Rupert couldn''t help but smile.


    By the time Annabel was done cooking, Rupert was already waiting for her at the table.


    "Here you go."


    Annabel put a te of spaghetti in front of Rupert.


    "It''ste, and ] know you''re hungry, so I just cooked some spaghetti."


    Rupert looked down at the food in front of him.His eyes widened.


    The spaghetti glistened invitingly.


    The food both looked good and smelled good.He raised his head to look at the woman who prepared


    the food, but she was already busy wolfing down her spaghetti.


    Seeing this, he chuckled to himself softly.His fiancee was something else.


    Other women like Heather and Nina always pretended to have a small appetite in front of him.


    But he wasn''t interested in women like them at all.


    Annabel, on the other hand, didn''t give a damn and ate her food as though she was the only person in


    the room.


    After slurping thest of her spaghetti, Annabel raised her head, only to find Rupert staring straight at


    her.


    More importantly, the spaghetti in front of him looked untouched.


    "Why aren''t you eating?" Annabel asked with a frown.


    "Don''t you like it?"


    Without saying a word, Rupert lifted his injured hand meaningfully.


    "You can just use your other hand!"


    Annabel was shocked by his brazenness.


    Rupert pursed his lips.


    Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org.


    "But it''s my left hand.I''m not used to eating with my left hand."


    "So you''re saying you don¡¯t want to eat?"


    "I''m not."


    Rupert stopped Annabel from taking his spaghetti away.


    "Feed me."

 Chapter 49

    Chapter 49


    Chapter 49 Should I Help You Take Your Shower


    Annabel was rendered speechless.


    "Didn''t you say that you would repay me for saving your life?" Rupert asked, his expression cold and


    serious.


    It was just a joke, but that did not ur to Annabel since his expression was so serious.


    Taking a look at Rupert''s wound, she said helplessly, "Okay."


    After all, Rupert had stopped the knife from getting to her.


    Seeing how unwilling she seemed, Rupert couldn''t help but feel disappointed.He took the cutlery from


    Annabel and said with a smile, "I''m just kidding.I can do it myself."


    Annabel breathed a sigh of relief.


    But then, when did Rupert start joking? He was always cold and serious.


    Meanwhile, Rupert was not used to eating with his left hand, so it took some time and effort for him to


    finish his meal.


    When he was done, he wiped the corner of his mouth with a napkin.


    "It tastes good," he praised.


    "I''m d you like it," Annabel said and stood up to clean the table.


    "Put it aside.Someone will clean it up tomorrow,"


    Rupert said with a sigh and started rubbing his temples.


    "I''m so tired."


    "Let me help you to your room so you can have some rest,"


    Annabel offered.She also felt tired and wanted to go to bed early.


    After all, she had a lot of work to do the next day, so she needed to wake up early and refreshed.


    "Okay," Rupert agreed.


    It took Annabel some serious effort to help get Rupert to his room.She was going to help him sit on the


    bed when he suddenly stopped.


    "I want to take a shower first," he told her.


    With her eyshes trembling, Annabel blurted, "Do you also want me to help you shower?"


    Seeing her on the alert, Rupert loosened his tie with his left hand and a yful smile slowly appeared


    on his face.


    "Run me a bath."


    Annabel breathed in relief and went to go fill the bathtub with water.She made sure the temperature


    was right for Rupert beforeing back to tell him that it was ready.


    Annabel sat and listened to the sound of running watering from the bathroom.She wanted to wait


    for Rupert to finish his shower so she could find out which room she would sleep in.But she was so


    tired that she soon fell asleep right there on the sofa.


    After his shower, Rupert came out of the bathroom and saw that Annabel was sleeping on the sofa.Her


    steady breathing echoed peacefully in the quiet room.


    Rupert used the opportunity to run his eyes all over her.Her skin was smooth and delicate, and her


    eyes looked an image of perfection.


    The light from the chandelier shone on her long eyshes, casting shadows on her cheeks.


    With a gentle smile, Rupert bent over and lifted her up.


    Carefully, heid her on the bed and tucked her in.


    Then hey down right beside her.


    "Teddy, let me hug you,"


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    Annabel murmured in her sleep, hugging Rupert and thinking that she was holding a teddy bear.


    Rupert''s body stiffened.


    This feeling was so familiar! He stretched out his hand and caressed Annabel''s hair.


    "Candy, is it really not you?"


    The next day, the bright rays of the sun shone through the curtains andnded on the bed.


    Annabel opened her eyes and sat up in a daze.


    The first thing she saw was a luxurious crystalmp.


    Where on earth was she? She looked around and quickly discovered that she was in Rupert''s bed.


    What happened? Annabel rubbed her temples and gradually began to recall what happened the


    previous night.She remembered Rupert came between her and the knife.She also remembered she


    sent him back home, they had dinner and he went to take a shower.


    And then? What happened? Why couldn''t she remember anything? Why the hell was she in Rupert''s


    bed? It was just the two of them in the apartment.She knew she had not gone to his bed by herself.


    Did Rupert put her in his bed? Annabel looked down and checked her clothes.


    Fortunately, she was fully dressed.


    Just then, Rupert pushed open the door and walked in.


    Seeing Annabel awake and sitting on the bed, he said with a faint smile, "You''re awake."


    "Why am I here?"


    Annabel demanded, ignoring his question.


    Rupert looked at her and shrugged.


    "It''s easy to catch cold sleeping alone on the sofa."


    So...


    Rupert put her in his bed.


    Annabel became a little embarrassed.


    "There is breakfast in the dining room.You can go and have it.I''m working from home today and I''ve


    granted you leave.If you need anything,e to my study," Rupert said and went to his study.


    Annabel looked up at the time.It was almost ten o''clock.


    Luckily, Rupert had granted her leave.She decided to go to work after breakfast.


    Annabel got off the bed and made her way to the dining room.To her surprise, she found quite a rich


    breakfast on the dining table.So, she sat down and began to eat happily.


    Just then, the doorbell rang.


    Annabel frowned and wondered who woulde at this time.


    When she got up and went to open the door, she saw a tall and beautiful young girl.It was Cathy.


    Cathy was wearing a white dress and holding a mug with a bright smile.But at the sight of Annabel, the


    smile vanished from her face.


    "Annabel, why are you here?" she asked in displeasure.


    "What do you mean? Can''t I stay at my fiance''s ce?" Annabel retorted.


    "And you, why did youe here so early in the morning?"


    "Where is my cousin?" Cathy asked, looking around the living room.


    The previous night, Rupert had called home and told them that he would rest at Water Moon


    Community.


    Hearing this, Cathy felt very disappointed.


    It meant she wouldn''t be able to see him.


    When morning came, she asked Tracy about it and she found that even Annabel didn''te back the


    previous night either.


    Cathy became rmed.She cooked breakfast early in the morning and went off to Benton Group,


    intending to use bringing Rupert breakfast as an excuse to see him.But Finley informed her that Rupert


    had asked for a leave.


    To her surprise, Annabel didn''te to work either.


    Cathy immediately rushed over to Water Moon Community, and as she feared, she saw Annabel.


    This meant that, throughout the night, Annabel had stayed with Rupert.


    Ignoring Cathy, Annabel returned to the dining room and continued with her breakfast elegantly.


    Cathy decided to let herself in and walked towards the dining room on her high-heels.


    There was breakfast on the table.


    At a single nce, Cathy could see that it was cooked by Rupert himself.


    In the past, only when Bruce was sick would Rupert cook breakfast just to cheer him up.


    But now, he was cooking breakfast for Annabel! 2 Cathy became very jealous.


    Seeing that Annabel was still ignoring her, she raised her voice and said, "Annabel, I''m asking


    you.Where is my cousin?"


    Annabel didn''t say anything until after finishing her breakfast.


    Then she wiped her mouth and stood up.


    "Excuse me, please," she said, asking Cathy to get out of her way.


    "Annabel, who do you think you are?"


    Cathy fumed, refusing to let Annabel pass.


    Jealousy and contempt were obvious in her eyes as she shouted, "You''re just a bumpkin from the


    countryside.You don''t deserve my cousin at all!"


    Recalling the time she caught Cathy kissing Rupert while he slept, Annabel asked sarcastically, "If I


    don''t deserve him, then who does? You?"


    "Annabel, don''t talk nonsense!" Cathy shouted.


    Just then, out of the corner of her eye, she saw a tall figure walking toward the dining room.


    Suddenly, she screamed and fell to the floor.


    "Annabel, why did you push me?"

 Chapter 50

    Chapter 50


    Chapter 50 Rupert Trusted Annabel


    The mug in Cathy''s hand fell to the floor, and the breakfast she brought was overturned and scattered


    all over the floor.


    Annabel was puzzled.


    When did she push Cathy? Rather, it was Cathy herself who fell on her own.


    "What''s the matter?" Rupert asked when he heard the noise.


    As he came up to the dining room, Cathy quickly put up an act for his benefit.Her face turned pale and


    tears streamed down her cheeks.


    "Rupert, Annabel pushed me so hard!"


    It was clearly a deliberate effort to make Annabel look bad.


    "When did I push you?"


    Annabel sneered.


    Still looking at Rupert with her pitiful eyes, Cathy tried desperately to y the victim.


    "Please don''t me her.You know, your mom asked me to move Annabel''s things to the guest room


    back then.It''s only natural for her to still be angry with me."


    Cathy changed her strategy.She suddenly became the understanding victim! Annabel felt sick to her


    stomach as she watched Cathy spew all these lies against her.


    With a smile, she said sarcastically, "Save it.Rupert won''t believe what you said."


    Cathy tried her best to maintain her pitiful expression even though she was mad at Annabel deep in her


    heart.


    "Annabel, I know you hate me, but what can I do? I can''t refuse to do what Auntie asks me to do.I didn''t


    want to do it, but I had no choice.You can be angry with me, beat me, scold me, and push me as many


    times as you want.But the breakfast was made by Auntie for Rupert.Now, it''s on the floor."


    "Cathy, you''re so good at acting.Why don''t you sign up to be an actress? The entertainment industry


    owes you an Oscar,"


    Annabel mocked, looking at her with a cold expression.


    "Annabel, what are you talking about?"


    Cathy grumbled, looking as if she had been deeply wronged.She turned to Rupert.


    "This is the breakfast your mom made for you.She was afraid that you would be too tired after spending


    so much time at work yesterday, so she asked me to bring it to you.Now it''s all been wasted because of


    Annabel."


    But before Cathy could finish statement, Rupert interrupted her impatiently, "Come on, Cathy.Do you


    think I''m blind?"


    "what?"


    Cathy did not expect such a response.


    "Look, I saw what happened just now.Annabel didn¡¯t touch you at all," Rupert said with a frown.He had


    not seen anything.


    But his intuition told him that Annabel was not that kind of person.


    Cathy, on the other hand, had learned from her mother how to exploit situations and manipte


    people.


    "Rupert...It''s not like that."


    Cathy tried to defend herself.She didn''t expect Rupert to debunk her story.


    From that angle, he shouldn''t have seen what actually happened.


    "Don''t waste your time with this kind of thing.Pay more attention to your studies, okay?" Rupert advised


    her.


    Cathy stared at him in shock and disbelief.


    Annabel, on the other hand, seemed very satisfied with Rupert''s response and she gave him a thumbs


    up.


    "Well, since the truth is out, I think I''ll go to work now."


    With that, she turned around and walked out.


    Watching Annabel''s retreating figure, Cathy became filled with discontent and disgust.


    After Annabel had gone out of sight, she turned to Rupert.


    "You know your mom doesn''t like her.Why..."


    "Grandpa likes her," Rupert cut her off, fixing her with a cold nce, "I hope this will be thest time


    you ever give her trouble.


    Understood?"


    "Just because Grandpa likes her?" Cathy scoffed.


    "What about you, Rupert? Do you like her?"


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    "It''s none of your business," Rupert said coldly. His aloof attitude made Cathy feel sad.


    She hoped that Rupert didn''t like Annabel and that it was just because of his grandfather that he


    epted Annabel as his fiancee.


    But...


    The way he looked at Annabel just now was so full of affection.


    Cathy had never seen Rupert look at anyone like that before.


    "Anything else?" Rupert asked all of a sudden, knocking her out of her reverie.


    When Cathy came back to reality, her eyes fell on the bandage on his right hand and she asked in


    concern, "Rupert, what''s wrong with your hand?"


    "Nothing.I just got hurt a little," Rupert said expressionlessly.


    "Hurt? How could you get hurt? Is it serious?" Cathy asked, sounding very nervous and worried.


    How could he have gotten hurt? No wonder he didn''t go to work.


    What could be the reason he got hurt? Did it have anything to do with Annabel? "No.Make sure you


    don''t tell my mom,"


    Rupert warned in a low voice.


    "I won''t," Cathy promised.


    "Why didn''t Annabel stay and take care of you? Is there anything more important to her than you are?"


    "She has something to deal with at thepany," Rupert said with a frown.


    "Rupert, why don''t you let me stay and take care of you?" Cathy asked expectantly.


    "No.I have something else to do.You can leave now."


    After delivering this instruction, Rupert turned around and went back to the study, leaving Cathy


    standing there alone.


    The breakfast she had made for him was still scattered on the floor.


    All of a sudden, her enthusiasm waspletely extinguished.


    As far as she was concerned, it was all Annabel''s fault.She would have to find a way to drive Annabel


    away.It was already half past ten when Annabel arrived at thepany.She turned on herputer


    and continued to work on the unfinished form she had been working on the previous night.


    While she was concentrating on her work, her phone suddenly rang.She looked down and found that it


    was a call from Brett.


    Annabel picked it up immediately, "Hello, Mr.McCoy.This is Annabel."


    "Hello, Annabel!"


    Brett''s voice hailed enthusiastically from the other end of the line.


    "When will the Ice and Fire series be officiallyunched? We want to know the ns for mass


    production.When will you have time for a discussion?"


    "No problem.We can make an appointment this afternoon."


    Running her eye over herputer screen, Annabel was sure that she could finish working on the


    document ande up with a n by afternoon.


    "Okay, see you this afternoon then!" Brett said and hung up.


    The drawings made by Annabel were so amazing that Brett couldn''t wait tounch the product into the


    market as soon as possible.He believed it would achieve unprecedented sales.


    And Annabel was very interesting as far as he was concerned.


    At three o''clock in the afternoon, Brett arrived at Benton Group in thepany of his assistant.


    Annabel had prepared everything and she went out to greet him with a smile.


    "Mr.McCoy, I''ve prepared the n for the mass production of the Ice and Fire series.Let''s go to the


    conference room to talk."


    "Okay!"


    They arrived at the conference room and sat down.But as Annabel was about to turn on theputer,


    they heard the sound of footsteps outside.


    Suddenly, the door of the conference room was pushed open.


    Frowning, Annabel wondered who was so impolite to make such a rude entry without even knocking.

 Chapter 51

    Chapter 51


    Chapter 51 The Money Is Too Little


    Annabel looked up to the door.


    To her surprise, she saw Erica and Cathy.


    Though Erica was already more than 40 years old, she looked young and still had her feminine


    charm.She was wearing a purple dress, which made her look noble and elegant.


    But her expression was that of anger.


    Rupert had note back home the previous night.


    Cathy made breakfast early in the morning and took it to him, but she ended up returning home with


    red eyes.


    Cathy told Erica that she went to deliver breakfast to Rupert, but she was pushed to the floor by


    Annabel.


    The breakfast was also spilled on the floor.


    ording to her, Annabel made a lot of unpleasant remarks.She also mentioned that Rupert had


    blocked a knife for Annabel and got injured in the process.


    Cathy made all sorts of exaggeratedints to her and Erica became so anxious that she wanted


    to call Rupert to ask about his wound.


    But Cathy urged her to stop, telling her, "Rupert didn''t want me to tell you.If he knew I told you, he


    would be angry.Don''t worry.The wound is not a big deal."


    After a brief pause, Cathy made another statement that added fuel to the fire.


    "But it''s really dangerous for him to remain with that woman, Annabel.It''s all her fault.If it weren''t for her,


    he would not have gotten hurt.Fortunately, he wasn''t seriously injured this time.But since Annabel is still


    with him, who knows what will happen next time?"


    "Annabel is a jinx! I''ll drive her away!"


    It was no secret that Erica didn''t like Annabel at all.


    They both went off to Benton Group to confront Annabel.


    Erica looked around the conference room and found that Annabel was not alone.


    The CEO of Lady Fashion was there with her.


    So, she suppressed her anger and ordered in a low voice, "Annabel,e out!"


    Seeing that Erica and Cathy had note with good intentions, Annabel stood up and asked with a


    frown, "What is it? I''m in a meeting now.If you have anything to say, please wait for me."


    "Annabel, you..."


    But before Erica could finish the statement, Annabel marched over and shut the door.Then she locked


    it and came back.


    "I''m sorry, Mr.McCoy.Please let''s continue."


    She opened the n and began to introduce it to Brett in detail.


    "These are details about the capital, manpower and raw materials needed for mass production of Ice


    and Fire."


    One by one, she exined the parts of the n to him.


    When she was done, Ice and Fire nodded in satisfaction.


    "Great."


    Meanwhile, outside the conference room, Erica and Cathy were nursing their bruised prides.


    Erica was so angry that she gnashed her teeth in fury.


    "No problem.I''ll wait for her!"


    "Auntie, please don''t be angry,"


    Cathy pleaded, looking very nice and innocent.


    "I understand that what Annabel did was very disrespectful.How could she treat you like this? She''s just


    like a country bumpkin.How can she match the standards of our family? I think my cousin is bewitched


    by her seductive looks!"


    Erica''s eyes shed with determination.


    "I won''t let Rupert marry such a woman."


    Erica and Cathy had to wait for two hours before Annabel finished her meeting with Brett.


    Finally, the door of the conference room was opened.


    Seeing Bretting out with his assistant, Erica and Cathy stormed into the room.


    "Annabel, how did Rupert get hurt?"


    Erica demanded, already prepared for battle.


    "You can ask him," Annabel replied without even raising her head as she concentrated on packing up


    her stuff.She had enough of Cathy.She not only went to Water Moon Community to give her trouble in


    the morning but also brought Erica to Benton Group to harass her.


    The girl was getting on her nerves! "Auntie, I''ve asked the security.Rupert got injured because of


    Annabel,"


    Cathy spat in an effort to fan the fire.


    "If it weren''t for her, how else would Rupert get hurt?"


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    "You are jinxed.Sooner orter, you''ll get Rupert killed.I won''t let you stay by his side and hurt him!"


    Erica shouted in fury.


    The more she looked at Annabel, the more she disliked her.


    She didn''t understand why Bruce, who used to be a big shot in the business world, would prefer a girl


    like Annabel and make such an engagement for Rupert.


    Even Rupert had changed his attitude towards Annabel recently.


    He had been defending her, as if he was going to ept her.He didn''t even take Erica''s words


    seriously anymore.


    After packing and tidying up the table, Annabel finally looked up at Erica and said tly, "The person


    who stabbed Rupert was Nina.If you want to hold someone responsible, you should go to her.I''m still


    busy with my work.Please don''t disturb me."


    "Annabel, how dare you!"


    Erica screamed in a mixture of anger and disbelief.


    "Here is fifty million.Take the money and leave now.I don''t want to see you ever again!"


    Erica ordered, mming a check on the table.


    Her eyes were filled with anger and disgust towards Annabel.


    Fifty million? Annabel curled her lips mockingly.


    Apparently, Erica was bent on spending a lot just to drive her away.


    But this would not work on her.


    Seeing that Annabel didn''t say anything in response, Cathy felt she was shocked by the presence of so


    much money.


    So, she said sarcastically, "Annabel, look carefully.This is fifty million.You haven''t seen so much money,


    have you? To be honest, you can''t make so much money throughout your entire life! Take the money


    and get out."


    "Fifty million, right?" Annabel asked, looking down at the check and picking it up.


    "Take the money and get out.Don''t bother Rupert anymore!"


    Erica shouted again, feeling nothing but disgust when she saw Annabel taking the check.


    As far as she was concerned, Annabel was clearly a country bumpkin that could easily be tempted by


    money.


    But she didn''t mind, provided that could make Annabel go away.


    At least, she would never see Annabel again in the future.


    Out of sight, out of mind.


    But to her astonishment, Annabel tore the check into pieces and threw it at her and Cathy.


    "I''m sorry, but the money is too little," she said in disdain.


    "Annabel, don''t be so stupid!"


    Cathy shouted at her when the pieces of paper hit her face.


    What did Annabel mean? Fifty million was little? And now, she was clinging to Rupert at all costs?


    Clearly, she realized that as long as she got married to Rupert and became the hostess of the Benton


    family, there would be much more than fifty million at her disposal.


    Erica''s expression changed when she figured this out.She decided to calm down and talk without


    shouting.


    "How much do you want for you to leave Rupert?" she asked, ring at Annabel.


    "I will leave, but not now." Annabel shrugged.


    "It''s up to me when to leave.Don''t worry.I don''t like your family, including Rupert."


    Then she picked up herputer bag, turned around and walked out of the conference room.She had


    hardly walked out the door when she suddenly bumped into a hard body.


    "Ouch! What the..."


    Annabel was shocked when she looked up and saw a familiar handsome face staring back at her.


    "Rupert? When did youe here?" Annabel asked.

 Chapter 52

    Chapter 52


    Chapter 52 Annabel Didn''t Like Him


    "I don''t like your family, including Rupert." Annabel''s arrogant yet charming voice kept ringing in


    Rupert''s ear.


    Annabel didn''t like him.


    Why? Was there anything wrong with him? Rupert frowned as he tried to figure out her reasons.He had


    always been a proud man.


    This was the first time that he felt the sense of being disliked.


    In the past, he had always disliked others, but now he was being disliked.


    Seeing Rupert standing there with a long face, Annabel asked in surprise, "Rupert, I thought you


    wanted to stay at home.Why did youe here all of a sudden?"


    Before Rupert could say anything in response, Cathy beat him to it.


    "Cousin, you came just in time.Look at my face.This was what Annabel did to me.She has even hit your


    mom."


    Annabel was speechless.


    When did she hit Erica and Cathy? "Didn''t I tell you not to give her any trouble?"


    Rupert asked, fixing Cathy with a cold nce.His imposing manner was so intimidating that Cathy


    trembled in fear.


    Blinking nervously, she looked to Erica for help.


    "Auntie..."


    "Rupert, what''s so good about this woman? Why are you so protective of her?" Erica asked angrily.


    N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content.


    How could her son be so nice to this bumpkin? This was something she couldn''t understand.


    "I only know that Grandpa likes her," Rupert answered.


    "And he is not in good health.Do you want to put his health in jeopardy by getting him angry?"


    "You..."


    Erica was going to say something, but she stopped.


    Since Rupert used Bruce as an excuse, Erica couldn''t invalidate it.


    "I said I would leave, but not now."


    Annabel looked down at the pieces of the check on the floor.


    "You''d better keep the fifty million for yourself."


    With that, she walked out of the conference room.


    "Auntie, just look at her! What sort of attitude is that?"


    Cathy shouted, stamping her feet in anger.She had thought that she could get Erica to chase Annabel


    away since Annabel had made Rupert get injured, but her mission turned out to be unsessful.


    Even Rupert protected her!


    "Rupert, is your hand okay?" Erica asked, grabbing his hand gently.


    "It''s fine." Rupert withdrew his hand from her grip.


    Erica snorted.


    "I heard you got injured because of Annabel."


    "It has nothing to do with her," Rupert said coldly.


    "Mom, don''t cause any more trouble for Annabel."


    "Am I causing her any trouble?"


    Erica snapped, pissed off by her son''s usation.


    "Rupert, I''m doing this for your own good.Are you really going to marry this bumpkin? What''s so good


    about her? At best, she¡¯s only beautiful.Why are you so obsessed with her? This kind of woman is


    unruly and greedy.She might have done something shameless behind your back!"


    "Exactly!"


    Cathy concurred eagerly.


    "Annabel came from the countryside.What else can she do apart from seducing men? You''ve just been


    kept in the dark.Thest time I went shopping with my friend, ! saw Annabel with a man."


    "What man?" Rupert asked with a frown.


    "Marcel Brooks," Cathy said.


    "I don''t know how she got to know Marcel. The two of them were very close, walking hand in hand..."


    "Enough!"


    Rupert shouted, his handsome face darkened in anger.


    "Annabel and Marcel are friends.Don''t make blind and stupid conjectures."


    But still, he couldn''t help but remember the image of Annabel singing to Marcel in the bar that day.


    Without another word, he turned around and returned to his office with a sour face.He looked at the


    documents on the table but couldn''t read a word.


    No matter how he tried, he couldn''t get rid of the image in his imagination of Annabel and Marcel


    making out.


    Finley was outside,ing to give him a document to sign.


    But when he reached the door, he heard Rupert scolding someone in a stern voice, "Why is there a


    typo?"


    "I''m sorry, sir.I''ll fix it right away," the department manager, to whom Rupert was speaking, said


    respectfully.


    He was sweating profusely as he stood before the CEO.He felt the CEO was different today.


    True, his face hardly ever looked happy.


    But today, he criticized him for over half an hour over a typo.


    "Go and fix it right now!" Rupert ordered, throwing the document at him.


    "Yes, sir."


    The manager nodded and hurried out of the office.


    When he met Finley at the door, he told him, "He''s in a bad mood today.Pray for yourself."


    In a bad mood? The CEO always had a cold look.


    When was he ever in a good mood? Finley knocked on the door, not knowing what to expect.


    "Come in!" Rupert called.


    His voice was even sharper than before.


    As soon as Finley stepped into the office, an icy atmosphere enveloped him.


    "Mr.Benton, this document needs to be signed," he said, handing Rupert the document he was holding.


    Rupert took the document, nced at it with a frown and asked, "Isn''t this document to be sent to the


    partner this afternoon? Why didn''t you give it to me to sign earlier?"


    Finley''s heart trembled.


    The reason he didn''t bring the document sooner was simply because Rupert had been on leave all


    morning.


    Sensing what Finley was thinking, Rupert asked, "Why didn''t youe to my ce to get my


    signature?"


    Finley''s scalp went numb under Rupert''s cold gaze.


    "I''ll do that next time."


    Eventually, Rupert decided to sign the document.


    After taking back the signed document, Finley turned around and was about to walk out when he heard


    Rupert ask behind him, "If a woman doesn''t like a man, what could be the reason?"


    Finley stopped in confusion.


    A woman did not like a man? What did he mean? Who was this woman? Who was the man? Did a


    woman refuse Rupert? But that was impossible! So many women were chasing after him.


    But if any such woman existed, how on earth would he know the reason? After thinking for a while,


    Finley said, "Maybe it''s because the man isn''t good enough."


    "Get out!"


    Rupert shouted in fury.


    After Annabel got back to her office, she buried herself in her work.


    The meeting with Brett was very sessful.


    He was very satisfied with her n and hoped that they couldunch new products as soon as


    possible.


    Annabel would be very busy in the next couple of days.


    She had to keep an eye on the progress of the new productunch and make sure it wasunched as


    soon as possible.


    Just as Annabel was about to begin calling all the relevant staff for a meeting on the production issue,


    her phone rang.


    It was a call from Rupert.


    "Hello," she said as she picked it up.


    But she had hardlypleted the word when a cold voice from the other end of the line cut her off.


    "Come to my office."

 Chapter 53

    Chapter 53


    Chapter 53 I Have The Final Say


    Before Annabel could say anything, Rupert hung up abruptly.


    Hearing the beeping tone on the phone, Annabel shook her head helplessly.


    Why did Rupert call her again? Lately, he seemed to always look for her whenever something


    happened.


    Confused, Annabel took the elevator to Rupert''s office.


    The door to his office was slightly ajar.


    Before entering, she knocked on the door.


    "Come in," Rupert called out.


    Annabel pushed the door open and found Rupert sitting at his desk.


    He had taken off his suit jacket and put it on the sofa, leaving only a white shirt on.


    The topmost buttons on his chest were casually unbuttoned, exposing his well-defined chest muscles.


    This coupled with his handsome face, he looked extraordinarily handsome.


    At this moment, Rupert was staring at hisputer screen and typing on the keyboard with one hand.


    For a moment, Annabel fell into a trance.


    It turned out that Rupert was an alcoholic.


    His right hand was injured, yet he still worked tirelessly.


    "Like what you see?"


    Out of the corner of his eye, Rupert saw that Annabel was staring at him.He broke into a sly smile.His


    deep voice brought Annabel back to her senses.


    Embarrassed, she coughed and changed the subject.


    "Why did you call me?"


    "You had a meeting with Brett this afternoon, right?"


    Rupert stopped what he was doing.He leaned back in his chair and crossed one leg over the other.


    This simple yet graceful move fully encapsted just how elegant and noble he was.


    "That''s correct."


    Annabel nodded, confused by Rupert''s concern for the project.


    Did he n to invest more in the jewelry? Or did he want to explore the jewelry market? "I want details


    on the progress you''ve made."


    As he spoke, Rupert narrowed his eyes at her.


    Annabel nodded obediently.


    "Today''s meeting was mainly for both sides to discuss next steps.I''m sorting out the minutes of the


    meeting right now.I''ll send them to you once I''m done.If there''s nothing else, I''ll get back to work."


    Seeing that Annabel couldn''t wait to leave, Rupert frowned unhappily.


    "Wait."


    "Anything else?"


    Rupert raised his injured hand.


    "Have you forgotten? The doctor said I should apply ointment to the wound twice a day."


    Annabel was confused.


    "Okay.So do it."


    Rupert said expressionlessly, "I don''t know how."


    What? What the hell was wrong with this man? He didn''t know how to do something as simple as


    applying ointment? 1 Annabel was about to retort when Rupert pursed his thin lips and said unhappily,


    "Is this how you treat the person who saved your life?"


    "Okay, fine.I''ll help you, okay?"


    Annabel rolled her eyes in exasperation.


    "Where''s the ointment?"


    Rupert pointed at the drawer wordlessly.


    Annabel opened the drawer, took out the ointment, squatted down and carefully unwrapped Rupert''s


    bandage.


    Then she opened the lid, picked up some ointment with her fingers, and applied it on the wound gently


    and evenly.


    Her slender fingers gently stroked the back of his hand, and the coolness of the ointment made Rupert


    feelfortable.


    "Did you ever study medicine?"


    Rupert couldn''t help but ask.


    Annabel paused what she was doing, too stunned to reply.


    "You''re very good at this."


    Rupert looked down at the woman squatting in front of him with a meaningful look in his eyes.


    "I know a little about it," Annabel replied with a smile.


    For some reason, what with Annabel rubbing his hand, Rupert felt a sense of tranquility.


    "Annabel..." Rupert suddenly called her name in a low and hoarse voice.


    "Yeah?"


    Annabel looked up at him and saw a spark of desire in his deep-set eyes.


    "Do you really¡ª"


    Rupert was about to ask, "Do you really dislike me?"


    But suddenly, Annabel''s phone rang and interrupted him.


    "Sorry, I have to take this."


    Annabel took out her phone from her pocket to check the caller ID.


    It was Marcel calling.


    When Rupert saw the name "Marcel" shing on the screen, his expression darkened immediately.


    Did Annabel have that kind of rtionship with Marcel? With ointment thered all over her hand,


    Annabel couldn''t answer the phone properly. So she put the phone on the table and put it on speaker.


    "Annabel, are you busy?" Marcel asked.


    Annabel smiled.


    "No.Why? What''s wrong?"


    "Does something bad have to happen before I can call you?" Marcel asked begrudgingly.


    "Of course not.You can call me anytime," Annabel said with a chuckle as she continued to apply


    ointment on Rupert''s hand.


    "Are you free tonight?"


    "Sure.What''s up?"


    "You left my birthday party early because you weren''t feeling well.It just so happens I''m free tonight, so


    how about I treat you to dinner?" Marcel offered.


    "Okay.See youter!"


    Annabel agreed without hesitation.She was so focused on Rupert''s hand that she failed to notice the


    stormy rage in his eyes.


    Clearly, he was very unhappy.


    How could Annabel flirt with another man right in front of him? Was it because of Marcel that Annabel


    didn''t like him romantically? How could she be unwilling to see him but willing to smile at Marcel? Was


    Marcel Annabel''s type? "Okay, that''s settled then.I''ll pick you up at seven o''clock.See youter! I love


    you!"


    Then, Marcel happily hung up.


    Annabel stood up to put the phone away, but unexpectedly, her legs had gone numb after squatting for


    a long time.She lost her bnce and abruptly fell on Rupert.By sheer coincidence, she hit Rupert''s


    wound.


    Rupert immediately groaned in pain.


    "Oh, my God! I''m so sorry, Rupert.Are you okay?"


    Feeling embarrassed, Annabel hurriedly stood up to check on him.


    Content held by N?velDrama.Org.


    "You like Marcel?"


    Rupert''s face turned a ghastly pale.He returned her question with another.


    Marcel? Annabel was too stunned for words. she just saw Marcel as a brother.


    Did Rupert misunderstand their rtionship again? Then again, Annabel didn''t feel the need to exin


    herself to him.


    "He''s alright," Annabel answered indifferently.


    What was that supposed to mean? So she did like him, was that it? Rupert''s face darkenedpletely.


    "Have you forgotten about the Ice and Fire series? Don''t leave this office until you perfect the n."


    "But I have ns tonight," Annabel protested.


    "Besides, the n''s already perfect. Even Brett agrees."


    All of a sudden, Rupert stood up and looked down at Annabel.


    "I''m your boss.I have the final say!"

 Chapter 54

    Chapter 54


    Chapter 54 Running Into An Old Friend Seeing


    Rupert''s long face, Annabel finally gave in, albeit reluctantly.


    "Okay, fine.You''re the boss."


    After all, she was now an employee of Benton Group, and Rupert was the president.


    If he asked her to stay and work overtime, she had to do as he said.


    That was thew of the office jungle.


    As soon as she left Rupert''s office, Annabel called Marcel to cancel their dinner n.


    Marcel sounded very disappointed.


    "Annabel, didn¡¯t you just say yes a while ago? Howe you''re suddenly unavable?"


    "I''m really sorry, Marcel.Something urgent came up.We''ll go out some other time, my treat."


    Annabel felt helpless.If it weren''t for Rupert, she wouldn''t have needed to work overtime.


    With a resigned sigh, she returned to her seat and went over the n again carefully.She hadn''t even


    started revising it when she suddenly received a call from Rupert.


    "Yes?" Annabel picked up the phone promptly.


    Rupert''s maic voice sounded from the other end of the line.


    "Didn''t you say that you''d send me the minutes of the meeting? I''ve been waiting for them for half an


    hour."


    Seriously? Only half an hour? When would this man quit ying tricks with her? Did he have a grudge


    against her or something? Annabel closed her eyes and cursed him silently.


    Out loud, she said through gritted teeth, "I haven''t finished it yet."


    "What have you been doing with your time?" Rupert snapped impatiently.


    Annabel took a deep breath to calm herself down.It worked somewhat.


    "I''ll show you the minutes of the meeting and the n once I''m done," she said tly.


    "Fine." Rupert pursed his lips.


    It was time to get off work, but Annabel was still forced to stay.She sorted out the meeting minutes and


    perfected the n.


    When she was sure that everything was good, Annabel took them to the CEO''s office.


    "Are you finished?"


    When Rupert saw Annabele in, he raised his head and nced at her indifferently.


    Annabel nodded, walked up to Rupert, and handed him the documents.


    Rupert skimmed through the meeting minutes.


    After a while, he asked, "Won''t you exin them to me in detail?"


    "I''ve written everything down there clearly.The meeting agenda was to discuss next steps in the mass


    production of the Ice and Fire series."


    Pointing at the minutes of the meeting, Annabel exined each item to Rupert one by one.This man


    had to be doing this on purpose.She still remembered that just a few days ago, Heather had brought


    the cooperation n with Norman Group to Rupert.


    Rupert hadn''t even nced at it.He had asked Heather to leave it on his desk.


    Howe Rupert wanted her to exin everything to him? Was he still mad at her for kicking him


    yesterday? What a child! Annabelined silently.


    After exining the meeting minutes to him in detail, Annabel proceeded to open the other document.


    Just as she was about to begin her exnation, Rupert interrupted her.


    "Have you had supper yet?" Rupert asked tly.


    "Not yet." Annabel shook her head. She had been busy all day.


    How could she have had time for dinner? All of a sudden, Rupert stood up.


    "Let''s go." Annabel was stunned.


    "Where?"


    "To a restaurant, of course,"


    Rupert said, as though it was the most obvious thing in the world.He didn''t want to work this woman to


    the bone.


    She deserved a nice meal.


    After saying that, Rupert put on his suit jacket and strode out without waiting for her.


    Annabel hurried to follow him.


    "Your treat?" she asked cautiously.


    "Of course!" Rupert said without missing a beat.


    Still, Annabel was unconvinced.


    "Why do you suddenly want to treat me to dinner?"


    Rupert paused and looked at her.


    "Do you think I''m a mean boss?"


    Annabel wanted to say yes, but when she raised her head and met Rupert''s icy-cold gaze, she


    swallowed her words.


    Together, they headed drove to a high-end restaurant.


    "Ah, Mr.Benton! Pleasure to have you back!"


    The manager of the restaurant enthusiastically greeted Rupert as soon as they entered.


    There was a private room exclusive for Rupert in this restaurant.


    Sometimes, he woulde here when he was workingte.


    Other times, he would meet with his clients here.


    But this was the first time he had brought a girl here.


    The manager couldn''t help but steal a few more nces at Annabel.


    She was tall, slender, and pretty.


    Moreover, she had bright eyes and a lovely smile.


    What a beauty! Noticing that the manager kept staring at Annabel, Rupert frowned and shot him a cold


    nce.


    The manager shivered under his gaze and quickly looked away.


    "Mr.Benton, this way, please."


    The manager was very hospitable.He personally escorted Rupert and Annabel to the top floor.


    The elevator doors slid open.


    Just as Annabel was about to walk out, she was blocked by a tall, broad figure.


    Rory Kelly? Rory was the top star of Star Entertainment, Annabel''spany.He was also one of her


    suitors.


    What was he doing here? Annabel looked up at him in surprise.


    Before she could say anything, Rupert spoke up first.


    "Rory, what a coincidence!"


    Rory broke into a smile, his eyes darting between Annabel and Rupert.


    "What a coincidence indeed."


    Content held by N?velDrama.Org.


    "Aren''t you supposed to be filming in Madison? When did youe back?" Rupert asked politely.


    The Kelly family and the Benton family used to be neighbors, so Rory was Rupert''s childhood friend.


    The two men had practically grown up together and were on good terms.


    The Kelly family''s main business was in entertainment, film, and television.


    Two years ago, Rory became an actor.


    His good looks and mncholic temperament made him popr among women.


    Over the past two years, he had made great progress and won several awards consecutively.He had


    even been dubbed the best actor of his generation by some.


    "I just got back."


    When Rory looked at Annabel, his expression softened and a smile tugged at the corners of his thin


    lips.


    Seeing this, Rupert frowned.


    "This is my fiancee, Annabel."


    "Fiancee?"


    Astonishment shed across Rory''s handsome face.So the rumor was true? Annabel was Rupert''s


    fiancee? Rupert nodded.


    "Annabel, this is my friend, Rory."


    Annabel nodded with a small smile.


    "I''ve heard a lot about you."


    While she managed to maintain a neutral expression, there were traces of confusion and surprise in


    her eyes.


    Wasn''t Rory supposed to be filming in Madison? Why did he suddenlye back? Moreover, the two


    men seemed to be quitefortable with each other.


    What if Rory said something to Rupert? Was her identity going to be exposed?

 Chapter 55

    Chapter 55


    Chapter 55 Don''t Be So Cruel To Me


    "We are leaving now," Rupert announced.


    The fact that Rory couldn''t take his eyes off Annabel irritated him very much.After saying goodbye to


    Rory, he took Annabel] into the box.


    She sat down and asked him, "Do you know Rory?"


    This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org.


    "We used to be neighbors," Rupert replied indifferently.


    "Do you have a good rtionship with him?" Annabel asked.


    Rupert narrowed his eyes and looked at her with a suspicious frown.


    "What? Are you interested in him?"


    "of course not," Annabel denied.


    "I just have a friend who is a fan of Rory.I didn''t think you would know him.Since you know him, I guess


    I can ask you to help get his autograph."


    "Really?" Rupert huffed.


    "Yes,"


    Annabel nodded, even though she knew how displeased he was.


    Frankly, there was nothing between her and Marcel, but Rupert still thought otherwise.He never failed


    to remind her all the time that she was his fiancee.


    What if he found out that Rory had been chasing her for the past two years, what would he do? "What


    would you like to eat?" Rupert asked, handing her the menu.


    "you can order whatever you like.I don''t mind," Annabel said, handing back the menu to him.


    She was busy thinking about Rory.


    Rupert took it and ordered a long list of spicy dishes without any hesitation.


    Annabel was stunned as she listened to him listing them out to the waiter.


    These dishes were her favorites! If she could remember correctly, Rupert didn''t like spicy food.


    At least, she had never seen him eat spicy food before.


    "Do you also like spicy food?" Annabel asked in surprise.


    "You have an injury on your hand. I think you''d better eat something less spicy."


    "No, I don''t like it," Rupert said with a careless shrug.


    "Then why..."


    Annabel''s jaw dropped in shock as the dishes were served on the table.


    "I ordered them for you so that you would not say that I''m inhuman," Rupert said with a faint smile.


    Annabel didn''t know what to say.


    Even though all of the dishes were her favorites, she had no appetite at the moment.


    Instead, her mind remained fixed on the sudden return of Rory.


    Did something happen to Star Entertainment? That could not have been possible though.If something


    had happened, she would have known about it.


    "Sorry.I need to use the bathroom," Annabel said and stood up.She was having a sudden ache in her


    stomach.


    Rupert nodded with a frown.He always felt something was wrong with Annabel, especially after she


    kept talking about Rory.


    Meanwhile, as Annabel approached the door of the bathroom, she saw a tall figure standing there.


    It was Rory.


    Wearing a pair of dark sunsses, Rory leaned against the wall, with a cigarette between his fingers.


    Surrounded by the cigarette smoke, his handsome face wore a sad look.But the moment he saw


    Annabel, he immediately put out the cigarette.He knew she didn''t like the smell of cigarettes.


    "Annabel, why are you hiding from me? Why didn''t you answer my phone calls? Why didn''t you reply to


    my e-mails?" Rory asked, staring at her with sadness in his eyes.


    "Sorry.I''ve been very busy these days.I haven''t checked my e-mails for some time now," Annabel said


    with a smile.


    But she knew what the contents of those e-mails would be even without reading them.


    In thest two years, Rory had written her numerous love letters.But she was just not interested in him.


    For Annabel, Rory was just a good partner at work and a wonderful friend, but they would never be


    lovers.He was simply not her type.


    "Really?" Rory asked with a frown.


    Annabel nodded hurriedly, and then she asked the question that had been nagging at her mind.


    "Aren''t you supposed to be abroad? Why did you suddenlye back? Business? Or is it something


    personal?"


    "If I didn''te back, you would be someone else''s wife,"


    Rory told her straightforwardly.


    Looking at the girl he had been in love with for thest two years, Rory became overwhelmed with


    emotion.


    Two years ago, Kelly Group encountered a financial crisis, and the entertainmentpany under the


    group was in danger of closing.


    Rory became depressed.


    By chance, he met Annabel.


    Back then, she was still studying in France.She was very much interested in the entertainment industry,


    so she invested in Kelly Group and established Star Entertainment.


    To the public, Rory was the boss and founder of Star Entertainment.


    Only a few of the senior executives in thepany knew that Annabel was in the fact the brain behind


    thepany.


    During that period, it was Annabel who encouraged Rory and cheered him up, enabling them to save


    Kelly Group from copse and put it back on track.


    It was also Annabel who encouraged him to shoot more movies and even gave him a lot of resources,


    making him the popr movie legend that he now was.


    All these memories made Rory''s heart beat fast with emotion.He stepped forward and looked into her


    eyes.


    "Annabel, are you engaged to Rupert?" Annabel sighed deeply.She just didn''t know how she could


    exin it to him.


    In the past, she had made it clear to him that they were not meant for each other.


    But Rory refused to listen and even said, "Even though you don''t love me, you can''t stop me from


    loving you."


    After thinking for a while, Annabel said slowly, "It''s a littleplicated.It''s not something that can be


    exined in a few words.How about this? Let''s make an appointment and have a good discussion."


    "I just need an answer, Annabel.Are you engaged to Rupert? Yes or no?"


    Rory insisted.


    "Yes," Annabel nodded.


    Her engagement to Rupert was supposed tost for only three months, but until it expired, she


    remained Rupert''s fiancee.


    So, she wasn''t lying to Rory.


    She didn''t want to him to have any hope of being her man one day.


    Since he and Rupert were friends, he would give up, wouldn''t he? Rory was badly hurt by Annabel''s


    words.


    "Why? Is Rupert better than me?" he asked sadly.


    "No.I just think he and I are morepatible," Annabel exined.


    "you know, Rory, I''ve always told you that we''re not meant for each other."


    "No!"


    An indescribable look of pain shed across Rory¡¯s handsome face.He grabbed her shoulders and


    looked into her eyes.


    "Annabel, please give me a chance.I promise to do better than Rupert.I''ll prove to you that I''m more


    suitable for you than he is!"


    "Rory, please let go of me!"


    Annabel scolded, but Rory held her even tighter.


    "Annabel, don''t be so cruel to me please,"


    Rory begged in a trembling voice.But Annabel threw his hands off her shoulders and said angrily, "We


    are notpatible.Why can''t you understand that?"


    Meanwhile, Rupert had been waiting for Annabel in the box for a long time.When she still didn¡¯t return,


    he got up and made straight for the bathroom.From afar, he saw Annabel and Rory standing together in


    what he felt was an intimate posture.

 Chapter 56

    Chapter 56


    Chapter 56 Aunt Flo


    Rupert''s gorgeous face darkened as he gazed at the scene in front of him.He wondered what Annabel


    was up to.He had no idea why Annabel was talking with Rory.


    Rupert couldn''t figure out what Annabel and Rory were doing.He then approached them and asked


    coldly, "Annabel, what are you doing?"


    Annabel quickly pushed Rory away and turned to face Rupert.


    With a strained smile, she responded, "Nothing.I''m just asking for his autograph."


    "Really?"


    Rupert scowled and gave Rory a stern look.It was clear he didn''t believe what she said.


    Rory stared at Rupert with a poker face.


    "Yes.Let''s get back now."


    Annabel grasped Rupert''s arm and stated.


    As he watched Annabel and Rupert walk away, Rory felt frustrated.He couldn''t understand why


    Annabel picked Rupert instead of him.


    Rory wondered if Annabel was aware that Rupert had feelings for Candy.


    Rupert didn''t even love Annabel, much less treat her well.


    Rory believed Annabel would one day realize that he was the only one who truly loved her and only he


    was a good match for her.


    Annabel and Rupert walked back to their booth, arm in arm.


    "Do you know Rory?"


    Rupert''s face darkened as he gazed at Annabel.


    Annabel faked a smile and replied, "Who doesn''t know the popr star? Besides, you were the one


    who introduced him to me."


    "Are you sure?" Rupert asked, narrowing his eyes.


    Rupert had just caught Annabel in Rory''s arms outside the bathroom.


    Clearly, she was after more than just his autograph.He wanted to figure out what Annabel and Rory


    had done.


    Rupert was well aware that Rory was madly in love with a girl.


    The girl was not only wealthy but also Rory''s boss.


    Rory loved that girl just as much as he loved Candy.


    Rory had been in love with that girl for so long that he couldn''t think of dating any other girl.


    The two of them being close outside the bathroom meant that Annabel was the one who took the


    initiative.


    Rupert wondered whether what Cathy said was true¡ªthat Annabel loved to seduce wealthy men.


    Still, Rupert didn¡¯t think Annabel was that type of girl.


    "Of course.I almost got his autograph.He would have agreed to sign for me if you hadn''t shown up


    unexpectedly.You must ask him for an autograph for me next time."


    Annabel stared guiltily when she saw Rupert''s dark face.


    Rupert gave her a quick look and said nothing.


    Awkwardness permeated the room.


    Annabel lowered her head and ate quietly, despite the growing difort in her stomach.


    "What''s the matter with you?" Rupert inquired when he noticed that something was wrong with


    Annabel.


    Annabel got up, her face turning pallid, her stomach hurting more than before.


    "I have a bellyache!"


    "Let me take you to the hospital.Does it hurt so much?" Rupert asked, his face full of worry.


    Annabel rested her palms on the table as she tried to endure the difort in her stomach.She


    wondered whether she was having her period.She experienced a rising sensation of heat in her


    abdomen.


    It was her period, she knew, but the pain was unlike anything she had experienced before.


    "I.."


    Annabel opened her mouth to say something when she became dizzy and fell to the floor.


    "What''s the matter, Annabel?" Rupert''s voice was trembling.He extended hisrge hands and heid her.


    Rupert carried Annabel to the sofa and noticed a blood stain on her dress.He was shocked.


    Maybe she was injured.


    The thought that Annabel was injured scared him He immediately pulled out his phone and dialed


    Tristan Craig''s number.


    "Come to the restaurant in five minutes."


    The Craig family had been doctors for decades and had a good rapport with the Benton family.


    Tristan had inherited his family''s hospital at a young age and possessed exceptional medical skills.He


    was in a bar having a good time with a female celebrity when Rupert called him.


    "What''s wrong, Rupert? Are you sick? Why are you in such a rush?"


    "Cut the crap.Come here now!"


    Rupert stated impatiently.


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    "Alright, I''ll be there shortly."


    Tristan rushed to the restaurant, thinking something had happened to Rupert.


    "Please examine her.She is hurt."


    Rupert heaved a sigh of relief as soon as he saw Tristan walk in.


    Tristan was taken aback when he saw Rupert''s hand tightly clutching Annabel''s.He wondered when


    Rupert started being worried about women.


    "So, who is she?" Tristan asked curiously.


    "You seem nervous.Is she Candy?"


    Rupert gave him a chilly look.


    "Stop talking nonsense.She is Annabel."


    "Annabel?" Tristan eximed.


    "Isn''t she your fiancee? Wasn''t she chosen for you by your grandfather? You don''t like her, do you? So,


    why are you so nervous?"


    "Cut the crap and just examine her! She is injured."


    Rupert red at him and then pointed at the blood on Annabel''s dress.


    "Injured?"


    Tristan felt Annabel''s pulse and carefully examined the blood stain on her dress.He then burst out


    laughing.


    "Her aunt Flo visited."


    "What? Aunt Flo?"


    This threw Rupert off.


    Smiling, Tristan exined, "Every girl would be on period every month."


    It wasn''t until then that Rupert understood what he meant.


    "So, why did she pass out?"


    Rupert was concerned.


    Looking at the dishes on the table, Tristan answered, "She suffers from hypoglycemia.Perhaps it''s due


    to an irregr diet and excessive fatigue.She''ll be alright after some rest."


    Rupert nodded regretfully.He shouldn''t have had her work overtime.


    When Annabel awoke, she found herself in Rupert''s room at Water Moon Community.Rupert''s


    gorgeous face greeted her as she opened her eyes slowly.


    "You''re finally awake."


    He stared at her with deep-set eyes.


    Rubbing her eyes, Annabel asked, "Weren''t we having dinner? What happened to me?"


    "You passed out.Well, that..."


    Rupert was a little embarrassed.


    "What?"


    Annabel frowned as she remembered why she passed out.She recalled Rupert asking her to work


    overtime and then taking her to a restaurant for dinner, where she met Rory.Sheter had a stomach


    ache.


    Indeed, she did have a stomachache.It was her monthly period.


    Annabel looked down and noticed her dress had been changed.Did Rupert change it for her?

 Chapter 57

    Chapter 57


    Chapter 57 Improper Desire


    "My clothes..."


    Annabel wanted to ask who changed her out of her clothes, but she felt too shameful to say it out


    loud.Rupert cleared his throat in embarrassment and said, "Danica changed your clothes for you."


    "You may thank her."


    Annabel breathed out a sigh of relief.


    Danica was the maid that Rupert hired.


    Rupert''s handsome face appeared softer under the glow of the orange light.


    "I also asked the doctor to do a check up on you.It seems that you have hypoglycemia."


    "Oh.Alright..."


    Annabel could not help the feeling of humiliation that she felt.


    Even something like her menstruation could make her faint.


    When did her body begin to have such a weak condition? This was all Rupert''s fault! It must have been


    because she had to take care of Rupertst night.


    She ended up tired and was only able to go to bed at ater time.


    Then today, she was ordered to arrange the minutes of the meeting as well as make revisions in the


    n.


    There had been no time left for her to have dinner.


    So then, she fainted because of her hypoglycemia.


    "You''ll be fine after some rest." Rupert checked his watch.


    "It''ste now.You should go to bed early.And don''t go to thepany tomorrow."


    "Thank you."


    Annabel massaged her stomach and began to feel less pain.


    The next day, Annabel woke up at nine o''clock.She was going to bete.


    Annabel immediately got out of bed, hurriedly packed her things and made her way out of the room.


    When she arrived at the kitchen, the sight of a middle-aged woman busy working there stopped


    Annabel in her tracks.


    When the woman noticed Annabel''s presence, she politely set down what she had been holding and


    walked over to Annabel.She greeted courteously, "Miss Hewitt."


    "Hello.You must be...Danica?" Annabel asked after taking a while to contemte.


    Danica nodded and smiled at her, "Your breakfast is ready."


    After sparing a nce at her watch, Annabel responded in an apologetic manner, "Thank you,


    Danica."But if I stay any longer, I''m going to bete for work.I must get going now."


    Despite that, Danica politely stopped Annabel from leaving.


    "Mr.Benton ordered that you must have your breakfast."


    "Oh.Alright, then..."


    This rendered Annabel speechless.


    Why would Rupert be concerned about her like that? Annabel took a seat while Danica brought over


    her breakfast, along with a cup of ginger tea with brown sugar.


    "I was asked by Mr.Benton to cook that for you," Danica exined, smiling and gesturing to the tea.


    Rupert ordered that? How did he know about that? She drank up the tea and it gave her a warm


    feeling.


    After she finished her breakfast, Annabel hastily made her way to thepany.She still wanted to go to


    work, even though Rupert had told her to get some well needed rest at home.


    As soon as she arrived at thepany building, Annabel overheard the two assistants sat next to her


    chatting about something.


    "Wow, Rory is so handsome!"


    "Don''t fool yourself.Didn''t you watch the interview where he said he loved a girl for two years? You


    don''t have a chance."Rory? Annabel sat still in shock.


    "Annabel, have you seen the one at the top of the search? Rory''se back and he actually did an


    interview."The woman sat next to Annabel, Eve, spoke in an excited tone.


    "He''s rarely epted any requests to do interviews before."


    "Is that so?"


    Annabel asked in an absentminded manner.


    "And who is Rory again?"


    "Rory! You don¡¯t know Rory?"


    He''s the most popr male star right now.He''s really handsome, too."


    Eve turned to face Annabel.


    "He''s almostparable to our president."


    Indeed, it was Rory.


    Annabel clicked on the top of the search, and there it was, Rory''s news at the top.It was quite an


    exclusive interview.


    Rory had an appearance that could only be described as elegant yet mncholic at the same time, all


    d in his white suit and gold rimmed sses.


    The first half of the interview was coverage of his new movie, and the second half of the conversation


    was leading into a more private question.


    "Now, Rory.I believe that many of our viewers are interested to know about your personal life.Is there


    someone you could call your girlfriend at the moment?"Could you tell us?"


    A faint smile appeared on Rory''s face.


    "No, I don''t have a girlfriend at the moment."


    "That must be great news for your female fans who are watching right now."


    Rory''s voice lowered.


    "But there is a woman that I love deeply.I''m waiting for her to ept me."


    Annabel felt slightly annoyed at the interview, and she turned it off.


    It seemed that she and Rory needed to set time aside to have a talk.


    He was quite the public figure, so that was inappropriate for him to say that in public.


    Annabel sat there in a daze until her surroundings seemed to quiet down all of a sudden.


    "Annabel, bring the Ice and Fire n into my office."


    Annabel raised her head and her eyes met the sight of Rupert walking toward her.


    "Right away."


    Annabel extracted the n that was ordered and followed Rupert into the CEO''s office.


    Rupert closed the door behind them and took a seat at the sofa.


    "You weren''t feeling well, if I could recall.Why did youe to work today?"


    Recalling the events of the night prior, Annabel could not help the feeling of embarrassment that crept


    up on her.


    She was always at the top condition of her health.


    It was only an ident that she faintedst night.


    With a smile, she replied, "I feel much better now.Plus, a time like now is critical for the Ice and Fire


    project.I''d rather not dy the progress of this project and let it be due to my personal concerns."


    "Alright."


    Rupert gestured to the seat next to him and motioned for Annabel to take it.


    Annabelplied and sat next to Rupert, though she made sure to keep a decent space apart from


    him while handing over to him the n.


    "I had it revisedst night..."


    Before she could even her words, Annabel was interrupted by Rupert.


    "Did you see the hot search today?"


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    Hot search? Did Rupert see her watch the interview clip that Rory was in? "Sorry, I shouldn''t have


    watched that clip during my working hours."


    Annabel apologized.


    Rupert''s face contorted into a frown and he said, "Then you must have seen that Rory has a girl that he


    loves."


    "So what? Why should that concern me?"


    Annabel retorted.


    Rupert cast a serious nce at Annabel and said in a cold tone, "So, don''t develop an improper desire


    for him.It would be good to remember who you are at the moment."


    An improper desire? What on earth could Rupert possibly mean by that? Did it seem like she had any


    desire, improper or not, for Rory? It was no question that Rory had an improper desire for her.


    But Annabel had the right to keep it unknown to Rupert.


    After gathering her thoughts for a moment, Annabel pursed her lips and responded sternly, "Please


    don''t assume anything malicious of me, Rupert.


    I don''t have that kind of rtionship with them like you may think I do, be it Marcel or Rory."


    "That''s good, then."


    Rupert felt a tinge of joy settle inside him as he heard what Annabel said.


    He slowly inched closer toward Annabel, an unreadable expression gleaming in his eyes.


    "Remember, Anna.You are my fiancee."


    Annabel could feel her heartbeat begin to rise when she noticed that Rupert''s handsome face was


    nearing closer and closer to her.


    Fiancee? As far as she knew, she was only his fiancee on nominal terms.


    Annabel felt the urge to respond with denial, but instead, she replied in a light tone, "Alright, then."


    Rupert''s face was still inching toward her and his lips were almost about to touch hers.

 Chapter 58

    Chapter 58


    Chapter 58 Are You Done Ogling Me


    As Annabel stared at the breathtakingly handsome face approaching her, her heart began racing.


    "Rupert!"


    A sudden and abrupt voice shattered the enigmatic atmosphere.


    Annabel shoved Rupert away and sat up straight.She was secretly annoyed.


    Why did her face feel so hot? Why hadn''t she pushed Rupert away just now? Was she captivated by


    his gorgeous looks? She raised her eyes to take a look at the unexpected guest.It was none other than


    Cathy.


    With furrowed eyebrows, Annabel wondered what Cathy would do.


    Wearing high-heels, Cathy walked in.She red at Annabel, then turned her attention to Rupert.


    Restraining the jealousy that overwhelmed her, she asked, "Rupert, did I disturb you?"


    Rupert frowned slightly.


    The heat that had lit up his eyes a second ago was instantly reced with coldness.He looked at Cathy


    with narrowed eyes and asked, "Why are you here?"


    "Rupert, how is your hand? I brought you an ointment.It''s very effective."


    As Cathy spoke, she extracted a tube of ointment from her bag and handed it to Rupert.


    "No, thanks."


    Rupert pushed Cathy''s hand away.


    "I already have an ointment."


    Observing Cathy''s disappointed expression, Annabel chimed in, I "Rupert only uses the ointment I


    brought for him.Right, babe?"


    Rupert softly agreed with a hum.


    Babe? Cathy mentally cursed Annabel for being shameless.


    With a clenched jaw, Cathy told herself to calm down.


    "Annabel, are you still angry with me?"


    Cathy dropped her gaze to the floor, pretending to look pitiful.


    "I think you''ve misunderstood me.Rupert''s mom insisted oning to thepany to meet you


    yesterday, and I couldn''t change her mind.She was very concerned about Rupert.After all, he was


    injured while trying to save you.Her fury was understandable.Please don''t be angry, Annabel."


    Seeing how Cathy absolved herself of the whole thing, Annabel sneered, "Really? You told her about


    Rupert''s injury, didn''t you?"


    "I didn''t..."


    Cathy bit her lower lip, wanting to say more, but Rupert cut her off.


    "All right, Cathy.Go back to school.Don''te here for trivial reasons in the future."


    Rupert''s tone was a little icy and impolite.He rudely ordered her to leave.


    Cathy''s spirits plunged.


    Unconvinced, she tried again, saying, "Rupert, I came here especially to give you this ointment."


    "Didn''t you already say that? You don''t need to worry about your cousin''s injury.He gave you advice for


    your own good.He asked you to concentrate on your studies and not get distracted with other matters,"


    Annabel said with a smile.


    Cathy resisted the urge to rip Annabel''s face apart in front of Rupert and said, "Rupert, I''m leaving


    now.You''d better keep this ointment.It mighte in handy in the future."


    She ced the ointment on the table, turned on her heel, and left.


    ncing at the ointment lying on the table, Annabel said, "Your cousin has specially brought this


    ointment for you.Shouldn''t you put it away?"


    "No need," Rupert replied indifferently.


    To Annabel''s surprise, he tossed the ointment into the trash can.


    "Why did you throw it away?" Annabel asked in a baffled voice.


    Rupert gazed at Annabel intensely and said in a yful tone, "Didn''t you say that I would only use the


    ointment you bought?"


    Annabel was speechless.


    Cathy heard a thud behind her.She was stunned.


    A gamut of emotions invaded her heart.


    Rupert threw away the ointment that she had specially given him.It was all Annabels fault! ? Jealousy


    raged in Cathy''s heart.


    She couldn''t wait to drive Annabel away! However, Annabel had Rupert''s protection, and even his


    mother couldn''t drive a wedge between them.


    Cathy was suddenly struck with an idea.She was not the only one who wanted Annabel gone.


    For example, Heather also wanted to get rid of Annabel.


    Although Cathy hated Heather, right now, she hated Annabel more.She knew that Heather only had


    unrequited love.


    Rupert didn''t like her at all.


    N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content.


    Cathy''s biggest rival in love was Annabel.


    Perhaps, she could exploit Heather to win the game.


    As soon as it was time to leave work, Rupert took Annabel back to Water Moon Community.


    Danica had prepared a table full of dishes, all of which were Annabel''s favorites.


    "If there¡¯s nothing else, I''ll take my leave now," Danica said with a smile.


    Rupert nodded, picked up a piece of beef, and served it in Annabel''s bowl.


    Giving her a cool look, he said, "See if tastes good."


    "It¡¯s delicious."


    As Annabel bit into the beef, her tongue was assaulted with the crispy and smooth texture.


    "You can tell Danica what you want to eat in the future."


    Rupert ate dinner with great elegance.His facial features seemed to have been carefully carved by


    God.


    Even if he was just having a simple dinner, he looked dignified and perfect.


    Annabel seemed to be mesmerized.


    "Thank you."


    "You don''t have to thank me," Rupert said tly.


    Annabel smiled, raised her gaze, and her eyes suddenly shed with Rupert''s.


    His eyes were like the deep sea, unfathomable, as if they could absorb human souls.She was


    increasingly struck with the realization that this man was absolutely stunning.


    ¡°Are you done ogling me?"


    Rupert suddenly asked.His maic voice reached her ears, making her cheeks turn red.


    "I didn''t!"


    "I saw it," Rupert said with a chuckle.


    Annabel red at him.


    "If you weren''t staring at me, how could you see that?"


    Rupert watched Annabel with raised eyebrows, a faint smile ying on his lips.


    "I don''t deny that you''re beautiful." Annabel flushed.


    Why was Rupert so flirtatious? He should be distant! The atmosphere in the dining room became a little


    awkward.


    Just then, Annabel''s phone rang inappropriately.


    She took it out and saw that Rory was calling.


    As her mind shed back to what Rupert had said this morning, she refused to answer it.


    "Why don''t you answer the phone?" Rupert asked in a low voice.


    Annabel coughed and replied, "It''s a spam call."


    The second she finished speaking, her phone rang again.


    Rory was calling her again.He was persistent, as if he would keep calling if she didn''t pick up her


    phone.


    With a scowl, Annabel got to her feet with the phone.


    "I''m sorry.I have to take this."


    Watching her receding figure, Rupert felt a little deted.


    Who was calling her? Why was she answering it behind his back?

 Chapter 59

    Chapter 59


    Chapter 59 Isn''t She Annabel


    Annabel nced back as she walked to the balcony and discovered that Rupert didn''t follow her.Then


    she answered the phone.


    "Rory, what''s up?"


    "Annabel, I''d like to meet with you." Rory spoke in a gloomy tone.


    Annabel agreed after some consideration.


    "Okay.Let''s meet tomorrow at 10 a.m.at Blues Cafe." She also had a lot to say to Rory.


    "See you tomorrow then," Rory said quickly. He wondered if he still had a chance with Annabel now


    that she epted to go on a date with him.


    The following day was a weekend.


    Annabel left early in the morning.She was used to being early.


    However, Rory arrived before her.


    The Blues Cafe was located on Douburgh''s busiestmercial street.It was a peaceful, pleasant


    setting to rx in.


    Rory drove toward themercial street, gripping the wheel firmly.


    Heather''s car followed Rory''s.


    Today, she and her friends went out shopping.


    Suddenly, Be pointed to the car in front of them and stated, "Isn''t that Rory?"


    Be was a big fan of Rory.She couldn''t help but fall in love with this tall and gorgeous man after seeing


    him on TV for the first time.She was aware that he had returned a few days ago.She had tried


    everything she could to meet him, but she had never found an opportunity.She had no idea she would


    see him on the way.


    "The car is far ahead of us.I can''t see him," Heather said discontentedly.


    "Don''t be silly, Be.It''s difficult to meet a superstar like Rory." Another friend agreed with Heather.


    "I have good vision.I''m very confident it''s Rory."


    Be, unable to contain her excitement, fixed her gaze on the vehicle in front of them.She felt confident


    that Rory was in the vehicle, despite the fact that they could only see the back of the car.


    "Please, let''s follow him.I want to ask him for an autograph and take a picture with him."


    Be was so obsessed with Rory.Now that she saw Rory while shopping with Heather, it indicated that


    they were fated to meet.


    "If you want to follow him, you are free to.I don''t have time."


    Heather''s thoughts were entirely focused on Rupert, and she had no desire to pursue other men.


    "All right, Heather, I''ll go."


    Be was aware of Heather''s anger, yet she couldn''t resist her idol''s charm.She got out of the car and


    called for a cab.


    "Please, sir, follow the ck car in front of us." Be pointed at Rory''s car in the distance.


    "Which car?"


    The driver looked in the direction Be was pointing.


    "It''s the ck car right in front of us.Please hurry!"


    Be urged nervously.


    They were a littlete.


    And the taxi driver lost sight of Rory''s vehicle.


    Annabel found Rory waiting for her at the Blues Cafe.He had booked the entire cafe so that no one


    would bother them.


    Rory sat in a corner beside the window, gazing at the door with his deep eyes until the girl he was


    obsessed with appeared in his sight.


    "Annabel."


    Rory rose to his feet and approached her.


    Annabel wore a white dress that was beautifully cut and showed off her perfect form.


    Her delicate features revealed that she was capable, graceful, and gorgeous.


    She was still the girl in his memory that made his heart race.


    "Hello, Rory.I apologize for beingte."


    Annabel approached, smiling.


    "Don''t apologize.I''m the one who arrived early."


    Rory looked at Annabel lovingly.He pulled out the chair for her.


    "I ordered your favorite Mocha."


    "Thank you," Annabel replied as she sat down.


    "I haven''t seen you in months.You are still stunning and charming." Roryplimented her.


    Even her action of sipping coffee was appealing to him.


    Annabel was a little embarrassed and quickly changed the subject.


    "Why did youe back suddenly? If I remember well, you signed a contract with a well-known film


    company."


    "I canceled the contract." Rory shrugged.


    "What? But why?"


    Annabel was astounded.


    "Isn''t it your dream to be the best movie star in the world? What made you give up so suddenly?"


    "The dream is nothing inparison to love." Rory looked intently at Annabel.


    "I don''t think you love Rupert.You did that on purpose, right? You want me to give up, don''t you?"


    "Rory, please stop being childish!"


    Annabel was irritated.


    "Whether I love Rupert or not has nothing to do with you.Don''t you know what would happen if you


    terminated your contract just like that?"


    "I''ll bear the responsibility," Rory said firmly.


    "Besides, I think our country is better for my career.So, I intend to concentrate on the domestic market."


    "It''s not up to you to make that decision.Why are you impetuous?" Annabel scowled.


    "It wasn''t an impulsive decision.I have my reason.I''ve made a detailed strategy.I''ll show you in a few


    days.You''ll undoubtedly agree with me by then,"


    Rory stated with a determined look in his eyes.


    Annabel maintained her long face.


    Despite her agreement with Rory''s ns, he still did so without consulting her.


    "You''d better show it to me soon as possible." Annabel frowned.


    "Even so, you shouldn''t have made rash decisions or talked nonsense in front of the media.I read the


    trending topics yesterday.Don''t you think it''s inappropriate to say that?"


    "No.I don''t think so.Acting is my profession, but my life is more than that.What I want to do most is


    share my achievement and happiness with the girl I love," Rory stated solemnly.His dark brown eyes


    sparked mysteriously.He suddenly stretched his hand and held Annabel''s.


    "Annabel, you know the girl I''m talking about, right?"


    Be eventually found Rory''s car in the parking lot and took the elevator to Blues Cafe. She stopped by


    the door and looked around.


    No one was in the cafe.She wondered whether she was in the wrong ce.This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org.


    Disappointed, Be turned to look elsewhere when she noticed a man and a woman sitting in the


    corner of the cafe.She recognized the man even though she could only see their side faces from her


    viewpoint.


    He was Rory, the man she had admired for a long time.


    And the woman looked familiar.


    Be was taken aback when she realized that it was Annabel.

 Chapter 60

    Chapter 60


    Chapter 60 Photographed


    Be frowned.


    If her memory served her right, Annabel was Rupert''s fiancee.


    Meanwhile, Heather was fond of Rupert.


    Thest time at Brock''s birthday party, Heather framed Annabel for stealing her diamond ring to not


    only embarrass her in public but also drive her away from Rupert.


    However, Annabel was able to quickly resolve the issue.Heather took it to heart and held a grudge


    against Annabel.


    Heather told her friends more than once that she must figure out a n to drive Annabel away.


    Be believed if she revealed to Heather that Annabel dated Rory behind Rupert''s back, Heather would


    be thrilled.


    But why was Annabel with Rory? And Rory held Annabel''s hands and the bodynguage between


    them came across as extremely intimate.


    Did any secret rtionship exist between Annabel and Rory? How could Rory, the superstar, fall in love


    with Annabel? Perhaps she used her beauty to her advantage and shamelessly seduced him.


    Be grew jealous upon noticing Rory¡¯s undeniable adoration for Annabel.


    She took out her phone, snapped a photo, and sent it to Heather.


    Heather was shopping with her friends when she saw the photo.


    However, the figures in the photo were quite blurry and she could hardly recognize who they were.


    Confused, Heather simply ignored Be''s message.


    After waiting for a while and with still no response from Heather, Be sent her another message.


    "Heather, have you seen the photo I sent you? Annabel is with Rory."


    All rights ? N?velDrama.Org.


    This time, Heather received the message and looked at the photo carefully.


    Although it was blurry, it was hard to deny that the girl was Annabel.


    Did that mean Annabel was cheating on Rupert with another man? Excited, Heather immediately called


    Be.


    "Is it true? Annabel is with Rory?"


    "of course it¡¯s true.I saw them together with my own eyes."


    Be pursed her lips tightly as she set a firm, jealous gaze on Rory.She didn''t understand what was so


    good about Annabel.


    Why did Rory keep looking at her with such affectionate eyes? What was the rtionship between


    Annabel and Rory? "Where are they now?" Heather asked, deciding to have a look in person.


    If what Be said was true and Rupert discovered that his fiancee dated another man without telling


    him, Annabel would be in big trouble.


    A man as proud and noble as Rupert would certainly never stand by and allow his fiancee to betray


    him.


    In other words, Annabel would be sent away, possibly to an ever worse fate.


    At thought of Rupert sending Annabel away, Heather was thrilled.


    She quickly reminded Be, "The photos you sent were too blurry.Take a few more as soon as


    possible.You stay there and keep a close eye on them.I''ll be right there."


    "Okay!"


    Be nodded and agreed without hesitation.She took out her phone and managed to snap a few more


    photos.


    However, Annabel and Rory were sitting in a corner of the cafe that was too far away.


    All Be could take from her phone were their side profiles.


    She needed to get into the cafe for a better shot.


    But just as she was about to enter it, the waiter stopped her in her tracks.


    "I''m sorry, miss.A guest has booked the entire cafe today.We''re not receiving any other guests right


    now."


    "If you let me in, I''ll give you money."


    Be took out a stack of cash and stuffed it into the waiter''s hand.


    "I really can''t.I''m sorry."


    The waiter refused with a smile.


    Meanwhile, in the cafe, Annabel pulled back her hand and said, "Rory, I thought I made myself


    clear.We two aren''t meant for each other.You should divert all that attention to your work instead."


    "Why?"


    Rory clearly wasn''t giving up.


    "Is it because of Rupert?"


    Annabel pursed her lips and was about to exin everything to him when he said, "Annabel, there''s


    something you don''t know."


    "What do you mean?" Annabel asked.


    Rory opened his lips and said, "Rupert is deeply in love with a girl."


    A girl he loved? "Is it Candy?"


    Annabel took a deep breath.


    "Do you know her?"


    Rory was stunned.


    Annabel lowered her eyes and nodded.


    "Well, since you know her, you also ought to know that she''s the only one in Rupert''s heart.He doesn''t


    truly love you.You''ll never be happy with him."


    Remembering that night when Rupert got drunk and called out to Candy, Annabel felt an inexplicable


    and painful tug at her heart.She opened her mouth, trying to say something, but then she heard a


    ruckus just outside the door.


    Annabel looked in the door''s direction and asked, "What''s going on?"


    "I''ll go and have a look."


    Rory stood up and walked towards the door.


    Just now, he was met with a sh of light.It must''ve been the paparazzi.


    Be was still persuading the waiter into letting her in when she noticed a tall figure walking toward


    her.It was Rory.


    Suddenly, her heart was beating faster.


    "What''s wrong?" Rory asked in a low voice.


    "I''m sorry, Mr.Kelly.Thisdy insisted oning in," the waiter quickly exined to him.


    Rory then gave Be a cold look.


    "What''s up?"


    Looking into his eyes, Be felt the rush of an electric current flow through her body.


    The man in front of her was tall, handsome, and mncholic.He was more handsome and charming in


    person than he was on TV.


    After staring at him for a few seconds, Be finally came to her senses before replying, "Rory, I''m your


    loyal fan.You''re an absolute heartthrob.Can I have your autograph?"


    This was the first time she ever got to see him up close, and it showed in how fast her heart was


    racing.


    Be ended up a stuttering bundle of nerves.It turned out she was his fan.


    Rory shot Be''s phone a piercing look.


    "Were you taking pictures of me just now?"


    "I..."


    Her hand holding the phone began to tremble.


    "Give it to me," Rory demanded in a harsh tone.


    Be tightened her grip on her phone, not knowing what to do for a moment.


    Eventually, Rory stepped forward and grabbed the phone from her.


    "Password,"


    Rory demanded with a frown.


    The cold vibe he gave off came at her.


    Be trembled and gingerly entered her password.


    "sorry, I didn''t mean to take your photos."


    She bit her lips, feeling uneasy.


    Rory was angry? Was it because she was secretly taking photos of him? Rory opened the photos she


    took and deleted every single one with him and Annabel.


    He made sure that none of those photos were left before returning it to Be.

 Chapter 61 Are You Following Me

    Chapter 61 Are You Following Me


    "I hope this never happens again.Please leave right now."


    Rory red at Be.


    "But..."


    Be had a lot of words to say to Rory, but she couldn''t say a word under his cold eyes.


    "Miss, please leave!"


    The waiter rushed over and dragged Be out after seeing Rory''s icy expression.


    Be was standing at the roadside in a stupor when Heather showed up.


    "So, where is Annabel?"


    Heather questioned the moment sheid eyes on Be.


    Be regained herposure and pointed in the direction of Blues Cafe.


    "She is over there."


    "Okay, let''s have a look."


    Heather grabbed Be''s hand and they rushed toward the cafe.


    Unfortunately, Annabel and Rory weren''t there when they arrived.


    "Where is she exactly?"


    Heather scanned the area for Annabel but couldn''t find her.Her expression darkened.


    "She was there just a moment ago." Be frowned. She only left for a moment, yet the two people


    vanished.


    "Where have they gone to? I thought I told you to keep an eye on them," Heather said furiously.She


    had nned to take her friends to block Annabel and Rory in the cafe, then summon Rupert to show


    him the scandal Annabel hadmitted behind his back.


    "I wanted to keep an eye on them, but Rory kicked me out."


    I was sullen when she remembered how Rory treated her.


    Heather was enraged.


    "Who instructed you to alert Rory? You''re such a loser! What about the pictures I requested you to


    take?"


    "Rory deleted them."


    Be lowered her head, afraid to meet Heather''s gaze.


    "What? How can you let that happen?"


    Heather became even more enraged.


    "Are you even capable of aplishing anything at all? Even this simple task is too much for you.It


    looks like Astley Group does not want to partner with Norman Group anymore, right? I''ll phone my


    brother and ask him to cancel our partnership with the Astley Group!"


    "Heather, please don''t do this."


    Be grew worried when she realized Heather intended to take action against Astley Group.


    All these years, Astley Group had been gradually falling.She had to fawn over Heather so that Astley


    Group may benefit from Norman Group.


    Noticing that Heather was furious, Be hurriedly added, "I just sent you a photo, didn¡¯t I? We can send


    it anonymously to Rupert.Annabel cheated on him with Rory.Rupert is not going to forgive her for this."


    "The picture is so blurry." Heather red at Be.


    "Do you even know what catching adultery in the act is? You''ve ruined a great opportunity today!"


    "Even if the picture isn''t clear, I caught them red-handed, and Annabel can''t deny anything," Be


    stated nervously.


    Rupert is going to be very angry with Annabel."Heather scoffed, "Then why are you still standing there?


    Send the picture to Rupert right away!"


    When Rupert awoke in the morning, he discovered that Annabel wasn''t at home.


    "Danica, where is Annabel?" he asked.


    "She left early," Danica responded politely.


    "Where did she go?" Rupert asked.


    Danica shook her head.


    "She didn''t tell me.She only said that she had something to take care of."


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    Rupert wondered whether Annabel went to work overtime.


    Rupert''s expression hardened.


    Annabel wasn''t feeling well, yet she refused to get enough rest.He drove to thepany, but he


    couldn''t find Annabel there.


    Rupert had someone check the clock record and discovered that Annabel did not show up to work


    today.He didn''t understand why Annabel left so early and where she went.Rupert dialed Annabel''s


    number, but her phone was switched off.


    "Mr.Benton, the meeting is about to start," Finley reminded him.


    "Okay."


    Rupert entered the meeting room absentmindedly.


    The monthly report of each department was the topic of discussion.


    All the department heads reported to Rupert on the month''s progress.


    Rupert sat at the front of the meeting table, his face frigid.


    The meeting room had an imposing aura.


    At that moment, he got a message from someone he didn''t know.


    A picture appeared when he clicked it.


    A man and a woman were in the photograph.


    Rupert recognized them even though the photo was blurry.


    The woman in the photo was Annabel.


    The photo was taken today.


    Rupert''s expression hardened.


    He squinted his eyes and examined the photo closely.


    It was indeed Annabel.


    The guy seated opposite her looked familiar.It was Rory.


    Rupert couldn''t believe that Annabel was with Rory.


    Annabel said the day before that she had nothing to do with Rory or Marcel.


    He wondered why Annabel rushed early in the morning to meet with Rory.


    Besides, the two appeared to be in a close rtionship.


    Frowning, Rupert yanked his tie irritably and stormed out of the meeting room.


    He tried calling Annabel again, but her phone was still switched off.


    When Rupert was ready to ask someone where the photo was shot, a familiar figure appeared.


    It was Annabel.


    Rupert approached her with a stern expression.


    "Annabel,e with me."


    Annabel met Rupert as she was heading to the design department to work overtime.


    Annabel noticed that Rupert was not in a good mood.He was ovee with depression.


    She silently followed him to his office.


    "Why didn''t you pick up when I called?"


    Rupert''s gorgeous face stiffened as he stared at Annabel.


    Annabel pull out her phone and examined it.


    "I''m sorry, but my phone is out of power."


    "Where were you?"


    Rupert''s face grew gloomy.He didn''t buy the story that Annabel''s phone had just died.She must have


    purposefully turned it off so she could go out with Rory.


    "I went out to take care of something,"


    Annabel responded indifferently.


    "Where exactly did you go?" Rupert questioned.


    "I went to meet a friend." Annabel frowned slightly, wondering what Rupert had in mind.


    Rupert stared at Annabel coldly.


    "Which friend? A man or a woman?"


    "What''s with all these questions? Today, if I recall correctly, is a weekend.During my break, I''m free to


    see any friends I want.You have no right to interfere, even if you are the boss," Annabel replied,


    puckering her lips.


    "Take a look at it yourself; what''s this?"


    Rupert pulled out his phone and ced it in front of Annabel.


    Annabel looked at his phone, perplexed.


    There was an image on the screen.


    And thedy in the photo was her.


    Annabel took a deep breath.


    "Rupert, have you been following me?"

 Chapter 62 A Sudden Kiss

    Chapter 62 A Sudden Kiss


    Following her?


    Rupert snorted and spat, "Why would I follow you?"


    Annabel was dating Rory behind his back, but now she was using him of following her.


    Annabel took another look at the photo.


    She and Rory were photographed in the cafe.


    Since Rupert hadn''t clicked this photo, who else had? While she was there, she heard someone


    arguing with the waiter at the door.


    Rory checked on it and told her that one of his fans had clicked their pictures without permission.


    Did the fan send this photo to Rupert? But what was her motivation to do that? Besides, Rory assured


    her that he had deleted all the photos.


    It seemed that this matter was not as simple as it seemed.


    The person who had sent this photo to Rupert obviously had bad intentions.


    She would have to look deeper into it.


    When Annabel didn''t respond, Rupert''s expression became cial.


    He shot her an icy re and asked, "How do you exin this photo?"


    With a nk expression, Annabel shot back, "Exin? I don¡¯t need to exin anything to you."


    Rupert was so antagonistic as if she had cheated on him.She was free to meet whoever she liked.


    Rupert was not her husband.


    Who was he to question her? "You dated another man behind my back.Don''t you think you owe me an


    exnation?"


    Rupert''s eyes narrowed as he restrained the rage he felt inside.He was not a person who was easily


    affected by others.But for some reason, Annabel was able to influence his mood easily.It did not feel


    good.


    Annabel''s temper surged and she yelled, "Rupert, why are you questioning me?"


    "Because I''m your fiance!"


    Rupert blurted out instantly.


    Fiance? Did he really consider himself to be her fiance? It was just nominal.


    Rupert was bing too involved.


    Annabel smiled sarcastically and said, "That''s just nominal."


    Rupert''s handsome face darkened.


    He abruptly extended his hand out and wrapped his fingers around her wrist.


    "Who said it was just nominal?"


    Annabel felt a sharp pain in her wrist.She was stunned and asked, "Isn''t it?"


    Her detached expression stung Rupert.He hauled her into his arms.He lowered his head and kissed


    her.


    "Hey, Rupert, what are you doing?"


    Rupert''s erratic actions left Annabel a little confused.She was about to say something more, but her


    words were swallowed by his lips.


    The next second, an all-consuming kiss came.


    His kiss was passionate and domineering, as if he was going to devour her.


    Rupert was not an impulsive man.


    Over the years, he had never expressed any interest in women.He remained unaffected and was even


    a little repulsed even when Heather seduced him.


    But Annabel repeatedly made him lose control over himself.


    What did she do? : Were Cathy''s and Erica''s ims true that Annabel loved seducing men? 1 The


    picture of Rory holding Annabel¡¯s hands shed through his mind.His eyelids drooped and he


    deepened the kiss.He wanted to convey to Annabel with his actions that he was her fiance! The


    sudden kiss left Annabel a little bewildered.


    The man was a cier a second ago, but now he was a raging fire.


    Her mind went nk and her heart was beating fast against her ribs, almost ready to jump out of her


    throat.It had to be admitted that Rupert''s kissing skills were exceptional, and Annabel was a little


    spellbound.


    She ced her hands on his chest, attempting to push him away, but that only served to irritate him


    more.His hand unbuttoned her coat and reached in...


    Annabel felt a wave of cold air hit her.


    A momentter, his handnded on her breast, starting a fire that lit up her entire body.


    "Enough, Rupert!"


    Annabel suddenly came to her senses and pped Rupert''s face hard.


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    The temperature in the office abruptly plummeted by several degrees.


    Rupert felt a sharp stinging pain on his face, extinguishing his desire instantly.He released Annabel, his


    eyes filled with disbelief.


    She pped him? Just because he kissed her just now? The first time he had kissed her, she had


    bitten him aggressively.


    The second time he kissed her, she pped him hard.


    Did Annabel detest his kiss so much? She showered Rory and Marcel with bright smiles.


    Why was she so cold and ruthless toward him? Was she ying hard to get, or did she just loathe


    him? Rupert scowled, his expression severe.


    "What? Do my kissing skills not match up to Rory¡¯s? Or are they not as good as Marcel''s? Does my


    kiss annoy you so much?"


    What was Rupert talking about? How could he insult her in this way? Annabel red at him, her lips


    curled up in a sardonic smile.


    "Rupert, you bastard! I just like Rory and Marcel.So what? You also like Candy, right? You have the


    freedom to like another woman but I''m not allowed to like other men?"


    Candy...


    The muscles of Rupert''s face twitched slightly.


    How could he kiss another woman? Seeing that Rupert was taken aback, Annabel sneered, "Rupert,


    after what you just did, do you even deserve Candy?"


    Then she spun on her heel and left.


    As Rupert stared at Annabel''s receding figure, he was upset.


    What was wrong with him? Why did he lose his temper when he saw her with another man? Why did


    he kiss her just now and let himself be ruled by his emotions? Even though Annabel felt like Candy to


    him, she was not Candy Why couldn''t he control himself in Annabel''s presence? Rupert looked down at


    his left hand.


    He would never be able to forget the soft body he had just touched.


    He couldn''t stop the romantic images that were shing through his mind just now.


    "Damn it!"


    Rupert mmed the desk hard, rattling it.


    The sharp pain spread through his body, finally extinguishing the lust that had gripped him.


    Maybe Annabel was right.He couldn''t betray Candy.


    Still reeling from the shock, Annabel rushed back to her desk and touched her zing face.She inhaled


    deeply a few times before her pulse rate gradually returned to normal.


    What did Rupert mean by his actions? For a while, he was asking her intimidating questions, and then


    he suddenly kissed her passionately.He was behaving like a man whose wife had cheated on him,


    brimming with jealousy.


    Was Rupert jealous? But how was that possible? The only person who had a ce in his heart was


    Candy.

 Chapter 63 The Spokespeople

    Chapter 63 The Spokespeople


    Chapter 63 The Spokespeople


    The next few days, Annabel and Rupert gave each other the silent treatment.


    Neither of the two mentioned a word of what had happened that day.


    Annabel kept her distance away from Rupert.


    Rupert, on the other hand, resorted to going back to his usual indifferent and alienated self.


    Annabel poured all her attention into the Ice and Fire project.


    The project ran smoothly and was even able to exceed the progress that was predicted.


    Brett, of course, was satisfied with the result.


    As soon as the samples were in Annabel''s reach, she made a call to Brett.


    "Hello, Mr.McCoy.The samples of Ice and Fire series have been produced.Are you free right now?"


    I want to show them to you.


    Brett sounded delightfully surprised when he asked, "Wow, produced this soon?"


    "That''s right."


    Annabel also felt a sense of pride at the speed of the production.


    "Are you in Imperial Hotel at the moment? I''ll make my way there now."


    "Alright, I''m here at Room 808."


    With the samples, Annabel promptly arrived at Room 808 of Imperial Hotel.


    Brett had been there waiting for her.


    "These are the samples of the Ice and Fire series.Let me know what needs to be improved."


    Annabel carefully brought out the samples from her bag and handed them over to Brett.


    Brett took the samples from Annabel and looked over them in a careful manner.


    "Great! That''s exactly what I''m looking for."


    "If you''re satisfied, we can begin to shoot the advertisement as soon as possible.Then, we can hold a


    new productunch event to get the Ice and Fire series out into the market." Annabel spoke with a


    content smile.


    Brett nodded and seemed like he couldn''t hold his excitement back.


    "You may go ahead with that.I can''t wait tounch this series."


    Annabel was about to get Brett''s opinion on his potential candidates for the spokespeople of the


    project, but a knock on the door stopped her before she could say anything.


    "Who is it?" Brett asked.


    From the other side of the door, the voice of a coquettish woman could be heard.


    "Honey, it¡¯s me!"


    Honey? Annabel raised a brow and looked at Brett in confusion.


    Brett stood up and opened the door.


    There, outside the door, stood a woman who appeared to be of mixed race with blonde hair and blue


    eyes.


    Her tall figure and smooth skinbined with the fiery red dress that she wore made her a sight to


    behold.


    "Annie? Why are you here?"


    Brett was a little surprised.


    Annie was Brett''s girlfriend.


    The two of them had just dated.


    "Well, I missed you and wanted toe to you.So, here I am."


    Annie gave Brett a flirtatious wink andnded a passionate kiss on his lips.


    Brett looked a little embarrassed at this.


    "I have a guest."


    It wasn''t until then that Annie saw Annabel in the room.She let go of Brett and asked with


    apprehension, "And who is she?"


    "Come, let me introduce the both of you," Bruce said.


    "Annabel, this is my girlfriend, Annie."


    Then he turned to Annie.


    "Annie, this is Annabel.She''s a partner from Benton Group."


    "Hello, Annie."


    Annabel greeted her.


    "It seems that you have another matter to deal with, Mr.McCoy.Shall we make another appointment?"


    "No, there''s no need."


    Brett sat down beside Annabel.


    "I live by the work-first principle.Come, let''s continue this."


    Annabel nodded inpliance and brought out another document.


    "Well, I just wanted to discuss with you the potential candidates for the advertising shoot of the Ice and


    Fire series.You can have a look at this.Do you have any suitable candidates in mind?"


    "An advertising shoot?"I would love to do it."


    Annie volunteered for it.


    Annie hadn''t been that much popr in the past few years as a movie actress.


    In fact, it wasn''t until she had met Brett and be his girlfriend through her efforts that she was


    finally able to gain some poprity.


    Benton Group was very well-known.


    If she were to be chosen as a spokesperson, her value would multiply by the hundreds.


    Annie wanted to seize this opportunity.


    Brett appeared to be a little annoyed.


    "Annie, stop it."


    "No, I''m.serious."


    Annie seized the document with the advertisement details from Annabel and looked through it.


    "See, this advertisement is perfect for me.It''s like it''s even made for me.Honey, remember your promise


    to me? You said that I can choose anything as my birthday present.Well, this is it.I want to be the


    spokesperson.You must keep your word to me."


    "Well..."


    Brett looked over at Annabel with a defeated and slightly embarrassed expression.


    "What do you think of Annie as the spokesperson?"


    Annabel replied curtly, "I suppose she could have a try."


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    If Annabel seriously considered the idea, Annie wasn''t a bad candidate in terms of appearance, but she


    was just a little too striking.


    The Fire concept might be suitable for someone like her, but she wasn''t fit for the Ice part.


    Annie nodded with triumph and asked, "Who is the male spokesperson I''ll be working with? Oh, I hope


    that it¡¯s Rory."


    Rory? Annabel frowned at this suggestion.


    In all honesty, Rory was considerably a good candidate, but...


    "Rory? I''ve seen that film that he''s in.It''s good."


    Much to Annabel''s dismay, Brett agreed at that statement.


    "I think he''ll be a fitting spokesperson."


    "Alright.Since you think Rory is a good fit for the role, I''ll get in contact with him."


    Keeping in mind the principle of putting the customer first, Annabel gave in.After making her way out of


    Imperial Hotel, Annabel made a call to Rory.


    "Annabel."


    Rory was surprised to receive a call from Annabel.


    Annabel said tly, "I have a couple things to talk to you about.I need your help."


    "Please, go ahead and tell me," Rory uttered.


    "I would do anything for you." Annabel sighed.


    Knowing that Rory held a deep love for her was too much for her to bear and only made her feel all the


    more guilty to turn him down.


    Nevertheless, she had business to discuss with him.


    Annabel cleared her throat before starting to exin, "First, someone secretly photographed us in the


    cafe that day.Do you know who it was?"


    "what?"


    "The person even sent a photo to Rupert."


    Annabel¡¯s tone noticeably shifted to a weighted one as she recalled the events of that day.


    "Did Rupert give you any trouble because of that?" Rory asked with concern.


    "No.Was it your fan who did it?" Annabel asked.


    Rory narrowed his eyes in contemtion, and the pictures on Be''s phone came to his mind.Could it


    be her? But he had checked the phone carefully and deleted all of the photos.


    "Alright, I''ll have someone look into it.Give me some time to figure it out."


    There was a tinge of guilt that could be heard in Rory''s voice.If it was Be who did it, it meant he got


    Annabel in trouble.


    "Okay." Annabel nodded.


    "Next thing.There''s a project that I¡¯m currently handling called the Ice and Fire, and the series is going


    toe onto the market.I was thinking you could be the spokesperson.Do you think you could fit it in


    your schedule?"


    "Yes, of course."


    Without taking a second to hesitate, Rory agreed to help.He wouldn''t refuse anything as long as


    Annabel was the one asking him.


    Even if his schedule had been fully booked, he would just have cancelled the other bookings for


    Annabel.


    "Thank you, Rory.Could youe to Benton Group for the audition? Let''s say tomorrow afternoon,"


    Annabel asked.


    "No problem at all.I''ll be there."


    Rory smiled with delight at the thought of seeing Annabel the next day.


    After making an appointment with Annie for the audition tomorrow afternoon, Annabel made her way


    back to Benton Group.


    However, the moment Annabel returned to her cubicle, Eve said to her, "Mr.Benton said that you must


    come to his office as soon as you arrived."


    "Got it.Thanks." Annabel nodded.


    This sent rm bells ringing in her head.


    Why was Rupert looking for her? What could possibly be the matter?

 Chapter 64 Rorys Perfect

    Chapter 64 Rory''s Perfect


    Confused, Annabel took the elevator to Rupert''s office.Her heart shook unexinably as she recalled


    Rupert''s icy countenance.She took a deep breath before knocking on the door.


    "Pleasee in." Rupert spoke softly.


    Annabel pushed the door open and went in.


    Rupert sat at his desk, a document in his hand.His every gesture was exquisite and aristocratic, and


    his powerful aura exuded an unfathomable sensation of tyranny as if he had was to be king.


    "Why were you looking for me, Rupert?" Annabel asked tly.


    Hearing her voice, Rupert raised his head to re at her, then he asked coldly, "Where have you


    been?"


    Rupert had gone to the secretarial department after the meeting ended but didn''t see Annabel.He


    asked her colleagues about her whereabouts and was informed that she had left.She left the office


    without his permission during working hours.


    "The samples of the Ice and Fire series have been produced.I went to Imperial Hotel to show them to


    Mr.McCoy," Annabel answered indifferently.


    "Really? So why didn''t you show me the samples first?" Rupert''s attractive face was a bit cold.He


    looked at her curiously.He had the impression that Annabel was avoiding him these days.


    Annabel felt a little uneasy meeting his intense gaze and looked =] away.She smiled slightly and


    remarked, "Because you didn''t ask me to show them to you."


    "So you decided on your own? Don''t you realize that one of your responsibilities as a project director is


    to update your boss on how things are going?"


    Rupert narrowed his eyes and stated in a tone that was both icy and tinged with fury.


    Annabel didn''t even report to him because she was avoiding him.


    "I don''t think it is necessary to bother you with such trivial matters.After all, the Ice and Fire project is a


    small one for Benton Group.In addition, I asked Mr.McCoy for his opinion.If there is an issue, I will


    notify you after the changes are made."


    Annabel''s response was neither humble nor demanding.She was right.


    Jewelry was not Benton Group''s core business, and Rupert had never given it much attention.But,


    since Annabel took over the Ice and Fire project, he couldn''t help but be interested in it.He didn¡¯t want


    to admit that all he cared about was Annabel.


    "Did Brett have any suggestions?" Rupert questioned.


    Annabel shook her head.


    "No.He''s pleased with this project, including the design, production progress, and samples."


    "When do you n tounch the series?" Rupert inquired.


    "Very soon.Mr.McCoy was quite pleased with the samples.I''ll hold a press conference after the


    commercial shoot is over.I believe it will undoubtedly create a buzz by then." Annabel smiled


    confidently.


    Annabel monitored the Ice and Fire project from the design to production.She was confident in her


    skills and thought she could make it famous.


    "Who is the spokesperson?" Rupert queried.


    Spokesperson? Annabel was perplexed.She wondered whether Rupert was looking for her only to find


    out if Rory was the spokesman.


    After some thought, she stated, "Annie White, Mr.McCoy''s girlfriend, would be ying the role of the


    female spokesman.The male spokesperson would be Rory Kelly."


    As soon as Rupert heard Annabel mention Rory, he became tense.


    "Rory? Did you do it intentionally, Annabel?"


    Rupert inquired, narrowing his eyes.


    "Are you using thepany''s resources to further your personal goals?"


    He couldn''t believe that Annabel dared to do such a thing.He was shocked she dared to ask Rory to be


    the male spokesperson.


    Rupert thought that Annabel just wanted to annoy him by flirting with Rory in his presence.


    Annabel rubbed her brows, feeling a little powerless.She anticipated that Rupert would react this way.


    Annabel stared into his cold eyes and asked, "Rupert, what nasty ideas are you thinking about?


    Mr.McCoy suggested having Rory be the spokesperson.Should we not cater to the needs of our


    clients? What''s the matter with Rory? He is handsome and has a good figure.I think he will make the


    best spokesperson."


    That infuriated Rupert.


    To Annabel, Rory was perfect.


    Rupert abruptly got to his feet and stepped closer to Annabel.


    "So, is this why you like Rory?"


    Annabel couldn''t be more perplexed.She had no feelings for Rory.


    "Rupert, we''re talking about work here.If there''s nothing else, I''ll leave."


    Annabel didn''t want to argue with him about it any longer.She decided to work overtime to avoid the


    awkwardness between her and Rupert.


    Later that evening, Annabel was the only one left working in the secretarial department.Her phone rang


    as she was reviewing the details of tomorrow''s audition.She checked her phone and saw that it was


    her grandpa calling.


    Annabel quickly answered the phone.


    "Grandpa."


    "Anna, why haven''t you call me in a long time? Are you all right?" Leonard asked cheerfully.


    Annabel''s heart was filled with guilt.She hadn''t called her grandfather for a long time.


    "I''m fine, Grandpa.Is just that I have been so busy recently," Annabel said, smiling.


    "Being busy is wonderful.The guy I chose for you isn¡¯t bad, right?" Leonard remarked,ughing.


    "Rupert? What did you see in this him, Grandpa?" Annabel rolled her eyes.


    "He is stingy, short-tempered, irritable, and annoying."


    "I think he''s a good match for you.Get along nicely with Rupert.You will understand that I don''t make


    snap judgments."


    Leonard touched his beard.He then ended the call.


    Annabel was at a loss for words when Leonard hung up on her.She had no idea why he was so upbeat


    about Rupert.


    Rupert was erratic and cranky.


    She didn''t want her future husband to be so unpredictable.


    Annabel was about to put her phone away when she noticed a shadow in front of her.


    When she looked up, she saw a tall, straight figure.


    The man wore a ck suit that blended in with the darkness.


    His tall figure reclined against the wall, and two buttons on his shirt were unbuttoned, showing his


    muscr chest.


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    Annabel was shocked by the sight of the man in front of her.


    It was Rupert.


    Annabel wondered when he came.

 Chapter 65 Not As Good As Rory

    Chapter 65 Not As Good As Rory


    Chapter 65 Not As Good As Rory


    When Rupert heard what Annabel had to say about him, he was furious.She said he was stingy, short-


    tempered, irritable, and annoying.


    Was this Annabel''s evaluation of him? Other people saw him as a winner, an invincible person of


    privilege with an unattainable lifestyle.


    Why did Annabel believe he was bad? How could she think Rory was better? "Rupert, why are you


    here?"


    Surprised, Annabel stood up and studied the sullen man.She wondered whether he heard her


    conversation with her grandfather.


    Content held by N?velDrama.Org.


    If Rupert heard what she said, he would be furious.


    "Let''s go home," Rupert said tly.


    Go home? What did Rupert mean? Did he want her to go home with him? Thinking of the


    embarrassing situation that day, Annabel shook her head.


    "You can leave, but I have to work overtime.I won''t be going home tonight."


    "Have you forgotten that you''re hypoglycemic? What if you faint again? I don''t want to be calling a


    doctor for you in the middle of the night," Rupert said, squinting.


    Did she feel she had to work all night just to avoid him? Even at the cost of her health? Did she dislike


    him that much? Annabel felt embarrassed when Rupert reminded her.


    "I won''t faint again.It was an ident.Can you stop talking about it, please?"


    "Let''s go."


    Rupert checked his watch. It was already midnight.


    "As your boss, I order you to finish work and go home now."


    His tone was so domineering that she could not argue.


    Well, it was true that Annabel worked all night to avoid Rupert.


    But it seemed that he wouldn''t leave unless she left with him.


    Rain was pouring from the sky.


    Sitting in Rupert''s car, Annabel watched the raindrops snake down the windshield as her thoughts


    drifted.She had been in Douburgh for almost a month.She had promised her grandfather that she


    would spend time with Rupert for three months.She thought she could leave after that.


    After all, she and Rupert disliked each other.


    But things seemed to go out of control.


    What Rupert had done to her was beyond her expectations.


    At times, he was overbearing and unreasonable, but sometimes, he seemed to care about her deeply.


    When Nina stabbed her with a knife, Rupert protected her.


    And today, Rupert forced her to go home because he was afraid that she would get tired and ill from


    working all night.


    Although he was overbearing, he also cared about her.


    Why did he care? Was it only because she was his nominal fiancee? It was totally unnecessary.


    Annabel was a good judge of character, but she couldn''t understand the man beside her.


    What was he thinking? Would Rupert let her break off the engagement after three months? Could she


    leave him unscathed? Annabel stole a nce at Rupert.


    His expression was neutral as he gripped the steering wheel with his hands and focused on driving.


    Neither of them spoke.


    The small space inside the car was so quiet it felt suffocating.


    Annabel closed her eyes.She did feel a little tired after working so hard.She was resting when Rupert''s


    maic voice startled her.


    "Annabel, am I really that bad?"


    "what?"


    Annabel opened her eyes, confused.


    Turning his head to face her, Rupert asked, "Am I stingy? Do I have a bad temper?"


    Annabel was speechless.


    Rupert had heard what she said to her grandfather.


    That was embarrassing.


    "Rupert, do you often eavesdrop on other people''s phone calls?" Annabel asked.


    Rupert frowned.


    "Are you in the habit of gossiping behind people''s backs?"


    "Gossiping?" Annabel red at Rupert.


    "I was not gossiping.I was telling the truth."


    Rupert''s expression was frosty.


    "So, I cannotpete with Rory on any points?" Annabel swallowed hard.


    What had caused that leap of the imagination? What did any of it have to do with Rory? "If you believe


    that, I can''t help you," Annabel replied angrily.


    It felt like an admission to Rupert.


    In Annabel''s eyes, he was nothingpared to Rory.


    Was that why she ask Rory to be the spokesman? Did she forget that he was her fiance? "Shit!"


    Recalling how Annabel and Rory had made out in the cafe, Rupert hit the steering wheel.


    His face was dark when he said, "Annabel, you should remember your ce!"


    Before he could say any more, Rupert lost control of the car.It swerved sharply.He stepped on the


    brakes, but the car hit the guardrail.


    Creak...


    The sound of the tires rubbing the ground came through.


    Annabel was propelled forward and her head almost hit the windshield.


    "What happened?"


    Annabel rubbed her head in a state of shock.His face livid, Rupert opened the door and got out to


    check.


    Through her window, Annabel saw Rupert bending over to inspect the damage.


    The rain pounded him, and he was wet all over.


    Annabel grabbed an umbre, got out of the car, and held it over Rupert.


    "Why did you get out?" Rupert asked.


    "Is it okay?"


    Annabel centered her umbre over Rupert''s head, exposing half of her body.


    Raindrops hit her, and soon, she was soaked through.


    Rupert took the umbre from Annabel''s hand.


    One umbre wasn''t wide enough for them both, so Annabel moved closer to Rupert.


    Water dripped from her hair onto her cheeks.


    Her white dress clung to her body, outlining her beautiful figure.


    Rupert''s desire rose.He reached out and held Annabel''s waist, encouraging her to lean against him.


    Bowing his head, Rupert stared at the girl in his arms.His eyes burned like mes.


    The unexpected intimacy made Annabel blush.she took a deep breath, struggled with how she should


    express what she felt, then spoke in a soft but firm voice.


    "Rupert, don''t be like this."


    The night was quiet.


    The only sound was the pitter-patter of rain falling on the ck umbre.


    Sheltered beneath the umbre, Rupert''s handsome face appeared cold and unhappy.


    Annabel felt uneasy.


    After a moment''s silence, Rupert asked coldly, "Because of Rory? Am I really inferior to him in every


    respect?"

 Chapter 66 Just Passable

    Chapter 66 Just Passable


    Rory again?


    Why was Rupert obsessed with Rory? What was he thinking? Annabel felt frustrated.


    ring at Rupert, she asked, "Why do you think everything is because of Rory? Is the great Mr.Benton


    that insecure or just jealous?"


    Annabel marched back to the car.


    Rupert''s handsome face darkened, and his thin lips pursed.


    Was he insecure? No! That made no sense.


    Rory might be king of the silver screen, but Rupert was just as good -looking and talented.It was


    Annabel''s fault.


    She unsettled him.


    One day, Rupert would prove he was a thousand times better than Rory.


    The following afternoon, Annabel was due to attend an audition with Annie and Rory.


    The appointment was in Benton Group''s studio.


    When Annabel arrived at the studio, Rory was already waiting, but Annie was not there.


    "Annabel," Rory greeted Annabel with a wide smile and walked over.


    "You''re early," Annabel said, raising her hand to check the time.


    "There are ten minutes left until shooting time.Annie hasn''t arrived.Please wait a moment." Rory


    nodded.


    "By the way, the thing you asked me to investigate yesterday has been resolved."


    "You found the person who took secret photographs? Who is it?" Annabel was impressed.


    "Be Astley.Do you know her?" Rory asked.


    So, it was Be.


    Annabel''s face darkened.It was well known that Be was ackey of Heather.


    Heather''s hostility toward Annabel was obvious.She had tried to frame her several times.


    Most likely, Heather was behind this as well.No wonder Rupert received the photo.


    Heather wanted to sow discontent between her and Rupert, so she wanted Rupert to misunderstand


    the rtionship between her and Rory.


    "Annabel, can I help?"


    Rory looked at Annabel.


    "No,"


    Annabel replied, shaking her head.She had to solve this problem by herself.


    Rory knew Annabel''s ability, but he wanted to help her.


    At two o''clock, Annie arrived.She wore very high heels.


    Brett arrived with her.


    "Am Ite?" Annie asked, a charming smile on her face.


    "You''re just in time." Annabel led Annie to Rory.


    "This is your partner for the scene, Annie." Annabel smiled.


    "Annie, I''m sure I don''t need to introduce Rory to you, right?"


    Annie gave Rory a warm hug and said, "I''ve heard a lot about you.You''re more handsome in person


    than you are on TV, and your reputation precedes you.It''s a pleasure meeting you."


    Rory offered a half-smile.


    "I hope I don''t disappoint you."


    Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org.


    "ces, please.Let''s begin."


    Annabel was about to ask the photographer to start shooting when the staff suddenly quieted down.


    "Mr.Benton, we weren''t expecting you to join us," the lead photographer said, his gaze full of respect.


    They were shooting amercial, but he hadn''t expected Rupert to attend in person.Mr.Benton?


    Annabel saw the tall and strong figure of Rupert.


    Annabel was stunned.


    Why was Rupert here? Rupert strode toward Annabel.He nced at her and asked, "How''s everything


    going?"


    "No problem.We''re about to start,"


    Annabel replied, shuffling the documents in her hands.


    "Okay."


    After studying the scene, Rupert sat down.His legs were casually crossed, but his powerful aura made


    people want to bow before him.


    Was Rupert really going to stay and watch the shooting? Annabel frowned.It was just another


    insignificant advertisement.


    Rupert''s personal supervision was unnecessary.


    "Let''s begin," Rupert said calmly.


    Everyone was ready to shoot when there was a sudden noise at the door.


    Annabel spotted Heather, standing at the door, demanding to enter the studio.She was being prevented


    by the staff.


    "I''m sorry, but you can''t go in," the assistant said politely.


    "Why can''t I go in?" Heather peered into the studio.


    Rupert remained in his seat.


    Heather''s brother came to Benton Group to discuss a business deal with Rupert this morning.


    Heather insisted that her brother bring her along.She wanted to see Rupert.


    Rupert treated her indifferently, which made Heather very sad.


    Heather tried her best, but Rupert didn''t even look at her.


    Now that she saw Rupert again, she wanted to go inside.She also saw Annabel was there.She


    believed Annabel was ying tricks.


    Why else would Rupert leave the meeting and rush to the studio to see an advertisement being filmed?


    "I''m here for Rupert.Let me in."


    Heather red at the assistant.


    "Don''t you know who I am? I am a member of the Norman family." The staff knew Heather.


    After hesitating for a moment, he said, "I''ll ask the president."


    He approached Rupert and asked respectfully, "Mr.Benton, Miss Norman is looking for you.She wants


    toe in.Is that okay?"


    "Ask her to leave," Rupert said coldly.


    "I''m really sorry, Miss Norman.We are shooting an advertisement.No one is allowed to enter."


    The staff tried his best to block Heather.


    "In that case, I''ll wait here."


    Heather refused to give up.


    Seeing that Heather was upset lifted Annabel''s mood.She focused on Annie and Rory as they shot the


    advertisement.


    Rory deserved to be called the best actor.His performance was perfect, but Annie''s wasn''t.


    "Cut!"


    Annabel frowned and stopped the shoot.


    "what''s wrong?" Rory asked, concerned.


    Looking at Annie, Annabel said tly, "Annie, you need to concentrate."


    Annie paused and red at Annabel with hostility.


    "What''s wrong?"

 Chapter 67 Accident During The Shooting

    Chapter 67 ident During The Shooting


    "The theme, Ice and Fire, emphasizes the dual character of an elegant and passionate woman.But


    your performance was all about passion, not elegance," Annabel remarked calmly.


    "I don''t think so."


    Annie was displeased with Annabel.


    "Do you have experience withmercial shoot? If not, then keep your mouth shut."


    Annie couldn''t believe that Annabel dared to criticize her in front of so many people.


    Annie believed Annabel was only a secretary while she was Brett''s girlfriend.


    Seeing that Annie was haughty and refused to ept her advice, Annabel smiled slightly.


    "I know that as a spokesperson, you must demonstrate the product''s main feature.If you can''t, I''ll find


    someone else to rece you."


    "How could you?" Annie''s expression changed.She didn''t expect Annabel would be so harsh to her.


    "Honey, my performance isn''t that horrible, is it?" Annie looked at Brett flirtatiously.


    Brett stood up and approached Annie.


    "Annabel is correct.Do it again, as she instructed."


    "What?" Annie was shocked.She anticipated that Brett would scold Annabel on her behalf, but he sided


    with Annabel instead.


    Annie gave Annabel a wary look.She then kept her cool and forced a smile.


    "Okay, I''ll try again."


    Annabel couldn''t feel any elegance in Annie, no matter how many times Annie tried.


    "No!"


    Annabel stopped Annie repeatedly and instructed her on how to perform.


    But Annie was bing increasingly uncooperative, and her performance was worsening.


    Annabel''s lovely eyes be cold.She pulled Annie aside and began to demonstrate how to do it


    herself.


    "Lower your head and raise your hand slightly.Give more attention to your eyes.You must appear


    elegant and unattainable."


    Annabel stood next to Rory and ced her left hand on his shoulder, precisely and vividly enacting the


    feeling of elegance.


    "That''s exactly what we''re looking for."


    The photographer snapped his fingers andmended Annabel''s performance.


    Annabel was standing next to Rory.


    They were both attractive and appeared to be a good match.


    Rupert, who had been sitting silently, sprang to his feet, his eyes terrifyingly icy.


    As he passed through, people felt a strange coldness as if they were in the Antarctic.


    Rupert walked straight to the filming spot, pulled Rory aside, stood beside Annabel, and dered


    coldly, "I will do it!"


    "what?"


    Annabel stared at Rupert, astonished.She couldn''t understand what Rupert''s problem was this time.


    Rupert nced at Annabel angrily and asked, "Aren''t you I demonstrating? I''ll do the demonstration


    with you."


    He smiled coldly.


    Annabel even went so far as to flirt with Rory in { his presence, which made him think she was


    bing increasingly daring.


    But she had a perfect excuse that worked.


    Rupert couldn''t just stand there and do nothing.


    Annabel was at a loss for words.


    To her, it was just an advertisement.


    And Rupert didn''t need to give a demonstration.


    Rory was also rendered speechless.


    After all, he was a well-known movie star.So, he didn''t need Rupert''s demonstration.


    However, Rupert stood on the stage as though he was talented, drawing the crowd''s attention and


    showing that he was not inferior to Rory.


    "This is perfect!"


    The photographer''s eyes shone with astonishment.


    Annabel was even more matched with Rupert than with Rory.


    "That''s enough, Rupert.Now, let''s leave today¡¯s main characters to shoot,"


    Annabel stated, staring at Annie''s angry face and Rory¡¯s sad eyes.


    The light above the stage trembled violently as Annabel was about to leave.She raised her head and


    saw the ss ceilingmp plummeting toward her.


    "Be careful!"


    Three voices were heard at the same time.


    Rupert, Rory, and Brett yelled simultaneously.


    But Rupert was the one who reacted immediately, wrapping his arms around Annabel''s waist and


    falling to the floor, holding her in his arms.


    Annabel became dizzy and copsed in Rupert''s arms.


    Simultaneously, themp crashed to the floor, shattering into many pieces.


    Annabel''s leg was cut by flying ss, and blood spurted out.Her white dress turned red which was


    scary.


    "Are you all right? Let me take you to the hospital."


    Rupert''s eyes were filled with worry.


    He immediately carried Annabel up."please put me down,"


    Annabel pleaded.


    "Don''t move! You are hurt,"


    N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner.


    Rupertmanded.


    Rupert carried Annabel out of the studio as people stared at them.


    Annabel blushed as she leaned against Rupert''s chest.


    His powerful arms held her closely, and she could feel his warm breath.


    The two were so close that she could hear his strong heartbeat.


    Annabel saw Heather ring at her as they walked out of the studio.


    She wrapped her arms around Rupert''s neck on purpose.


    "Where are you going, Rupert?"


    Heather was standing at the studio''s entrance and saw what happened on the stage.She thought


    Annabel would be killed or severely injured if themp fell on her.


    But to her surprise, Rupert risked his life to protect her.


    And he was even carrying her securely in his arms.


    Heather''s heart was filled with jealousy.She intended to stop Rupert by tugging him, but when he gave


    her an icy look, she immediately let go.


    Rupert carried Annabel into the car and was going to drive to the hospital.


    Annabel tried to stop him.


    "I''m fine.It''s only a minor wound.I can handle it myself."


    "No.I''m taking you to the hospital for the doctor to look at it," Rupert insisted.


    Annabel couldn''t persuade Rupert and had to let him drive her to the hospital.


    The doctor checked Annabel''s wound and stated, "Lucky, the cut is not deep.Apply some ointment and


    you''ll be alright in a few days."


    "Thank you, doctor," Annabel replied with a smile.


    In reality, it was only a minor injury.


    Rupert didn''t have to take her to the hospital.


    "That''s great."


    Rupert rxed his tense handsome face a little when he realized Annabel only suffered a little cut.


    "Do not return to thepany today.I''ll drive you home so that you can get some rest."


    Rupert carried Annabel back into the car.His gaze softened when he noticed she wasn''t struggling.He


    fastened her seat belt.


    Just as he was about to start the car, Annabel asked calmly, "Rupert, do you think what happened


    today was an ident?"

 Chapter 68 An Enemys Enemy Is A Friend

    Chapter 68 An Enemy''s Enemy Is A Friend


    Annabel looked at Rupert, squinting her eyes.


    What urred today wasn''t an ident.


    Every year, professional staff would check and fix Benton Group''s equipment, as well as the studio''s


    ceilingmp.


    Annabel wondered what caused it to fall all of a sudden.


    And it happened to injure her.


    She had no idea who was behind it.


    Annabel initially suspected Heather of attempting to harm her, but on second thought, she was the one


    who decide to go on the stage to provide a demonstration because Annie wasn''t performing well.


    Heather couldn''t foretell what would happen.


    Annie and Rory were the ones who were to be on the stage today.


    Was there someone targeting Annie? But it seemed impossible because she was a stranger in the city


    and nobody would want to hurt her.


    Or maybe it was one of Rory''s enemies.


    But if someone intended to harm Rory, they would not have done it in Benton Group.


    After all, it was Rupert''s territory.


    It was clear what would happen to anyone who offended Rupert.


    Annabel was stumped.


    Robert also pondered over it.


    5 Rupert looked at the cut on Annabel''s leg and spoke in a deep voice.


    "I''ll have someone investigate this." Annabel nodded.


    Since Rupert took Annabel to the hospital, themercial filming was postponed.


    N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner.


    Annie was upset that Annabel had reprimanded her in front of so many people.She wanted Brett to


    comfort her, but all that Brett could think of was Annabel.


    "I''m not sure how Annabel is doing.Let''s go see her in the hospital."


    Annie was shocked.She couldn''t believe Brett dared to ask her to go with him to the hospital to see


    Annabel.


    Annie''s face darkened. She had no idea why Brett cared so much about Annabel.


    Holding Brett''s arm, she said flirtatiously, "I''ve spent the entire day working on the advertisement,


    honey.I''m exhausted."


    "All right, you can go back and get some rest," Brett stated gently.


    "And what about you? Don''t you want to apany me back to the hotel?" Annie questioned.


    "I''m going to visit Annabel.After all, she was injured as a result of today''s shooting."


    Brett then walked away, leaving Annie behind.


    Annie''s fists tightened as she watched Brett''s figure fade away.She could tell that Brett was not as


    enthusiastic as he had been before.She wondered what had caused him to change so much.She lost


    her dignity today after Annabel publicly humiliated and threatened to rece her.


    But all that Brett cared about were Annabel''s injury.


    The more Annie pondered on it, the more enraged she felt.She walked out of the studio, frowning.


    "Hello, Annie."


    Annie heard a woman''s voice as she stepped out of the studio.


    When she looked up, she saw a tall, stunning female standing at the studio''s entrance.It was Heather.


    "Who are you?" Annie looked at Heather, puzzled.


    Heather smiled as she introduced herself.


    "Pleasure to meet you, Annie.I''m Heather Norman."


    Annie nodded.


    Annie had recently learned about Heather, Rupert, and Annabel''splicated rtionship.


    Earlier today, Heather was pleading at the studio''s entrance to be let in to see Rupert, but Rupert


    sternly refused her request.It looked like the rumor was true.


    "How may I help you?" Annie asked, suspicious.


    "I''ve heard of you for quite some time.Indeed, hearing about someone isn''t the same as meeting them


    in person.Annie, would you like to join me for a cup of coffee?"


    Heather smiled sweetly.


    Annie agreed.


    The Norman family well-known in Douburgh.


    Many people wanted to be friends with them, and Heather appeared to be trying to win her over.


    Annie also wanted to ask Heather more about Annabel, so she nodded without hesitation.


    "Okay."


    They went to a cafe near Benton Group and sat down.


    Heather cleared her throat before saying, "I saw you shooting the advertisement just now.Annie, you


    did a good job.How could Annabel criticize you in that manner?"


    Heather defended Annie.


    The enemy of an enemy was a friend.


    Heather was certain that Annie would hate Annabel as long as she spoke ill of her.


    Annie''s face flushed with embarrassment when Heather mentioned what had happened in the studio.


    Taking a sip of coffee, she stated coldly, "As an outsider, Annabe] knows nothing about shooting."


    "Do you know the reason why Annabel is against you?" Heather asked on purpose.


    "Why?" Annie asked.


    "Just now, both Rupert and Brett were present.Annabel purposefully humiliated you in front of them to


    build herself up," Heather stated casually, sipping her coffee.


    "What do you mean? Did Annabel humiliate me in front of Brett on purpose?" Annie asked, gritting her


    teeth.


    Heather nodded, and she continued to nt seeds of discord.


    "Annabel is a woman with questionable ethics.When she sees a man, she wants to seduce him.She is


    Rupert''s fiancee, yet she continues to seduce other men.Just look at her.The fact that she dared to


    seduce Rory in front of Rupert today could tell you of the kind of person she is."


    Noticing Annie''s disgusted look for Annabel, Heather added, "Besides, when she fell on purpose, did


    Brett want to hurry over and save her?"


    Annie felt jealous as she recalled the situation and Brett''s care for Annabel.


    "I can''t take this anymore." Heather let out a sigh on purpose.


    "Through her attractiveness, Annabel seduces men everywhere in the name of work.Take caution,


    Annie.Do not give Annabel the chance to seduce your man."


    "I''m not going to let her seed!"


    Annie gripped the coffee cup firmly, a sh of coldness in her eyes.


    Rupert didn''t let Annabel go to work because of her leg injury.


    As a result, she had to schedule another meeting with the photographer.


    Through the curtains, the early sunlight shone on the bed.


    Annabel rubbed the corners of her eyes.It was now seven o''clock in the morning.


    After taking a shower, she headed downstairs.


    From the kitchen, a delicious aroma of breakfast wafted out.


    Annabel inhaled deeply.It smelt so delicious.


    "Thank you, Danica."


    Annabel then proceeded to the kitchen.


    However, there was a tall figure in the kitchen.It was Rupert.Annabel was confused as to why Rupert


    decided to prepare breakfast himself.

 Chapter 69 A Good Cook

    Chapter 69 A Good Cook


    Rupert was busy making breakfast in the kitchen in his casual clothes.


    The sunlight shone in on him through the window.


    Annabel couldn''t take her gaze away from him because he had a handsome face, a straight nose, and


    sexy thin lips.He was a little more spiced for life than his usual aloofness at work.


    Even while wearing an apron, he was stunning.


    Annabel was in a stupor.


    Hearing Annabel''s footsteps, Rupert looked back and said, "You''re awake."


    Annabel regained her senses and asked, "Why are you in the kitchen?"


    "Danica asked for a day off," Rupert responded softly.


    Annabel nodded.


    "Oh, okay.Do you know how to cook?"


    "You can have a taste," Rupert said with a friendly smile.It was undeniable that Rupert was an excellent


    cook.


    "It''s very delicious," Annabelplimented as she sat at the table and tasted Rupert''s cooking. She


    had no idea that the CEO, a man of such stature, was also a good cook.


    Annabel''s perspective on Rupert shifted as a result.


    "You can eat more if you like it." Rupert grinned slightly.He ced another sandwich on Annabel''s


    te.


    Annabel felt warm when she saw that Rupert cared about her.


    Rupert was not an awful person.He was tall, good-looking, muscr, and wealthy.He was also a


    powerful businessman who could do anything he desired.He could be a perfect man as long as he


    wasn''t short-tempered and moody.


    Perhaps, she could consider her grandpa''s advice.


    Rupert and Annabel were enjoying a pleasant breakfast together when his phone rang, interrupting the


    warm atmosphere.


    Rupert answered it and asked impatiently, "What''s up?"


    "Sir, about the falling ceilingmp of the studio, we have discovered the employees who were in charge


    of maintenance," Finley said.


    "And?¡± Rupert spoke in a low voice.


    Finley continued, "Three employees were doing maintenance and inspection at that time.But one of


    them has resigned.And, ording to the other two workers, the person in charge of inspecting the


    lamp was the one who resigned."


    "Investigate that employee further."


    Rupert''s face darkened, and his thin lips raised slightly.


    As soon as Rupert ended the call, Annabel asked, "How is it going? Have you concluded this issue?


    Have you discovered who did it?"


    Narrowing his eyes, Rupert replied, "It''s still under investigation."


    It appeared that the situation was moreplicated than they thought.


    Annabel returned to her room after breakfast and pulled out the ointment.


    A maic voice emerged from above her head as she was going to apply it to the wound on her leg.


    "Allow me to do it."


    Annabel raised her head and found that it was Rupert.


    "Thank you, but I can do it on my own." Annabel politely refused.


    But Rupert took the ointment from her hand, knelt, and applied it to her wound gently.


    "You helped me when my hand was injured.Now allow me to help you," Rupert stated in a low voice.


    "Alright."


    Annabel had no reason to refuse at that point.


    N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner.


    Rupert dipped the ointment on his finger and gently applied it over Annabel''s leg.


    The ointment was cool.


    His soft finger massaged her leg, making it numb and weak.


    Annabel''s face flushed with embarrassment.


    "Okay.Remember to apply the ointment as directed; otherwise, you will end up with an ugly scar,"


    Rupert warned and stood up.


    "Alright."


    Annabel stood up as well.She wasn''t sure if her legs felt numb because she had been seated for a long


    time when Rupert was applying the ointment on her leg.She toppled over upon Rupert when she


    stumbled.


    "Careful!" Rupert swiftly held Annabel.He wrapped his arm around her slender waist.


    Annabel melted into Rupert''s arms when she felt the warmth of his touch.


    Her cheeks flushed red as she gasped for air.


    Something wasn''t right with her.


    She always made silly mistakes whenever she was around Rupert.


    Rupert looked down at Annabel.


    The blush on her face and her timid demeanor were two of her most endearing qualities.His intense


    gaze slowly aroused a strong desire.


    Without hesitation, Rupert bent down and was about to kiss her tender lips.


    Staring at his lovely face getting close to her, Annabel froze and her mind went nk.


    Rupert''s phone rang again just as his lips were about to touch Annabel''s.


    Regaining her senses, Annabel pushed him away and stated, "Your phone is ringing."


    Rupert''s face darkened, and his eyes glowed with desire.He took out his phone and looked at it.


    Finley was the one calling.


    With a frown, Rupert answered the phone.


    "What''s up?"


    His voice was colder than usual, making Finley tremble.It looked like he called at the wrong time.


    However, he was still obligated to report the necessary information.


    "Sir, Kabir Gray is the name of the employee who resigned.I''ve sent someone to look into it.His entire


    family recently emigrated," Finley stated.


    "Emigrated?"


    Rupert''s sharp eyes narrowed.


    "Yes, andst week, Kabir¡¯s ount received five hundred thousand dors," Finley added.


    "I see." Rupert''s eyes grew dark.


    "What''s the matter?" Annabel was concerned.She was desperate to find out who had tampered with


    themp.She would have been hospitalized if Rupert hadn''t rescued her that day.


    Rupert restated what Finley had said.


    "Kabir and his family emigrated?" Annabel was stunned.


    Rupert nodded.


    "Yes."


    Kabir must be responsible for the falling of the studio''s ceilingmp.


    Kabir was only a maintenance employee and he received five hundred thousand dors not long ago.


    Someone must have paid him.


    Who was it? Why did they do that? Who was the person''s target? Annabel? Annie? Or Rory? Or


    maybe his target was Rupert or even Benton Group.

 Chapter 70 It Was Done With Intent

    Chapter 70 It Was Done With Intent


    After a few days of rest at home, Annabel''s injured leg was almost healed.


    Promotional shooting for the Ice and Fire series was scheduled to take ceter that day, and she


    was feeling ready.


    Annabel purposefully arrived at the studio half an hour early to speak with the staff, wanting to confirm


    that everything had been properly prepared.


    A half hour passed, Annie and Brett, as well as Rory, arrived.


    "Are you ready?" Annabel asked the makeup artist after she checked again and found nothing wrong.


    N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner.


    The makeup artist nodded and said, "I''m ready."


    "I''m going to change my clothes." Annie looked nkly at Annabel.


    "Where are they?"


    "Here."


    Annabel handed her a garment bag.


    The dress inside was designed by Annabel herself, and it was hot off Leo Studio''s racks.


    Annabel had taken great care to match the design to the feeling of Ice and Fire.


    Annie took the dress; she and her agent entered the dressing room.


    When Annie reappeared, she was wearing the dress.She looked like she was cloaked in fire.It was


    tailored to her shape, and the overall effect was incredibly ttering.


    In short, Annie was stunning, and no one could take their eyes off her.


    The effect was beyond even the designer''s expectations.


    Annie''s performance in the Ice theme hadn''t been good, but she could entuate the Fire theme to


    great advantage.


    Annabel was about to ask the make-up artist to do the make-up for Annie, when Annie stopped her.


    "Annabel, do you seriously expect me to wear this?"


    "What''s the problem?"


    Annabel frowned and looked Annie over once more.


    The dress was perfect.


    Annie turned around slowly.


    Everyone was surprised when they got a closer look at her back.It was entuated by a row of


    diamond buttons, which shone brilliantly against the red material of the dress.


    But in the middle, thergest and most dazzling diamond was missing.


    What happened? People exchanges nces, but no one was the wiser for it.


    Where had it gone? "Annabel, don''t you have any respect for your work? This dress isn''t ready for the


    shoot!"


    Annie said without ever breaking eye contact with Annabel.


    Annabel frowned.She had checked the dress just now and there had been nothing wrong.She had


    designed the dress.


    There were ten diamond buttons in total, all of which were decoratively arranged in a vertical row down


    the back.


    All ten had been there when she had thoroughly checked it minutes ago.


    Seeing that Annabel was deep in thought, Rory stepped forward and asked, "Did it fall off in the


    dressing room, perhaps?"


    "No," Annabel replied without hesitation.She was certain that hadn''t happened.


    Every article of clothing produced by Leo Studio was personally checked by Anika in to ensure the


    quality.


    The diamond would have been securely fastened.


    And Annabel had made a point of reminding Anika to pay special attention to the diamonds.


    It was simply impossible that the missing diamond had fallen off so easily.


    Moreover, if it hade loose and fallen off, there should be some thread left to mark the spot.But


    there was none.Someone must have carefully cut it off.


    Rory frowned and asked his agent to look for it in the fitting room.After a while, the agent returned.


    "I searched the whole room and didn''t find it.Maybe it fell out here? I''ll keep looking."


    "There''s no need!" Annabel moved close to Annie.


    "Give it back, please." Annie was all innocence.


    "Give what back, Annabel?"


    Annabel said, "The diamond button that you deliberately cut off the dress."


    "That''s ridiculous!"


    Annie continued to feign innocence, but she couldn''t prevent the quick look of panic that shed across


    her eyes.She had done it to frame Annabel.


    Heather had told her that Rupert was a man who was meticulous about his work.If Annabel made a


    serious mistake, she would face harsh consequences.


    For example, if a diamond was lost because it was poorly attached to a dress that Annabel was


    responsible for, there was a good chance that she would be fired.


    Annie saw a good opportunity to damage Annabel''s reputation and she seized it.


    But she hadn''t expected Annabel to be astute enough to realize what she had done and bold enough to


    publicly use her.


    Annie calmed herself with the knowledge that there was no evidence to prove Annabel''s usation


    because she had flushed the button down the toilet.


    As Annie became calmer, she also became more confident.She raised her voice and said, "I cut the


    diamond off? You must be joking.Annabel, tell me, why would I do that? I worked hard to be


    Benton Group''s spokesperson.They customized this dress for me to wear at today''s shoot.Why would I


    prevent the shoot from happening?"


    "I also want to know why you did that."


    Annabel narrowed her eyes and coldly stared at Annie as she considered the woman''s possible


    motives.


    Obviously, what Annie did was against her.But she had only known Annie for a few days.


    What reason could she have to be so hostile? Was it simply because she had criticized Annie at her


    audition? Was Annie that petty? If this was an act of vengeance, it was a very stupid one.


    Benton Group only gave her this opportunity to be the spokesperson for the sake of Brett.


    And it seemed like she was intentionally destroying that very opportunity, along with her reputation.


    "Honey, you have to say something."


    Annie pursed her lips in grievance and grabbed Brett''s arm.


    "Annabel made a mistake and now she wants to pass the me to me."


    Brett was about to speak, but Rory interrupted him.


    "Annie, please don''t make usations without evidence." He trusted Annabel unconditionally.


    She would never make such a stupid mistake.


    If Annabel said Annie cut the diamond off the dress on purpose, then that was what had happened.


    Annie saw that Rory was intent on defending Annabel, and became even more aggrieved.


    "Honey, stop them from ganging up on me," she whined to Brett.


    The rest of the people in the room began to ask themselves who was really at fault.


    "Annie wouldn''t have done that, would she?"


    "Yeah, she had no reason to."


    "So then, Annabel is to me?"


    Annabel smiled sarcastically.


    Annie was indeed a movie star.Her acting convinced almost everyone.She was about to say something


    when a cold, male voice drew the room''s attention.


    "What happened here?"

 Chapter 71 The Best Proof

    Chapter 71 The Best Proof


    Rupert strode into the studio with measured steps.


    The well-cut suit enhanced his strong and perfect figure.His gorgeous face was a little forbidding, and


    his sharp eyes gazed ahead keenly.He looked so intimidating that it was daunting.His noble personality


    made people automatically wish to bow to him.


    A hush fell over the crowd at this moment.


    Everyone''s eyes turned to the entrance in unison.


    "Mr.Benton, you have arrived just in time."


    As soon as Annie spotted Rupert, she walked forward in her high heels to meet him.


    Even though Rupert''s expression was so intimidating, Annie knew she would have to move first to


    convince him that all of today''s events were Annabel''s fault.She must convince him that Annabel lost


    the button and dyed the progress of the advertisement shoot.She believed once Rupert believed her


    ims, he would make Annabel''s life miserable.


    Considering this, Annie spun around and disyed her back to Rupert.


    With an aggrieved expression, she said, "Look, Mr.Benton.This is the dress Annabel provided me with."


    Rupert''s icy gaze fell on Annie''s dress.


    The row of diamond buttons, only missing the middle one, was very conspicuous.His eyebrows


    furrowed slightly as it struck him that Annabel wouldn''t make such an obvious mistake.


    Noting his silence, Annie continued to pretend to be distressed.She pursed her lips and said, "How can


    I shoot in such a dress? What''s more, the buttons of Leo Studio''s dresses are all bespoke.Now that


    one is missing, we will have to ask them to customize another one.We don''t even know how long this


    will take.The process was derailed because of Annabel¡¯s mistake.However, to defend herself, she


    ndered me.She imed that I cut off the button.How can that be possible? She''s saying I cut the


    button myself, dyed the shoot, and wasted my time.It''s simply impossible!"


    "Why is it impossible?"


    Annabel red at Annie coldly.


    The hair at the back of Annie''s neck stood up and she rolled her eyes.


    "Don''t talk nonsense.Do you have any proof that I sabotaged the dress?" Annabel said lightly, "Before I


    gave you the dress, I checked it thoroughly.At that time, it had ten buttons on it.After you went to the


    fitting room and got dressed, one button went missing.There is no doubt that the button could only be


    removed in the fitting room and was deliberately cut off.If the button became loose and fell off, a thread


    would still be left behind.We have already confirmed that no trace of a thread remains where the button


    used to be.This act was purposelymitted by someone."


    After a pause, Annabel continued, "As for who the culprit could be, it is quite obvious, as only you and


    your agent were in the fitting room at that time."


    "Don''t sling mud at me!"


    Annie red at Annabel.


    "If I cut the button off in the fitting room, why couldn''t you find it there?"


    Annabel retorted, "Let me ask you then.Where did you toss the button?"


    Annie snorted.


    "You lost the button yourself.Did you really check the dress carefully? Oral derations cannot be


    taken as evidence.You''re just making an excuse for your mistake."


    "Of course, I was not just making a deration."


    With aposed expression, Annabel fixed her gaze on Annie.


    "What if I can prove you''re the one who cut the button and disposed of it?"


    As Annie stared into Annabel''s cold eyes, her expression changed.


    "How can you prove that?"


    No surveince camera was there in the fitting room, and the button had already been tossed into the


    sewer.


    How could Annabel prove anything? Annie believed Annabel must have said that to trick her! Annabel


    took one step forward and slowly said, "Annie, there is one thing you''re probably unaware of."


    Annie instinctively asked, "What?"


    "The dress you are wearing is specially customized by Leo Studio for Benton Group.The style is


    specifically suited to highlight the theme Ice and Fire," Annabel said calmly.


    Annie was stunned.


    "So what?"


    Annabel continued, "To make the shoot more attractive, the designer made the diamond buttons with a


    special material which will disy different colors under different lights to highlight the theme."


    Annabel hade up with this special design.She thought of the idea of making the buttons change


    colors with different lights to achieve an awe-inspiring effect.


    As long as the lights changed, the colors of the buttons would also change.


    Annie''s face darkened.


    "What are you getting at?"


    "Doesn''t that exin anything?"


    Annabel focused on Annie''s hand, her lips curving up in a sarcastic smile.


    "When the cold light shines on the buttons, they will turn white.And when the warm light shines on


    them, they will turn red.You just cut off the button and threw it away.Your hand must havee in


    contact with the special material on the button.Once the lighting staff illuminates your hands with


    different lights, the truth will be revealed."


    Annie''s heart began pounding.


    Was Annabel speaking the truth? No, it couldn''t be true.


    How could such a magical material exist in the world? She had never heard of it before.


    Annabel must be bluffing.


    Annabel wanted her to panic and betray herself.She wouldn''t be fooled! Annie took a few deep breaths


    to calm herself down.She looked at Annabel with a mocking expression and said, "What are you talking


    about, Annabel? How could such a material be there? It''s ridiculous!"


    Annabel sneered, "Just because you don''t know about the material doesn''t mean it doesn''t exist.If


    you''re not guilty, we can test it out.Once we do it, we will know the truth.Are you afraid of getting


    tested?"


    Annie clenched her jaw tightly and glowered at Annabel.


    "Who says I''m afraid? I didn¡¯t do it.Why should I be afraid?"


    Content held by N?velDrama.Org.


    She told herself to calm down and not reveal her guilt.She could not panic and fall into Annabel''s trap.


    "It''s great if you dare to do the test."


    Annabel grabbed Annie''s arm and raised her hand high.


    Then she gestured to the lighting staff and said, "Please shine the light on the diamond buttons on


    Annie''s dress and then on her hand."


    The lighting staff looked at Rupert with questioning eyes.


    Rupert nodded with a frosty expression and said in a deep voice, "Do as Annabel says."

 Chapter 72 You Reap What You Sow

    Chapter 72 You Reap What You Sow


    The lighting staff saw that Rupert agreed and immediately understood what he was meant to do.He


    moved to the switch and turned on the light.


    A beam of blue light illuminated the diamond buttons on Annie''s back, which began to flicker white.


    After a few moments, the beam turned red, and the diamonds began to look like mes sparking


    across Annie''s back.


    "They really can change colors!"


    Everyone was amazed by the sight.


    Annabel smiled at the crowd''s reaction.


    "As you can see, the diamond buttons are painted with a special material that creates a brilliant change


    of color in response to the light.Now please turn the light and your attention to Annie''s hand."


    Annabel gripped Annie''s hands tightly to prevent her from moving while the lighting staff redirected the


    beam.


    Annie''s mind went nk and her hands began to tremble.


    Annabel had spoken the truth.


    There really was a special material on the diamond buttons that responded to lighting changes.


    What should she do now? Annie struggled hard, but Annabel''s grip was firm.


    Once the beam was on Annie''s hand, the lighting staff changed its color to a cold blue.


    Annie''s palm began emitting white light.


    The sight took the crowd by surprise.


    Annabel exined, "What you are seeing is proof that Annie clutched the missing diamond in her


    palm.She then flushed it down the toilet.The special material stained her hand without her knowing."


    Annabel signaled to have the beam change to red, and the light that Annie''s hand was emitting also


    changed, just like magic.


    The crowd gasped.


    Annabel maintained a firm grip on Annie''s trembling arm as she gave the room a better look.


    "We can all clearly see that Annie''s palm Teacts to the lighting in the exact same way as the diamond


    buttons.There is no doubt that she removed the button from her dress intentionally.Her hands are


    stained with the proof.I believe you all know the truth now."


    The crowd voiced their agreement.


    "I never would''ve thought Annie was responsible."


    "Why did she do it?"


    "who knows? She has reaped as she has sown."


    Annie''s face turned pale as she listened to the crowd talk.


    Content held by N?velDrama.Org.


    Annabel had no sympathy for her.


    "The evidence is irrefutable.Do you have anything to say?"


    "No, it''s impossible.It''s not true," Annie said in a trembling voice.


    How could this be? Why did this happen? The n had been wless.


    How had Annabel seen through it so easily? She hadn''t known about the special material on the


    diamond buttons.


    "Annabel, you must have done it.You set me up on purpose, right?" Annie cried out unwillingly.


    "If you didn''t want people to know, then you shouldn''t have done it.But you did do it, and now you have


    to admit it!"


    With a sneer, Annabel released Annie''s arm.


    "Annie, you disappoint me."


    Brett went to Annie''s side, his blue eyes like pools of disappointment.


    It hadn''t been appropriate to appoint Annie as the spokesperson, but since she had been so persistent,


    he had decided to give her a chance.


    However, Annie had failed to cherish the opportunity and created enough trouble to disgrace him.


    "No, no, listen to me, honey.I didn¡¯t do it."


    Brett''s public rejection was making Annie hysterical.She grabbed his arm tightly.


    "Listen to me.I didn''t do it.Annabel framed me."


    Brett spared Annie a nce, then looked to her agent.


    "Tell me, what''s the truth?"


    His expression was foreboding, and the aura he exuded was terrifying.


    "If you lie to me, I''ll make sure you regret it for the rest of your life."


    The agent nched.She knew that Brett was a man of his word.


    If she dared to lie, her life would essentially be over.


    Annabel already proved Annie had cut the diamond button from the dress.


    Even if she lied for Annie, she would be refuted immediately.


    It was also true that Annie had a terrible temper and often ordered her to do things on a whim without


    regard for the consequences.


    She had been working for her long enough to know.


    What was the point of defending Annie? It made no sense to get herself in trouble with Brett and


    Rupert for her sake.She decided to tell the truth.She cleared her throat and said, "Mr.McCoy, the


    diamond button was indeed cut from the dress by Annie in the fitting room."


    Annie was furious.


    "How dare you?" she shouted at her agent.


    "Annie, I''m just telling the truth.I don¡¯t want to betray my conscience," replied the agent.


    "I don''t know why she did it, though."


    "where is the button now?" Annabel asked.


    "Annie flushed it down the toilet," the agent answered honestly.


    "No, you''re lying.I didn''t.I didn¡¯t do it."


    Annie bit her lip and continued to murmur protests.


    "Do you want me to get someone to fetch the button from the sewer?" Annabel sneered.


    Annie was shameless.


    Even now, she persisted in denying the truth.


    Rupert suddenly broke his silence by looking to Finley and saying, "Send someone to look for the


    button."


    His voice was deep andmanding.


    Finley was efficient.


    Soon, the diamond button was found in the sewer.


    "Annabel, is this button?"


    Finley carefully handed the button to Annabel.


    "Yes.This is it."


    Annabel took the button and showed it to the crowd.


    "The buttons produced by Leo Studio have logos on them."


    The logo could be discerned at a nce, but the button itself had been submerged in muck for


    novelebookso long that it was no longer useable.


    What a pity! "Anything more to say?"


    Annabel''¡¯s question was sarcastic and rhetorical.


    "If your agent didn''t see you flush this, how did she know what happened?"


    Annie went pale, and she was too shamed to defend herself.


    Annabel addressed the crowd seriously, "Now that the missing button has been found, the truth is


    clear.Annie, I don''t know why you did it, but know that Benton Group won''t cooperate with you


    anymore."


    "What? You''re terminating my contract?" Annie''s eyes widened in disbelief.

 Chapter 73 Give Me Five Minutes

    Chapter 73 Give Me Five Minutes


    "Yes."


    Annabel nodded.


    "As Benton Group''s spokesperson, moral quality is considered a top priority.We would never consider


    hiring a person with such poor moral standards as a spokesperson.And so, on behalf of Benton Group,


    I dere that our contract with you is officially terminated!"


    "You have no right to terminate my contract." Annie looked pitifully towards Brett, pleading for help.


    "Honey, say something.You know I''ve always wished to be a spokesperson for Benton Group.You''ve


    promised me.Now, stick to your word."


    Annie realized that Brett was the only one she could count on.


    Seeing how remorseless she still was, Brett was disappointed.He replied in a somber tone, "I''ve given


    you the chance, but what you''ve done is disgusting.As you brew, so you must drink.I can''t help you."


    Brett turned around and walked out of the studio.He no longer wished to see Annie again.


    "Listen to me.I didn''t mean it."


    Seeing how furious Brett was as he left, Annie ran to catch up with him.However, Annabel stopped her


    in her tracks.


    "Annie, aren''t you going to apologize to me for what just happened?"


    "Apologize? To you?"Annie was livid.She clenched her fists tightly.


    If it wasn¡¯t for Annabel, how would she ever have ended up making a fool of herself in public today? ?


    Did Annabel want her to apologize? No way! The very next moment, two men''s voices, cold and fierce,


    loudly shouted in unison, "Apologize to Annabel!"


    It was Rupert and Rory.


    Annie''s expression changed.


    Why was everyone defending Annabel and not het? She had already angered Brett.She couldn''t afford


    to offend Rupert and Rory too.


    Annie turned to Annabel and said through gritted teeth, "I''m sorry.Is that enough? Can I leave now?"


    But Annabel didn''t budge.


    "Please remove your dress first."


    Annie red at her before she made a beeline for the fitting room where she reluctantly undressed.


    Once that was done, she chased after Brett.


    "Honey, wait for me!"


    Hearing her voice, Brett paused and said, "Annie, I''m utterly disappointed that you did such a thing!"


    "I didn''t mean it.I don''t know what was wrong with me."


    Now that she could no longer deny what she had done, all Annie could do was plead.She hoped that


    Brett would forgive her.


    But Brett remained unmoved.


    He cast nothing but a cold nce at her before saying, "Let''s break up, Annie."


    What? Break up? Brett''s words shocked Annie.He wanted to break up with her? No, it couldn''t be true!


    This all must be her imagination.Annie was in a momentary daze before fully returning to her senses.


    "Brett, stop kidding, alright?" His eyes turned cold.


    "I''m not kidding."


    "No, I''m not breaking up with you!"


    Annie couldn''t help but scream.She went through tons of effort to secure her ce as Brett''s girlfriend.


    After all of that, how could she just break up with him? "Annie, you know I don''t like others pestering


    me." Brett frowned.


    "Why? Is it because of Annabel?"


    Annie''s eyes filled with jealousy and hatred at the realization.


    "You need to do some self-reflecting.This has nothing to do with anyone else," Brett said


    dispassionately as he shook off Annie''s hand in disgust and left.


    Staring at Brett''s back, Annie felt utterly desperate.


    It was all Annabel''s fault! ? She caused all of this.


    If it wasn''t for Annabel, how could Brett have broken up with her? Annie clenched her fists once more,


    her nails digging deep into her flesh as she said to herself, "I''m never letting this go, Annabel!"


    N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner.


    Annabel, who was still in the studio, suddenly sneezed.


    "Are you okay?" Rupert asked with concern.


    He took off his suit jacket and ced it on her shoulders.


    "Be careful not to catch a cold."


    Shaking her head, Annabel smiled and said, "I''m fine."


    Rory''s gaze darkened as he witnessed the scene y out from the sidelines.


    "It seems we can''t finish the shooting today." Rupert frowned.


    "Hire another spokesperson and make another appointment."


    Now that Annie''s contract was terminated, they had to choose a new spokesperson.


    "I have a suitable candidate," Annabel offered, her voice gentle yet hopeful.


    "Oh? Who?" Rupert turned to Annabel.


    "What do you think of Margo Perez?"


    Annabel asked while smoothing her locks on her forehead.


    Margo was not only a signed actor of Star Entertainment but also the spokesperson that Annabel had


    in mind.


    Margo''s performance made her the current talk of the town.


    Her peculiar personality was in line with the theme of Ice and Fire.


    Annabel had initially nned to invite Margo as a spokesperson.


    However, Annie managed to ask her first.


    "Alright."


    Rupert raised his eyebrows.


    Rupert didn''t know what to make of Margo just yet.


    But since Annabel imed that Margo was the best fit for the role, he agreed.


    Annabel then turned to Rory and asked, "Do you mind lending us Margo for a few days?"


    "No problem." Rory agreed without hesitation and immediately called Margo.


    After hanging up the phone, Rory turned to Annabel and said, "Margo will arrive in half an hour.She


    should be able to shoot the advertisement today."


    "Thank you."


    Annabel smiled, patting Rory''s shoulder.


    Rupert, who was watching everything happen from the sidelines, couldn''t help but pull a long face.


    What was going on between Annabel and Rory? Half an hourter, Margo made it just in time.


    "Is it true? Does Benton Group want me to be their spokesperson?" Margo asked in disbelief.


    Rory smiled faintly.


    "Well since you''re already here, do you still think I''d lie to you?"


    "That''s not what I meant.It''s just so sudden.Thank you!"


    Margo could no longer contain her excitement.


    It was the dream of countless movie stars to be a spokesperson for Benton Group.


    Since she was still a neer with a career that just got off the ground, having Rory provide her with


    such an amazing opportunity was quite unexpected.


    "Work hard," Rory reminded her.


    "Don¡¯t bring shame to ourpany."


    "I''ll do my best," Margo replied with sincerity.


    Because their figures were simr, the dress custom-made for Annie should fit Margo just as well.


    However, one of its buttons was missing.


    "Ask someone to order a diamond button from Leo Studio," Rupert ordered Finley.


    Finley nodded.


    Just as he was about to contact Leo Studio, Annabel stopped him.


    "Don''t bother.Give me five minutes and we''ll be able to shoot soon."


    Five minutes? What was she thinking? Rupert looked at Annabel, confused.


    How could they shoot with a dress with a button missing?

 Chapter 74 A Perfect Opportunity

    Chapter 74 A Perfect Opportunity


    To everyone''s surprise, Annabel picked up the dress and removed all the buttons on the back with


    scissors.


    What was Annabel nning to do? Why did she remove all the buttons? Wouldn''t the dress be ruined?


    Working quickly, Annabel rearranged the row of buttons into a pattern that used one less.Her


    skillfulness stunned everyone present.


    Rupert''s gaze never left Annabel.


    His fiancee, who came from the countryside, surprised him again.


    If she wasn''t confident in her skills, how could she so boldly make changes to such an expensive piece


    of clothing? After all, the dress was a product of Leo Studio.


    Annabel was done in five minutes.


    The nine buttons had been rearranged, and there was no trace of the alternations.


    It was as if the dress as it appeared now was the original design.


    "Done."


    Expecting noints or contradictions, Annabel put away the needle and thread.


    Suddenly, Rupert approached her.He lowered his head and spoke in a voice that only the two of them


    could hear.


    "You even know how to do this?" Annabel looked at him and smiled.


    "Have you forgotten that I came from the countryside? How can I make a living if I stop learning new


    skills and improving old ones?"


    Ignoring Rupert, Annabel picked up the dress and handed it to Margo.


    "Try it on."


    Margo took the dress to the fitting room.


    When she came out again, she was more stunning in the dress than Annie had been.


    Annabel was very satisfied, and Rupert''s appreciation of her increased a little.


    Margo was indeed more suitable than Annie.


    When everything was ready, Annabel told the photographer to start the shoot.


    Margo had never shot such an important advertisement before.She was nervous, and her movements


    were a bit awkward.


    Annabel stopped the shoot several times to give Margo a personal demonstration.


    "Don''t be nervous.Rx.Pretend that this is just another day at work,"


    Annabel instructed Margo with patience.


    From where he stood, Rupert couldn''t help smiling as he watched Annabel work.She took her job


    seriously.His fiancee was amazing.


    There seemed to be nothing she couldn''t do well.


    His grandpa had been right.


    Annabel''s advantages warranted thorough investigation.


    If it wasn''t for Candy, it might be possible for him to develop a rtionship with Annabel.


    But...


    When Rupert thought of Candy, his eyes darkened.


    He had been looking for her for years, but thus far, he hadn''t received any news.


    Where was his Candy now? Margo was a modest and conscientious student, and after several


    attempts, she achieved the state offort that Annabel required.


    "Great, keep it up."


    Annabel smiled with satisfaction.Two hourster, the shoot wrapped up.


    Margo breathed a long sigh of relief and turned to express her gratitude.


    "Thank you, Annabel, for teaching me so much."


    "It''s my pleasure." Annabel gave a smile.


    "Be here tomorrow morning at nine o''clock.Don''t bete.We''ll be shooting the outdoor scenes,"


    Annabel told Margo and Rory.


    "Annabel, will you have dinner with me tonight? I can give you the information I mentionedst time,"


    Rory said expectantly.


    He had made a n to shift the focus of Star Entertainment to the domestic market and was itching to


    show Annabel.


    Annabel was about to respond when Rupert circled her waist with his arm and dered, "She doesn''t


    have time tonight."


    Rupert''s public disy of affection made Annabel blush.Content held by N?velDrama.Org.


    Was he trying to remind them that she was his fiancee? But it was just nominal! He didn''t have the right


    to decide for her.Besides, Rory had something important to talk about with her over dinner.


    The intimacy between Annabel and Rupert upset Rory.He tightened his thin lips, turned around and left


    without saying a word.


    "Rory..."


    Annabel called after him, wanting to exin, but Rupert held her tightly back.


    Annabel red at Rupert angrily.


    "Let me go," she demanded.


    "What? You can''t wait to be with Rory?" Rupert''s face darkened.


    "It doesn''t have anything to do with you."


    Annabel broke from Rupert grasp.


    "Leave me alone."


    She left, not caring that Rupert''s cold gaze followed her the entire time.


    Lately, Heather had been feeling a little annoyed.She had nned to use Annie to deal with Annabel,


    but she hadn''t expected that Annie would prove to be ipetent.


    Also, she couldn''t figure Annabel''s unnatural luck.She seemed to turn bad to good every time.


    Heather was about to ask Be out shopping, but the butler said, "Miss, there is a Miss Jones waiting


    for you outside."


    Miss Jones? Heather waved her hand dismissively.


    "I don''t want to see her!"


    "Understood."


    The butler bowed and left.


    After the butler was gone, Heather called Be, and the two set a date to go shopping.


    Heather was leaving when a figure rushed in front of her car.


    Heather was forced to brake so suddenly that she was almost thrown into the windshield.


    "Psycho!"


    Cursing whoever it was, Heather got out of her car and mmed the door to vent her anger.It was Nina


    who almost caused an ident.


    "What are you doing?" Heather frowned.


    "Are you crazy? Why did you jump in front of my car?"


    "Miss Norman, please help me," Nina pleaded, looking slightly embarrassed.


    Since she had been expelled from the Benton Group, she found it impossible to find a job, and now she


    was running out of money.


    In desperation, she remembered that Heather had once tried to win her over.


    "Help you? Things between us haven''t been settled," Heather said angrily.


    "Who let you stab Rupert?"


    "It was an ident! I was aiming for Annabel."


    Just the sound of Annabel''s name was enough to send Nina into a teeth-gnashing rage.


    "But I never expected Rupert to sacrifice himself for her.It¡¯s all Annabel''s fault.If it weren''t for her, I


    wouldn''t have been fired.No one will hire me now!"


    "You said it yourself," said Heather.


    "It was Annabel who put you in this position, so why don''t you go get even with her instead of bothering


    me?"


    "I wanted to!" Nina clenched her fists.


    "But I can''t get close to her, let alone get even.Annabel is either in thepany or at Rupert''s home."


    "I see." Heather thought for a moment.


    "I heard that Annabel is shooting an ad at Lover Lake tomorrow.So many people drown in thatke


    every year.If Annabel also happens to drown tomorrow..."


    "Yes, an ident!"


    The idea appealed to Nina, and her expression turned murderous.


    Tomorrow did indeed present the perfect opportunity.

 Chapter 75 Liquor

    Chapter 75 Liquor


    "Take this money."


    Heather took out a stack of money from her wallet and gave it to Nina.


    "If youplete your task sessfully, you can rest assured that I will let you return to Benton Group."


    "Really?" Nina asked with anticipation.


    Heather nodded, "Of course.Everything is caused by Annabel.As soon as she is out of the picture,


    Rupert will remember you.After all, you have worked in Benton Group for so many years.If I put in a


    good word for you with Rupert, you''ll be able to return to Benton Group?"


    "Yes."


    Gritting her teeth, Nina epted the money.


    "Please rest assured.Annabel will cease to exist in this world tomorrow."


    The hatred in Nina''s heart reached a tipping point and she couldn''t wait to kill Annabel. She would go to


    any lengths to get rid of Annabel and get her revenge.


    "That''s good," Heather said with a small smile.She had several ways to deal with Annabel without


    having to even get her hands dirty.


    Once Annabel was dead, she believed she would be Rupert''s wife.


    After Nina left, Heather pondered for a while and sent a message to Cathy, informing her that she


    should get to watch a good show at Lover Lake at nine tomorrow morning.


    Heather knew that Cathy detested Annabel too.


    If Nina failed to kill Annabel tomorrow, Cathy could step in and continue the n.


    "Annabel, just wait!"


    Once everything was arranged, Heather cheerfully went shopping with Be.


    As she thought about how Annabel would be gotten rid of tomorrow, Heather couldn''t restrain her


    excitement and bought several items she liked.It began to gette.


    "Heather, shall we go back?" Be walked behind Heather and helped carry her bags.


    "What''s the rush?"


    Heather continued her shopping spree and purchased severaltest handbags before going home with


    satisfaction.She got into her car and the driver started it.


    After a while, a familiar Rolls-Royce entered her field of vision.


    "Isn''t that Rupert''s car?"


    She hadn''t seen Rupert since the day she had begged her brother to take her to Benton Group.


    Heather was worried about not having another chance to meet Rupert.She never imagined she would


    experience such a coincidence to spot him driving toward the suburb.


    "Quick, follow the car in front of us," Heather instructed the driver.


    "Yes," he replied respectfully.


    Rupert continued driving straight to the suburb.Be was puzzled.


    "Heather, where is Mr.Benton going?"Content held by N?velDrama.Org.


    Heather''s gaze was focused on the handsome man in the car ahead.


    Even though they were so far away, Heather could tell that he was still cold.


    Heather was suddenly struck by a thought.


    "What is today''s date?"


    "It''s the fifth of June," Be replied in a perplexed voice.


    Heatherpsed into a thoughtful silence before saying, "If I remember correctly, today is Rupert''s


    father''s death anniversary."


    Her brother had once told her that Rupert would go to the cemetery to pay his respects to his father on


    this day every year.


    After parking the car at the cemetery, Rupert walked on the winding path that led to the top of the


    mountain.


    A solemn tombstone stood at the center of the peak.It belonged to Rupert''s father, Jarrett Benton.


    Rupert knelt on one knee, his eyes sad.He fixed his gaze on the picture of the middle-aged man on the


    tombstone, who resembled him.


    "Dad, I''m here to meet you." Rupert''s handsome face was severe and a little haggard.


    When Rupert was fifteen years old, Jarrett encountered an unexpected tragedy.


    That year, when he went sailing on a cruise ship, he ran into a storm.


    The cruise ship sank and Jarrett went missing.


    Bruce searched for Jarrett with rescuers, finally finding him after seven days.


    Unfortunately, Jarrett was already a cold corpse by then.


    Everyone called it an ident, but Rupert didn''t believe it.


    Jarrett''s cruise ship had been constructed by the top manufacturer in the world.It was powerful enough


    to withstand storms.


    Although the wind was blowing strongly that day, the cruise ship wouldn''t have sunk easily.


    Moreover, not only was Jarrett highly skilled at sailing cruise ships, but he was also an exceptional


    swimmer.


    Several inds were there near the location where the ship had gone down.


    Even if the cruise ship was sinking, he could have made his escape.


    With his brilliant swimming skills, he would have reached one of the inds.


    How could he have drowned? 1 Back then, Bruce also suspected that his son''s death was not an


    ident, but he couldn''t find any clues or anomalies.


    People couldn''t be brought back from the dead.


    From that day on, the burden of Benton Group fell on Rupert''s shoulders.


    Rupert poured two sses of wine, one of which he tipped into the ground in front of the tombstone.


    His gorgeous face was lined with sadness and mncholy.


    "Dad, I propose a toast to you." He drained the ss of wine he was holding and firmly said, "Dad, I


    know your death was not an ident.I''m certain I will get to the bottom of it!"


    A downpour started.It soaked his whole body, and drops of water dripped down his hair.


    However, Rupert didn''t even notice it.He knelt in front of the tombstone and steadily drank the wine.


    Gradually, he became a little inebriated.


    Leaning against the tombstone, he gently traced his fingers over his father¡¯s photo.Heid his thoughts


    bare to his father.


    "Dad, do you know, I still haven''t found Candy? It''s been so many years.Grandpa has arranged my


    engagement.Her name is Annabel.Without Candy, I think I might ept the engagement.But I


    promised Candy I would marry her."


    Heather was greeted by this sight when she reached the peak of the mountain, gasping for breath, and


    holding an umbre in her hand.


    Rupert was sitting on the ground,pletely drenched.He drunkenly leaned against the tombstone, his


    expression despondent.


    "Rupert, are you okay?"


    Heather stepped forward and brought the umbre over him.


    "You arepletely soaked."


    However, Rupert ignored her.He picked up the bottle of wine and gulped it down in one go.


    Heather grabbed the bottle from him and eximed, "Rupert, stop drinking.You''re sloshed!"


    Feeling groggy, Rupert looked up and saw a beautiful face peering at him worriedly.


    "Candy?"


    Rupert was so drunk that he couldn''t clearly make out the features of the woman in front of him.He felt


    that it was Candy who cared and worried about him.


    Candy? Heather was hearing this name for the first time.


    Her ears automatically perked up.


    Who was Candy? Was it Annabel? Not likely...Heather bent forward and supported Rupert, using all


    her strength.In a gentle and charming voice, she said, "Rupert, you''re drunk.Let me take you home."


    Rupert, drunk and out of his senses, shouted again, "Candy..."

 Chapter 76 I Am Candy

    Chapter 76 I Am Candy


    Heather was nonplussed for a while.


    Then she pasted a charming smile on her face and said coyly, "Yes, I''m Candy.Rupert, I''m your Candy."


    Rupert massaged his temples, his head spinning.Was she Candy? He was confused.


    "You are drunk.Let me take you home."


    Heather bent down and helped Rupert to his feet.


    "Candy, is that you? Is it really you?"


    Rupert stumbled and leaned against Heather, his voice dripping with disbelief and astonishment.He


    had been searching for Candy for so many years.Had she finally returned? "Yes, it''s me."


    Heather gazed at the man next to her with admiration.


    She was in such close quarters with Rupert for the first time.He was tall and handsome.


    Even if he was inebriated, he was still captivating.


    Heather extended her hand and gently stroked Rupert''s gorgeous face with shaky fingers.


    This was the man she had been in love with for so many years.He had always been indifferent to her


    before, and now she finally got the chance to be intimate with him.However, this was only happening


    when he was drunk and mistook her for another woman.


    "Candy, why have you changed?"


    Although the woman standing in front of him imed to be Candy, Rupert felt like she was a stranger,


    not Candy.She didn''t invoke the electrifying sensation he got in her presence.


    "I haven''t changed.You''re having this misperception because you''re drunk."


    Heather''s heart quivered and she quickly pulled her hand back.She was afraid Rupert would discover


    that she wasn''t Candy.


    With great difficulty, Heather finally helped Rupert to the foot of the mountain.


    Content held by N?velDrama.Org.


    "Come and help me," Heather yelled at Be and the driver.


    They both hastily got out of the car and helped Heather seat Rupert inside.


    "Let''s go now," Heather instructed the driver.


    The driver nced hesitantly at her and asked in a cautious voice, "Should I drive Mr.Benton home?"


    "We will go back to my home, of course." Heather shot a re at the driver.


    It had been so difficult for her to get close to Rupert today.


    How could she waste this golden opportunity? The driver quickly turned the car around and set off in


    the direction of Heather''s house.


    Rupert leaned back into the seat, his face slightly flushed from all the alcohol he had consumed.He


    was not as cold and distant as he usually was.He looked much more approachable at this moment.


    Heather stared at him, her heart racing.Rupert constantly mumbled, "Candy, Candy..."


    "I''m here." Heather returned to her senses and grasped his hand.


    "Candy, don''t leave me."


    Rupert instinctively curled his fingers around Heather''s hand.Hisrge hand was so warm that it


    seemed to light up her entire body.


    "Heather, who is Candy?" Be asked curiously.


    Heather scowled and red at her as she said, "I don''t know.Don''t you have to go home?"


    Be wisely got out of the car.


    The car traveled fast.


    An hourter, they arrived at the destiny.


    Heather carefully helped Rupert get out of the car.


    "Here we are, Rupert."


    It was already ten o''clock at night by the time Annabel finished her work for the day.It was rare for


    Rupert to not call and tell her to go home.


    Annabel took a taxi back to Water Moon Community.


    The apartment was empty.


    Annabel switched on the light and swept her eyes over the house.


    Rupert was not there.She wondered where he could have gone as he wasn''t at the office or at


    home.She hadn''t heard him mention any social engagements tonight.


    Was this miserly man angry again just because she had asked him not to interfere in her affairs in the


    afternoon? She raised her eyebrows.


    Who did he think he was? Annabel went to her room and asked Anika about the progress of Leo


    Studio.


    Anika quickly texted her back.


    "Everything is fine." Annabel switched on theputer and opened the hidden folder.She clicked on


    the picture of the dress she had designed and added some revisions to it.


    Once she was done with this, Annabel looked at her watch.


    It was already one in the morning.But Rupert hadn''t returned yet.


    This had never happened before.


    Even if he had some business, he would call or text her and give her a heads-up.


    Had something bad befallen him? Worried, Annabel took out her phone and dialed his number.


    After exerting great effort, Heather managed to get Rupert in bed.She leaned forward and helped him


    take his coat off.


    Rupert was only wearing a white shirt as hey on the bed.


    The top two buttons were open, exposing his strong chest muscles.


    "Don''t leave me, Candy..."


    "I will never leave you, never."


    Heather''s gaze was fixated on Rupert.So what if he thought of her as another woman? Once they


    made love, she believed that he would finally fall in love with her.


    Wrapping her arm around his powerful waist, she rested her head against his chest and said


    affectionately, "Rupert, do you know how much I love you?"


    In an alcohol-fueled haze, Rupert felt a woman in his arms, kissing him and saying she loved him, but


    this feeling was not familiar.It was not Candy! Candy had a subtle scent, but the woman in his arms


    was shrouded in a vulgar perfume smell.


    Heather was unbuttoning his shirt when Rupert shoved her away and eximed, "You''re not Candy!"


    Heather''s reflexes didn''t kick in, so she fell heavily to the floor.She looked up with an aggrieved


    expression, stared at the familiar but indifferent man in front of her, and said with bloodshot eyes,


    "Rupert, you''re drunk.I''m Candy.I am Candy!"


    Candy...


    No, it was not Candy.


    Rupert felt a throbbing pain in his head.


    He struggled to get to his feet, but was so drunk that he staggered and fell back on the bed.


    Under the alcohol''s effect, he closed his eyes and gradually drifted off.


    Heather was filled with resistance as she observed the man who was sleeping soundly in front of her.


    Why? Why did Rupert refuse to touch her even when he was drunk? Just then, his phone rang.


    Heather took it out from his coat pocket.


    Annabel''s name popped up on the screen.


    Heather answered the phone with a sneer and asked in a provocative voice, "Hello, who is this?"

 Chapter 77 Go To Hell

    Chapter 77 Go To Hell


    Annabel was shocked when she heard a woman''s voice on the other end of the line.


    Moreover, her voice sounded familiar.It sounded much like Heather''s voice.


    But how could it be Heather? Rupert disliked her.


    Perhaps, it was Candy.


    ¡°I''m looking for Rupert,"


    Annabel answered indifferently, suppressing her doubts.


    "Annabel, is that you? I''m Heather.Rupert is taking a shower," Heather stated provocatively, raising her


    lips.It really was Heather.


    Annabel''s expression instantly darkened.


    Rupert didn''t return home and was with Heather.He was even taking a shower.


    "Annabel, why are you looking for Rupert? Sadly, Rupert won''t return your call because he promised to


    have a romantic and memorable night with me tonight.He said I was the woman he adored the most..."


    Annabel ended the call before Heather could finish.Heather smiled smugly as she heard the beeping


    voice on the other end of the phone.


    "Annabel, you''re going to die tomorrow."


    Heather took immense pleasure in disgusting her before thetter was killed.


    Annabel hung up the phone, and a wave of depression washed over her.She couldn''t figure out why


    Rupert was with Heather.


    To her, Rupert was usually cold toward Heather.


    However, Rupert was also distant and cold to her in public, yet he was intimate with her and even


    forcibly kissed her when they were alone.


    She was convinced that Rupert wouldn''t turn down Heather if they were alone.


    Annabel rubbed her hair andy on the bed.


    Her mind was filled with Rupert''s attractive face, which she couldn''t shake off.


    Even though she thought she didn''t care about Rupert, she was surprised to find herself disturbed by


    the image of him kissing Heather.


    Annabel couldn''t sleep all night.


    She arrived at Benton Group on the second day with two dark circles around her eyes.


    There was still no sign of Rupert.


    Rupert, a well-known workaholic, would never bete for work without a valid reason.


    Today, however, he waste.


    Finley was perplexed as well.


    Rupert had explicitly told him that he would watch the Ice and Firemercial shoot in person today at


    Lover Lake.


    But now everyone was here, Rupert was still nowhere to be seen.


    His phone was turned off.It was unusual.Content held by N?velDrama.Org.


    "We are not waiting for him anymore.Let''s get going."


    Annabel scowled and spoke icily.


    Rupert must be having fun with Heather right now.He was pursuing enjoyment while leaving so many


    people to wait for him.


    It was very frustrating.


    "But Mr.Benton said he woulde with us today."


    Finley was obedient to Rupert''s every instruction.


    When given a task by Rupert, he promptlypleted it.


    "He''lle by himself if he wants to.We don''t have to wait for him with so many people."


    Annabel was adamant.She was always on time.She''d never let so many people waste their time.


    Furthermore, no one knew when Rupert would return.


    "Annabel has a point.I have an interview this afternoon,"Rory remarked.


    "Well...Alright."


    Finley hesitated for a while before agreeing after hearing what Rory had said and realizing he couldn''t


    reach Rupert.


    Rory got inside the car and took a seat next to Annabel.


    He looked at Annabel and asked quietly, "Are you okay?"


    Annabel nodded.


    Even though she seemed calm, Rory knew she was in a bad mood today.The two ck circles around


    her eyes, in particr, betrayed her.


    "Is there anything you can''t tell me, Annabel? Why are you treating me like a stranger?" Rory''s eyes


    were filled with disappointment.


    Annabel grinned slightly.


    "I''m okay.Are you free tonight? Let''s go out for dinner."


    "Okay,"


    Rory replied, thrilled that Annabel had taken the initiative to ask him out.


    Finley, seated in the front row, overheard their conversation and was puzzled.He was well aware that


    Annabel was Rupert''s fiancee.Yet, she appeared to have a close rtionship with Rory.


    They even had a date tonight.


    Finley wondered if he should inform Rupert.


    However, he couldn''t reach Rupert at this moment.


    Lover Lake was located in the suburb of Douburgh, in a valley surrounded by mountains.


    The birds were singing, the flowers were fragrant, and the setting was lovely.


    It got its name since many lovers would gather here to take wedding photos.


    Annabel found a secluded grove near theke and stated, "The scenery is lovely here.Let''s start


    shooting."


    Rory and Margo changed into custom-made outfits, applied makeup, and began shooting.


    Margo and Rory cooperated well after a full day of shooting the day before.


    "That''s excellent." The photographer kept shooting.


    Annabel, on the other hand, wasn''t satisfied with the shoot.


    "You may proceed.I''ll go and see if there''s a better ce,"


    Annabel stated, pursing her lips.She was a perfectionist.


    Since she was in charge of this project, she would try her best.


    When Rory heard this, he paused and said, "I''ll go with you."


    Annabel refused, shaking her head.


    "No, thank you.You keep going.Don''t slow the progress."


    Annabel then walked to the other end of Lover Lake by herself.


    Rory''s eyes darkened as he watched her fade out of sight.


    He didn''t understand why Annabel was in such a bad mood.


    Was it because of Rupert? The two of them were very affectionate yesterday, but today Rupert was


    nowhere to be found.


    The mountain road was a little muddy due tost night''s heavy rain.


    Annabel walked slowly in her high heels.


    Rupert came to her mind again.


    He promised to show up today to supervise the shooting, Now it was already ten o''clock, and he wasn''t


    here yet.


    Annabel couldn''t help but wonder whether Rupert spent the night with Heather.


    What had they done? Wouldn''t he feel sorry for Candy by doing this? Annabel wandered to the other


    side of Lover Lake.


    This was a spot not far from the thick of the forest.


    Theke and the mountain were incredibly stunning.


    The effect would be better if they shot here.


    Annabel lowered her head and was about to phone the photographer and ask them to go and shoot


    there.


    A figure appeared out of nowhere, and a strong wind blew behind her.


    As Annabel spun around, she noticed Nina staring angrily at her.


    With all her might, Nina tried to shove Annabel into the water.


    Nina''s face contorted, her hatred for Annabel obvious.


    She then yelled, "Annabel, you bitch!"Go to hell!"

 Chapter 78 A Murderer

    Chapter 78 A Murderer


    Annabel turned her body slightly, deftly dodging the oing blow.


    "Nina, what are you doing?"


    Annabel asked Nina, who looked back at her with hatred.


    Nina looked possessed.


    Last time, she stabbed her with a knife.


    Today, she wanted to push her into theke again.


    There was no obvious sign of deep hatred between her and Nina.


    Why did Nina have to kill her? Nina was furious that she failed to push Annabel into theke.


    Content held by N?velDrama.Org.


    She shot Annabel a venomous re and shouted, "Annabel, you bitch! You convinced Rupert to drive


    me out of thepany.Now I can''t even find a job.I''m not letting you get away with this.Today, you''ll


    die!"


    Annabel sneered and replied, "Enough, Nina! No one wants to hurt you.


    If you never intended to hurt me at the cost of thepany''s interests, how could you be expelled from


    thepany?"


    The irony Annabel felt at that moment was unbelievable.


    Why did Nina like putting all the me on her for her mistake? Did she have no self-awareness? "I


    didn''t do anything wrong!"


    Nina seethed at Annabel, her once delicate face now morphed into something more like a ferocious


    beast.


    "If it wasn''t for you, how could Rupert no longer pay me any attention? I''ve dedicated multiple years of


    my life working for him.He used to care about me a lot before you showed up.But everything has


    changed since you started working there.Now, Rupert only cares about you.He''s always on your


    side.You''re just some bumpkin from the countryside.Why did he risk hurting himself to save you?


    What''s so good about you anyway? This is all your fault! You''ve sowed dissension between us, set me


    up, and convinced him to fire me.If it wasn''t for you, Rupert would''ve fallen in love with me!"


    Annabel rolled her eyes.


    How could Nina be so confident that Rupert would fall in love with her? Annabel mocked, "Stop it with


    these unrealistic fantasies of yours.No one wants to hurt you.It''s nobody else''s fault but yours.You


    ought to reflect on yourself."


    Nina fumed at how calm Annabel looked.


    "Annabel, I''m not letting you get away with this! You should''ve died a long time ago, you bitch! You''re


    nothing but a troublemaker waltzing through this world! Mark my words, today will be yourst!"


    Nina shouted hysterically.


    Today, she had to kill Annabel.


    Today was the one and only perfect opportunity to murder her.


    Nina''s face twisted into a ferocious one.She used all her strength to m herself into Annabel.


    Annabel sneered at the crazy-looking Nina.


    Did Nina think she could kill her? She was overestimating herself! Annabel turned to the side and


    dodged.


    Nina used too much of her strength.


    It rained the previous night, resulting in the ground being very slippery.


    The momentum of her movement caused her to slip and fall into the depths of Lover Lake.


    Plop! With a loud sound, Nina fell straight into it.


    "Help! Help!"


    The June air was slightly chilly, causing the soaking wet Nina''s face to turn pale.She bobbed up and


    down in the water, shouting desperately.She couldn''t swim! Nina wanted to push Annabel into theke,


    and yet here she was in that exact position, instead.She could feel herself starting to sink.


    The dread of drowning caused Nina to swell up with fear.


    No one else but Annabel was around.


    "Annabel, help me!" Nina pleaded desperately.


    Annabel stood on the shore with her arms crossed over her chest as she shot Nina a look as cold as


    ice.


    "You deserve this, Nina."


    "I know I was wrong.Now help me!"


    Filled with the fear of death, Nina couldn''t care less about anything else at that moment other than


    saving her own life.She ceaselessly apologized and begged for mercy, hoping that Annabel would save


    her.


    "So you didn''t realize you were wrong until] you were on death''s door?"


    Annabel stood indifferently, showing no intention of saving Nina.


    Theke wasn''t too deep so it would take a while before Nina would drown.


    Since Nina nned on killing her, it was time she got a taste of her own medicine.


    As she struggled and panicked, Nina gulped down some of theke water which caused her to cough


    violently.


    When she saw Annabel standing still and indifferent to her life, Nina cursed out loud, "Annabel, you


    bitch! How can you not save me? I''m never letting you go even if I die!"


    As soon as she opened her mouth, Nina choked on a few more mouthfuls of water.


    Endless fear swept over her mind.


    Bit by bit, she sank further into the water.


    "Annabel, I''m not letting you get away with any of this..."


    Nina threatened, her face pale and her body trembling all over from the cold.She felt as though she


    was already on the verge of death.


    "Save your energy."


    Annabel scowled and was preparing to go down to theke to save Nina.


    After all, she didn''t want anyone to die.


    As Annabel took a few steps toward theke and was about to get into the water, she heard someone


    shout from behind her.


    "Annabel, you pushed Nina into the water!"


    What the hell? Push Nina into the water? Annabel turned around and saw Cathy storming towards her.


    Beside her was a tall man wearing a pair of gold-rimmed sses.It was Anakin Gomez, her ssmate


    and pursuer.


    After receiving Heather''s message yesterday, Cathy arrived at Lover Lake early in the morning with


    Anakin.


    Cathy didn''t understand what Heather''s message meant initially.


    But as soon as she Nina and Annabel, she now understood itpletely.


    It turned out that Heather nned to get rid of Annabel through Nina.


    But Nina was so useless that she not only ended up being unable to push Annabel into theke but


    even fell into it herself.


    Cathy didn''t want to miss this good opportunity.


    Then, a good idea popped up in her head.She quickly took Anakin straight to Annabel.


    Annabel ignored Cathy, but Cathy grabbed her hand.


    "What are you doing?"


    Annabel frowned.


    "Annabel, you''re a murderer!"


    Cathy raised her lips and shouted.


    "What nonsense are you talking about?"


    Annabel gave Cathy a shove.Cathy fell to the ground.


    "I saw you push Nina into theke, and now you push me.Do you want to kill the witness?"


    Her words confused Annabel.


    When did she ever push Nina into theke? Nina was the one who pushed her in to theke.


    Obviously, Cathy was trying to frame her again.


    Feeling slightly annoyed, Annabel looked down at Cathy like she was gazing at an idiot.


    "Are you blind, Cathy?"


    Then she ignored Cathy and walked straight ahead.


    On theke, the once struggling Nina was nowhere to be seen.

 Chapter 79 Murder Accusation

    Chapter 79 Murder usation


    "Don''t just stand there, Anakin! Capture that murderer.Don''t let her get away!"


    Cathy got up and red at the man beside her.


    Anakin was her die-hard admirer.


    Cathy brought him here so he would deal with Annabel on her behalf.He was just a tool in her hands.


    Anakin practically worshipped the ground that Cathy walked on.He was ready to do anything just to


    make her happy.


    As soon as he got that order, he nodded and charged toward Annabel, blocking her way.


    "Annabel? Where do you think you are going after killing someone?" Annabel was taken aback by


    those words.She looked at theke with a frown and said, "I didn''t kill anyone.Go save Nina.She can


    still be saved now.If you continue blocking my way, she will drown.Then who will be the murderer?"


    The imposing tone in her voice took Anakin aback.


    When he saw the fire in her eyes, he stepped out of her way subconsciously.


    Cathy brought him back to his senses.


    "Anakin, don''t listen to her.We both saw how she pushed Nina into theke.Even if Nina ends up dying


    because we didn''t save her, Annabel is still the murderer.Don''t let her run.I''ll call the cops now."


    Anakin immediately became a fool again.He said, "Don''t worry, Cathy.She can''t run away under my


    watch!"


    After nodding with satisfaction, Cathy picked up her phone and called the police.


    "Hello? Someone was pushed into the water.The culprit is trying to run away.Yes, it happened at Lover


    Lake.Pleasee quickly!"


    Annabel''s face turned cold.


    Nina was drowning, but Cathy prevented her from saving her.


    And now, instead of calling for the paramedic, she called the cops.


    What was she up to? "The police are on their way, Annabel.You can''t go scot-free!"


    A vicious light shed across Cathy''s eyes.It didn''t matter to her if Nina got drowned as long as she


    dealt with Annabel today.


    Nina''s survival meant that Annabel would be charged with intentional assault at most.


    But if she died, Annabel would bebeled a murderer.


    Since the dead couldn''t speak, it would be Cathy''s words against Annabel''s.


    The cops were sure to believe her ount.


    All she had to do was insist that Annabel pushed Nina into theke.


    Anakin would also testify in her favor.


    That would be the final nail in Annabel''s coffin; she would be convicted of murder in no time.


    The thought of finally getting rid of Annabel made Cathy''s heart sing.


    She prepared her mind for the wless acting she was going to render very soon.


    "You are a murderer, Annabel.You''ll be locked up for the rest of your life!"


    Annabel was too stunned to speak.


    Had Cathy gone cuckoo? Just as Annabel was about to push Anakin out of her way, a tall slender


    figure suddenly appeared.


    "What''s the matter?"


    Following the cold voice, Annabel saw Rory.


    Rory had been worried sick about Annabel when she didn¡¯t return after a long time.He stopped


    shooting and went out to search for her.He didn''t expect to see Cathy and Anakin making trouble for


    Annabel and vaguely hear the word "murderer."


    "You came right on time, Rory.Nina fell into theke,"


    Annabel said calmly, pointing at theke.


    "Help me hold off this man.I have to save Nina.Call 911, too."


    "No, let me do it.You call 911."


    Annabel had barely finished speaking when Rory jumped into the coldke without taking his clothes


    off.


    Annabel let out a small scream as she stared at theke.


    If her memory served her right, Rory didn''t know how to swim very well.Her heart was already in her


    mouth when Rory popped up from the water holding Nina a few minutester.


    Patting her chest, Annabel dialed 911 in a hurry.


    "Hello, someone almost drowned in Lover Lake.Please send an ambnce ASAP!"


    Rory swam toward the shore with some difficulty, dragging Nina.


    Annabel walked into the water to help them up.


    "Rory, are you okay?"


    Seeing that Rory was struggling to breathe and his teeth were ttering, Annabel gave him a hand by


    putting Nina''s limp arm over her shoulders as they walked out.


    Rory shook his head and gave her a charming smile.


    "I''m fine."


    The two of them worked together to get Nina to the bank and carefullyid her on the grass aside.


    "Nina! Can you hear me? Wake up!"


    Annabel patted Nina''s cheeks.


    However, Nina''s eyes were closed.Her face was pale and her lips were purple.Feeling her wrist,


    Annabel found that she had no pulse.


    "Annabel, Nina is dead!"


    Stepping forward, Cathy pointed at Annabel.


    "You pushed her into the water and she drowned.You killed her."


    The incessant yelling almost burst Annabel''s eardrums.


    Extremely irritated, she turned around and red at her.


    "Shut up!"


    Cathy jumped in shock.


    This was the first time she was seeing Annabel so furious.She stepped back warily.


    Annabel got on her knees and began to perform CPR on the unconscious woman.


    Nina was in a critical situation now.


    If they waited for the ambnce toe, it would be toote and even God wouldn''t be able to


    breathe life back into her.


    Even now, Annabel wasn''t sure if Nina could be saved.


    Nina had been in the water for far too long, so her chances of survival were extremely slim.


    If Annabel had gotten Nina out of theke earlier, she wouldn''t have be like this.


    Content held by N?velDrama.Org.


    The obstruction from Anakin and Cathy made things worse.


    Annabel could only do her best in hopes that it would be enough.


    Performing CPR required a lot of strength and dedication.


    Despite Annabel''s strength, she began to feel tired after a few minutes.


    "Annabel, do you need my help?"


    Rory, who was squatting next to her, felt pity for her when he saw her sweaty forehead.


    Annabel shook her head.


    "No.Call 911 again.The ambnce is supposed to be here by now."


    Rory stood up and made the call.


    Cathy sneered, "Annabel, don''t be hypocritical.Nina is dead.Stop pretending.Don''t even think your poor


    acting can change the fact that you are a murderer!"


    Turning a deaf ear to the yapping woman, Annabel continued to try resuscitating Nina.


    "You should¡ª"


    Cathy started again, but she was cut off by the ring sound of a sirening from afar.


    A police car was heading for Lover Lake.


    At the sight of this, Cathy pped her hand excitedly.


    She looked at Annabel, who was still kneeling, and quipped, "The cops are here! You will be whisked


    away very soon, murderer!"Rory hung up the phone.


    He turned to Cathy and threatened, "You''d better not frame Annabel.Otherwise, you will be shocked at


    what I''ll do to you!"


    "How am I framing her? I saw her push Nina into theke with my own eyes."


    Staring at Rory squarely, Cathy queried, "What''s between you and Annabel? Why do you care about


    her so much?"


    "It''s none of your fucking business!"


    After yelling at Cathy, Rory walked to Annabel''s side and wiped the sweat off her forehead.


    "Don''t worry, Annabel.The ambnce will be here soon."


    "Okay." Annabel nodded gently.She continued to press Nina¡¯s chest with both hands and gave her


    mouth-to-mouth asionally.


    However, her efforts were still futile.Nina didn''t wake up, nor did her pulse return.

 Chapter 80 Was Heather Candy

    Chapter 80 Was Heather Candy


    The police car moved at a high speed.


    In no time, it arrived at the shore of theke.


    As soon as two police officers got out of the car, Cathy walked up to them, pointed at Annabel, and


    said, "That''s the culprit, Annabel Hewitt! She''s the one that pushed Nina into theke!"


    Looking in the direction she pointed, the police officers saw Annabel kneeling beside a body and


    performing CPR.


    Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org.


    "Let''s go have a look," the older cop said to his colleague.


    "Okay, Apollo." The policewoman nodded and followed him.


    "What happened?" Apollo looked at the unconscious Nina and asked no one in particr.


    Rory started, "She fell into theke and¡ª"


    Cathy cut him short aggressively.


    "No, she didn''t fall by herself! Annabel pushed her.I saw it with my own eyes.My ssmate is also a


    witness!"


    She winked at Anakin while at it.


    Taking the hint, Anakin stepped forward and echoed, "Yes, I saw it too.Annabel pushed Nina into the


    lake!"


    The cops shared meaningful nces.


    Then Apollo asked calmly, "Is that so?"


    "of course not!"


    Rory frowned slightly.


    "you have no business testifying, Rory.After all, you only got here after Nina was already in the


    water.You didn''t see what transpired before then.Why are you telling lies for Annabel so shamelessly?"


    Cathy fired at him.


    Rory snorted and pointed at Annabel.


    "Annabel is trying to resuscitate Nina.Why would she do that if she pushed Nina into theke?"


    "Isn''t it obvious? Annabel is just acting.Nina drowned long ago.She''s dead, but Annabel is feigning


    concern so she won''t be arrested!"


    Cathy sneered.


    "It''s useless to perform CPR on a dead person!"


    "Shut your mouth, Cathy! Nina is not dead.She can still be resuscitated!"


    Annabel suddenly yelled.She pressed Nina''s chest again with all the strength she could muster,


    causing her to throw up a mouthful of water.


    "What?"


    Cathy eximed in surprise.


    Was Nina really alive? On second thought, Cathy reasoned that it didn''t matter if Nina woke up.


    Nina would never spare Annabel even though she almost lost her life.


    Either way, Annabel was doomed.


    An ambnce finally arrived at this moment.


    A doctor rushed over with a first-aid kit.


    "Officers, how is the situation now?" the doctor asked anxiously.


    "This woman fell into the water."


    Apollo pointed at Nina.


    Annabel finally stood up to give way to the doctor.She was almost exhausted after investing her


    strength in CPR.Her chest heaved violently.She took a few deep breaths and finally recovered.


    Afterward, she exined the situation to the doctor.


    "She was in the water for quite some time.I''ve performed CPR since she was brought out of the


    lake.Her pulse was non-existent at first, and it''s still very weak now.Please do something to save her."


    "Okay, I''ll try my best."


    The doctor ordered the medics who came with him to lift Nina onto the stretcher.


    After simple first aid, they lifted her into the ambnce.


    The ambnce sped straight to the hospital.


    Annabel finally breathed a sigh of relief.She had done her best.


    However, she was still worried about Nina.


    It wasn''t certain that Nina would survive.


    "Miss, can you tell us what happened?" the policewoman addressed Annabel, taking out a small jotter


    and a pen.


    She had seen how invested Annabel was to resuscitate Nina, so she had doubts about Cathy''s


    ount.


    Annabel nodded.


    Just as she was about to begin, Cathy yelled, "I already told you what happened! Annabel pushed Nina


    into theke.She also watched her drown before making an effort to save her!"


    "Shut the fuck up, Cathy!"


    The ice in Annabel''s stare could have frozenva.


    Shivering, Cathy kept silent under Annabel''s powerful aura.


    "Officers, here''s the thing.Today, ourpany came to Lover Lake to shoot an outdoor advertisement


    for a brand.When I came here to check this spot for a scene, Nina came out of nowhere.She tried to


    push me into theke, but she identally slipped and fell inside herself."


    Annabel told her own side of the story calmly.


    "That''s bullshit!"


    Cathy was worried that the cops would believe Annabel''s words.


    "Don''t believe her! Which murderer would admit to the crime theymitted? My ssmate and I saw


    what happened.Annabel pushed Nina into theke.We''re witnesses!"


    Apollo rubbed his forehead as Cathy continued to shout.


    Afterward, he cleared his throat and said, "In that case, you all have toe with us to the station to


    write down statements."


    Meanwhile, Rupert didn''t wake up until ten o''clock that morning.


    The first thing he saw after opening his eyes was a crystalmp.


    Where was he? This wasn''t his room! Rupert sat up on the bed all of a sudden.He looked around and


    wondered where he was and how he got here.


    Suddenly, the door of the room creaked open.


    A curvaceous woman in a sexy red silky nightdress walked in.


    It was Heather.


    "Good morning, Rupert.You are finally awake.Look, I made you breakfast."


    Heather stared at Rupert obsessively.


    "Heather? Why are you here? And where is this ce?"


    Rupert''s handsome face darkened as he queried her.


    "You are in my room.Where else can I be if not here?"


    Heather grinned mischievously.


    "Your room?"Rupert raised his eyebrows in surprise.


    How did he get here? "Don''t you remember what happenedst night? Well, you got drunk, so I had to


    bring you here."


    Heather wriggled her waist seductively, walked to the bed, and sat down beside Rupert.


    Rupert rubbed his temples and recalled what had happenedst night.


    Yesterday was the anniversary of his father''s death.He went to the cemetery to visit his father¡¯s grave.


    Sadness overwhelmed him as he talked to the tombstone to no end.He didn''t realize when he drank


    himself to stupor.


    Butter...


    What happenedter? He seemed to see Candyst night.


    "Candy..."


    Rupert murmured.


    Biting her lower lip, Heather looked at him affectionately.


    "Rupert, I''m Candy."


    "What? You are Candy?"


    Rupert''s handsome face tightened, and his cold eyes fell on Heather with scrutiny.Was she really


    Candy? How could that be? Heather nodded without hesitation and looked into Rupert''s doubtful eyes.


    "Yes.Do you remember that we were kidnapped together many years ago?"

 Chapter 81 Bloody Liar

    Chapter 81 Bloody Liar


    Rupert drunkenly mumbled the name Candy nonstopst night.


    Heather got confused.


    Who was Candy? Judging from Rupert''s tone, it seemed he missed Candy so much.


    Heather ordered someone to investigate it overnight.


    The private investigator soon revealed that Rupert had been searching for a girl nicknamed Candy for


    years.It turned out that the girl was kidnapped with him when he was young.


    At this realization, Heather''s joy knew no bounds.She was happy to learn that Rupert wasn''t in love


    with Annabel like she earlier suspected.


    Since Rupert had searched everywhere for this Candy and couldn''t find her, maybe she was dead.


    The dead couldn''t tell tales.


    How about she stole Candy''s identity? Perhaps Rupert might just end up marrying her.


    At the thought of this, Heather gently pulled up her dress to expose her thighs.She took on a seductive


    posture.


    Leaning in close, she said coquettishly, "Rupert, we missed each other for so many years.Life is


    short.From now on, we should never be apart."


    Rupert frowned coldly.He took Heather''s words with a pinch of salt.He had never heard anything about


    her kidnap before now.


    More so, she wasn''t anything like Candy.


    How then could they be the same person? Noticing that the doubt in Rupert''s eyes, Heather''s heart


    began to beat fast.


    However, she mustered up the courage to put her hands around Rupert''s neck.


    "Rupert, I know you love me, just like I love you.People who are in love should be together, right?"


    Heather was infatuated with this handsome man even though he didn''t treat her well.She wished time


    could stop so she could be in this intimate position forever.She wanted him; all of him.


    Sitting still, Rupert inhaled Heather''s fragrance.It was nothing like Candy''s.


    Rupert pulled his head back and gave her a murderous re.He pushed her away and roared, "Get off


    me!"


    The hard push jarred Heather out of hernd of fantasy.She crashed to the floor before she knew what


    was happening.


    A sharp pain shot from her tailbone to the top of her back.She held her back and looked at Rupert''s


    fiery eyes that pierced through her heart like a thousand swords.


    "Ouch! Rupert, why did you treat me like this?" she cried.


    "Because you are a bloody liar!"


    With a cold and alienated look, Rupert stared at Heather.


    "Do you think you can fool me? I know you are not Candy!"


    "I am Candy!"


    Heather shouted unwillingly.She struggled to get up from the floor.


    "Last night, you kept calling me Candy.You said you loved me and that you have never loved any other


    woman.I tried to leave, but you begged me to stay.You kissed me passionately, and we had sex.Have


    you forgotten?"


    Rupert pulled a long face.He red at Heather.


    Did he really call her Candy and have sex with herst night? No! Rupert was sure that he had never


    touched her.


    Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org.


    "Heather, do you have a screw loose or something?"


    Rupert stood up, looking down at her.


    "If there''s something wrong with you up there, you should go see a psychiatrist."


    "What did you mean? Are you saying that I''m crazy?"


    Biting her lower lip, Heather reached out her hand and grabbed Rupert, who was about to leave.


    "You were with me all night.We are both hot- blooded adults, and you were drunk.What did you think


    happened? You must take responsibility for what you did to me!"


    "Get your hands off me!" Rupert said coldly.But Heather held his arm more tightly.


    The fury in his eyes could start a fire as he pushed Heather away mercilessly.He whipped out his


    phone from his pocket.It was turned off.


    Rupert quickly turned it on.


    There were many missed calls and messages.


    "Mr.Benton, it''s almost time for the shoot at Lover Lake.Will you be there?"


    "I have been trying to reach you, Mr.Benton.But your line isn''t going through.We are on our way


    there.Please respond once you get this."


    These messages were all from Finley.


    Rupert raised his left hand and looked at his watch.It was almost noon.He had nned to go to Lover


    Lake with Annabel today to supervise the shooting of the outdoor advertisement of Ice and Fire.But he


    missed it.


    Rupert was upset.


    Why did he get drunkst night? Just then, his phone rang.


    The caller was Finley.


    "What''s up?" asked Rupert, pressing the phone against his ear.


    "Finally! I have been trying to reach you for hours!" Finley eximed.


    "something happened to Annabel."


    Something happened to Annabel? Rupert frowned.He asked with concern and nervousness, "What''s


    wrong with her?"


    Finley answered, "Cathy testified that Annabel pushed Nina into theke.She has been taken to the


    station to make a statement."


    "I''ll be right there."


    Rupert strode toward the door the moment he hung up the phone.


    "Where are you going, Rupert?"


    Heather shouted behind him.She had vaguely heard the names of Annabel and Nina as she


    eavesdropped on the call.She thought that Nina seeded with the n.


    Judging from the nervous look on Rupert''s face, Heather guessed that something terrible must have


    happened to Annabel.


    Perhaps Annabel drowned.


    With a smug smile, Heather said, "Rupert, wait for me."


    But Rupert ignored her and walked out of the house.


    Heather chased after him and asked with feigned concern, "Rupert, did something happen? You seem


    to be in a rush.Where are you going? I''ll drive you there, so you can get there faster."


    The house was located at the foot of the mountain in the suburb.


    Taxis rarely passed this ce, and the nearest bus stop was several kilometers away.


    Rupert was in a hurry now.


    He thought for a while and said, "Okay."


    The moment Heather heard this, she excitedly led him to the garage and unlocked her luxury car.


    They both got in.


    Sitting in the driver''s seat, Heather started the ignition.She turned her head to look at the man she was


    infatuated with and asked sweetly, "Where are we headed, Rupert?"


    "The police station," Rupert replied simply, his eyebrows furrowed with worry.


    The police station? Why was he going to there? Shouldn''t he be on his way to Lover Lake to see


    Annabel''s corpse? Resisting her doubts, Heather drove her car at a high speed as Rupert urged her


    impatiently.She sped past one red light after another until they arrived at the police station.


    The car had barely halted when Rupert opened the door and jumped out.He walked straight into the


    police station, forgetting who drove him here.


    "Mr.Benton, you''re here!"


    Finley had been pacing about in the hallway of the station.


    "Where is Annabel?" Rupert asked anxiously after seeing that she was nowhere around.

 Chapter 82 An Appointment With Rory

    Chapter 82 An Appointment With Rory


    As soon as Rupert spoke, a hush fell over the police station.


    Nearly everyone in Douburgh knew Rupert.He was the head of the Benton family, the most powerful


    family in Douburgh, as well as the president of Benton Group.He was very well-esteemed.


    Finley flicked a nce in the confession room''s direction and replied, "Both she and Cathy are giving


    their statements."


    Rupert had always been a calm andposed man.


    This was the first time Finley had seen him so worried.


    Annabel seemed to be very important to him.


    Hearing this, Rupert said frostily, "Let''s go and take a look."


    Heather, who was standing behind Rupert, was bbergasted.


    Annabel and Cathy were giving statements? Why? Did that mean Annabel was fine? What the hell had


    Nina done? Why didn''t she take advantage of such a good opportunity to kill Annabel? The chief of the


    police station approached Rupert and said respectfully, "Mr.Benton, this way please."


    Rupert walked to the door of the confession room with measured steps and spotted Annabel sitting


    thereposedly.


    A policewoman sat across from her and was recording her statement.


    "Annabel." Rupert walked into the room.His eyes shone with concern as he asked, "are you all right?"


    Looking up, Annabel ignored Rupert and looked at Heather instead, who was standing behind him.So,


    Rupert was indeed with Heatherst night.Content held by N?velDrama.Org.


    Annabel''s heart clenched painfully.


    She looked away from them indifferently and asked sarcastically, "What? Did you want me to be in


    trouble?"


    Rupert was stunned.


    He could clearly feel the anger radiating from her.


    Did this woman me him for not reaching Lover Lake on time? Indeed, if he had gone there today,


    this incident wouldn''t have taken ce.


    He wouldn''t have allowed Annabel to go to such a remote ce, let alone let anyone harm her.


    "That''s not what I meant," Rupert exined patiently.


    Annabel dropped her gaze and ignored him.


    Rupert narrowed his eyes slightly and shifted his attention to the policewoman who was recording


    Annabel''s statement.He asked icily, "What are you doing right now?"


    "I''ve just finished recording her statement," the policewoman answered instantly.


    The person who was apanied by the chief of the police station must be an important person.


    Rupert nodded and asked, "Can my fiancee leave now?"


    Fiancee? Both the police chief and the policewoman were shell-shocked.


    Annabel must be someone important since Rupert came to the police station to pick her up.But they


    didn''t expect her to be his fiancee.


    Now that Rupert had personally arrived to collect her, it only meant Annabel wasn''t the murderer.


    The police chief immediately nodded and said, "Sure.Mr.Benton, don''t worry.We will uncover the truth."


    Rupert nodded.


    When Rupert and Annabel left the confession room, they happened to bump into Cathy, who had just


    finished giving her statement and was leaving another room.


    As soon as Cathy spotted Rupert, she rushed to him and eximed, "Rupert, you''re here!"


    Her face darkened.


    She pointed at Annabel and said, "Rupert, Annabel pushed Nina into theke today.I witnessed it with


    my own eyes.Why are you still with this murderer?"


    Annabel frowned.


    Would Cathy stop using her of being a murderer? She had reached her limit with it.


    Did she think she could twist the truth by throwing around a few words? She was so stupid! Annabel


    said grimly, "Cathy, I came to the police station to give a statement, just like you.Please don''tbel me


    a murderer, or I will sue you for defamation!"


    "I saw it happen with my own eyes.How can it be called nder?" Cathy retorted.


    She turned her eyes to the police chief and said, "Annabel is the murderer.How can you release her?


    Why don''t you throw her into prison?"


    The chief was at a loss for words.


    What were they doing? Rupert''s cousin imed that his fiancee was a killer.


    This was so weird.


    The conduct of a wealthy family was truly beyond theprehension of themon man.


    "Enough, Cathy.The police will discover the truth.I don''t want to hear any rumors about Annabel before


    the truthes out," Rupert said frostily and scowled.He didn''t believe that Annabel would push Nina


    into theke.


    On the contrary, he believed that Nina must have engineered this ident and deserved her fate.She


    had attempted to kill Annabel in the garage, which was the best proof.


    "Rupert..."


    Cathy bit her lower lip and stared at him in disbelief.She had already stepped forward to testify against


    Annabel.


    Why was Rupert still helping her? Rupert ignored Cathy, nced at Annabel and said, "Let''s go."


    As Annabel watched Heather standing behind Rupert, her spirit sank and her mind shed back to the


    phone callst night.


    "I have an appointment with Rory tonight."


    Annabel swept her eyes around the hall, looking for Rory.


    Rory hade to the police station with her.


    Why was he missing now? As she continued looking around for him, she finally spotted him on the


    phone in the corner of the hall.She went to him and said, "Rory, I''ve finished giving my statement.Let''s


    go."


    As soon as Rory disconnected the call, he saw Annabel standing in front of him.


    With a bright smile, he said, "Okay."


    Noting how Rory did nothing to hide his admiration for Annabel, Rupert demanded unhappily, "Annabel,


    do you dare to leave?"


    "Why wouldn''t I?"


    Annabel and Rory walked out side by side under Rupert''s cial re.


    Rupert and Heather had just spent a romantic night together.And now he was trying to control her.


    How ridiculous! "Rupert, let''s go back!"


    "Rupert, let''s go back!"


    Cathy and Heather spoke at the same time.


    Rupert shot Finley a distant look and said, "Let''s go back to the office!"


    Finley couldn''t stop the shiver that ran down his spine under Rupert''s stony gaze.


    As Heather watched Rupert''s distant and emotionless back, she was filled with resentment.


    Why did Rupert behave so stonily with her? She loved him so much, but he treated Annabel so well


    instead of sparing her a second nce.


    Why on earth couldn''t shepare with Annabel? And Annabel was still alive! Not only was she still


    breathing, but she walked out of the police station safe and sound as well.


    Nina was such a fool.She couldn''t even take care of such a small task! Heather''s fingers curled into a


    fist.


    "You bitch, Annabel! I won''t spare you!"

 Chapter 83 Dinner Crasher

    Chapter 83 Dinner Crasher


    Rupert left the police station in Finley''s car.He and Finley headed for thepany.


    A cold expression was on Rupert''s handsome face as he stared at the car in front of him.It was Rory''s.


    At this moment, Annabel was sitting in the passenger seat.


    "Follow them," Rupertmanded in a deep voice.


    Stunned, Finley asked, "Aren''t we going back to thepany? There''s a meeting tonight."


    "Just do as I say!" Rupert gave him a cold nce.


    "And cancel the meeting."


    "Okay, sir."


    Finley nodded when he saw that his boss was dead serious.He began to tail Rory¡¯s car.


    Rory took Annabel to a high-end restaurant.He had earlier asked his assistant to reserve the entire


    restaurant in advance.His fans, especially the female ones, were crazy.He didn''t want anyone to disturb


    his dinner with Annabel.


    To prevent what happened thest time from repeating itself, Rory ordered the owner of the restaurant


    not to let anyone in.


    "What would you like to have, Annabel? They make the best steak here.You should try it," Rory said in


    a mellow voice, handing Annabel the menu.


    Annabel leafed through the menu and said absentmindedly, "I''ll have steak then."


    "Annabel, is anything the matter? You don''t seem happy.Is it because of what happened to Nina?" Rory


    asked with concern when he noticed the gloom on her face.


    "Not at all." Annabel shed a frozen smile.


    "I don''t care about that trifle."


    "Why then are you in a bad mood?" Rory asked again.He noticed that her mood seemed off since this


    morning.


    Since it was not because of what happened at Lover Lake, why then was she unhappy? Did it have


    anything to do with Rupert? Instead of answering the question, Annabel changed the topic.


    "By the way, didn''t you say that you made thepany''s future development n? Let''s have a look


    together."


    "Okay."


    Rory took out his iPad, opened the n, and began to exin it to her.


    Annabel moved closer to have a better look of the screen.


    Their heads were almost touching as they discussed earnestly.It was at this moment that Rupert


    arrived and saw those two through the window.He frowned at the sight of them.


    They were sitting so close and whispering to each other.


    There was a faint smile on Annabel''s face.If looks could kill, Rory would be dead now.


    Why were they so close? What was between Annabel and Rory? Once Rupert couldn''t take it


    anymore, he matched toward the entrance of the restaurant.


    The owner of the restaurant stopped him.


    "I''m sorry, sir.You can''t go in.The entire restaurant has been booked for tonight."


    "Fuck off!"


    Rupert roared, exuding a cold and intimidating aura.


    A cold shiver ran down the spine of the owner when he saw the fire in Rupert''s eyes.


    "Mr.Benton?"


    Only now did he realize who was standing before him.


    This was Rupert Benton¡ªa very powerful man.He couldn''t afford to offend him.


    The next second, the owner opened the door and got out of the way, trembling in fear.


    The roar from outside interrupted the discussion Annabel was having with Rory.She turned to the door,


    only to see Rupert walking toward her with a long face.She quickly put away the iPad and about to say


    something, but Rupert beat her to it.


    "Take your things, Annabel.We are leaving now."


    Annabel turned a deaf ear to him.She picked up her cutlery and began to eat the steak.


    In a fit of pique, Rupert grabbed her left hand, causing the fork to fall to the te.


    "Let''s go!"


    Rory stood up and uttered, "What''s wrong with you, Rupert? Leave her be."


    "Stay out of this, Rory!"


    Rupert fired at him.He pushed him back down to his seat.


    Afterward, he pulled Annabel up roughly.


    "Let go of me, Rupert! Can''t you see that I''m having dinner?" Annabel shook off his hand.


    "I''ll take you to have better steak somewhere else,"


    Rupert offered despite his fury.


    Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org.


    Annabel didn''t take him up on it.She said coldly, "The food here is good.I''ll rather eat here.If you don''t


    have anything else to say, please use the door.Don''t disturb Rory and me while we dine."


    Rupert''s face fell when he heard this.His anger quadrupled.


    "Need I remind you who you are?" Rupert asked, fuming.


    This woman had gone too far.


    How could she have a dinner date with another man when she was already engaged? : Didn''t she take


    him seriously as her fiance? "Need I remind you that it''s only a three-month contract?"


    Annabel asked back and pursed her lips.


    A three-month contract? When Rory heard this, a sh of ecstasy appeared in his eyes.


    Was that to say that Annabel and Rupert didn''t love each other at all? So, he still had a chance.


    A vibrant energy filled Rory at the thought of this.He stood up, stepped forward and tried to pull Rupert


    away.


    "You heard her.She doesn''t want to go with you, so leave!"


    Rupert sneered, "Rory, you are wooing your boss, aren''t you? Why are you so concerned about


    Annabel now? Don''t tell me you are a two-timer?"


    Rory''s face darkened.He fixed his eyes on Annabel and said, "My boss is..."


    Sensing that he might expose her true identity, Annabel''s heart began to beat fast.She quickly said,


    "Rory, I''ll make it up to you some other time.You should go back home."


    "No way!"


    Rory took her hand.


    "Since we came here together, we should leave together."


    He couldn''t leave Annabel alone with Rupert.


    Annabel pulled back her hand and smiled.


    "You don''t have to look out for me.I can handle it.Just go first, okay?"


    "No, I won''t! I''ll either stay or leave with you!" Rory insisted.


    How could he leave first in such a situation? Annabel became impatient.


    "Just leave! Can''t I ask you for a simple favor?"


    Rory''s heart ached at her impatient shout.He knew that she was dead serious now, and she never


    changed her mind whenever it was set on something.


    Rory took a look at her and said helplessly, "Fine.Just be careful."


    With that, he turned around and left.


    Rupert stared at Rory''s back until he went out of sight.


    Finally, he turned around and looked at Annabel with narrowed eyes.


    "What do you want?" Annabel stepped back subconsciously.


    Rupert walked toward her slowly.


    Annabel felt a cold chill on her back when she finally reached the hard wall.


    It wasn''t until this moment that she realized she was trapped.

 Chapter 84 You Are Jealous

    Chapter 84 You Are Jealous


    Rupert stepped forward and ced his hands on the wall on either side of Annabel''s head, trapping her


    between them.He pursed his lips slightly and said icily, "Annabel, you''re my fiancee.How dare you date


    another man in front of me?"


    Rupert''s cial expression chilled the atmosphere in the restaurant.


    Gazing into the angry eyes of the man in front of her, Annabel fearlessly shot back, "Well, you can


    spend a romantic night with Heather.Why can''t I have dinner with Rory?"


    Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org.


    As Annabel''s mind shed back to the phone callst night and Heather''s smug voice, she felt


    ufortable.


    When Rupert heard this, he was nonplussed for a moment.


    Spend a romantic night with Heather? What was she talking about? "How do you know I was with


    Heatherst night?"


    Rupert asked with intense eyes.


    Annabel red at him and said, "If you don''t want people to know about it, you shouldn''t do it in the


    first ce.It¡¯s none of your business how I found out!"


    Rupert looked down at her.She was watching him with a pair of gorgeous eyes.Her stunning face was


    filled with jealousy, like a wife who was furious and jealous after catching her husband cheating on her


    with another woman.


    Rupert''s lips quirked up into a small smile and he deliberately paused for several seconds before


    saying, "Annabel, you''re jealous, aren''t you?"


    Although he asked a question, his tone was certain.


    Jealous? That was hrious! Why would she be jealous? Rupert wasn''t someone close to her.


    "No."


    Annabel glowered at him.


    "Rupert, who are you to me? Why should I be jealous? Your being with Heather is not my concern.You


    can have as many women as you want."


    Seeing Annabel pissed off put Rupert in a good mood.His gaze zeroed in on her chattering lips.


    Suddenly, he leaned forward and kissed her, stopping her from saying anything else.


    "Mm..."


    Annabel felt Rupert''s warm lips, which made her heart race.It felt as if a strong current hit her at this


    moment.


    Her face flushed and she couldn''t even gulp in a breath of air.


    Annabel instinctively struggled to push him away, but Rupert pinned her to the wall, effectively trapping


    her.


    "Don''t move,"


    Rupert mumbled in a hoarse voice.


    A strong passion lit his bottomless eyes.He parted her lips and teeth with his tongue, sweeping it into


    her mouth.Her heart was pounding and her brain stopped working.


    For some reason, she stopped struggling.


    Rupert''s and Annabel¡¯s breaths were intertwined.


    His kiss was like a violent storm¡ªdomineering, passionate, and affectionate.


    The temperature in the restaurant continued to climb, and a romantic vibe was in the air.


    After a long time, when Annabel thought she would pass out from ack of oxygen, Rupert finally


    ended the overbearing and lingering kiss.


    "Rupert! You jerk!"


    Annabel returned to the present and red at him, feeling shy and furious at the same time.


    What was she doing just now? Why didn''t she push him away? Rupert smiled brightly, leaned closer to


    her ear, and said, "I didn''t do anything with Heather.


    Yesterday was my father¡¯s death anniversary.I went to the cemetery to pray to him and identally got


    drunk.Heather took me to her ce.That''s all.Nothing happened between us."


    Annabel was a little taken aback.


    Was Rupert giving her an exnation? When Annabel came back to her senses, she scoffed and said,


    "I''m not interested in knowing if you did anything with Heather."


    Noting how Annabel resembled a jealous woman, Rupert raised his eyebrows, grabbed her hand, and


    sat back at the table.


    "Let''s eat," he said lightly.


    To Annabel''s surprise, he called the waiter.


    "Please get me a steak."


    "Didn''t youment that the food here is not good?" Annabel asked crossly.


    Holding a knife and fork in his slender hands, Rupert elegantly took a bite of his steak.


    "Have you ever heard that people are cheerful at happy events? When I''m in a good mood, I feel that


    everything else is also good."


    Annabel asked, "Happy event?"


    Was kissing her forcefully a happy event? Annabel red at him, and her stomach rumbled loudly.


    With a knowing smile, Rupert said, "Just eat.Don''t starve yourself."


    Annabel swallowed, brought her te of steak closer to her, and began wolfing it down.


    There was no need for her to stay hungry.


    "By the way, what was wrong with Nina today? Why did she create trouble for you again?"


    Rupert stared at Annabel.


    Nina wanted to push Annabel into theke, but she herself ended up drowning and was still


    unconscious.


    However, thanks to Cathy''s and Anakin''s testimony, Annabel would still face trouble.


    The topmost priority right now was to find evidence of Nina''s plot.


    Once they got that, this matter would be easily resolved.


    Annabel sneered, "It''s all because of you.Don''t you know that Nina loves you?"


    Rupert chuckled.She was jealous again.


    "What are youughing at?"


    Annabel paused and scowled.


    The man was up to no good.


    "Nothing."


    With a small smile ying on his lips, Rupert nced at Annabel.She looked so adorable when she


    was jealous.


    Noticing that Annabel finished her steak quickly, Rupert extended his hand and transferred the steak he


    had just cut from his te to Annabel''s.


    "Try mine."


    The restaurant felt quite warm for some reason.


    Just then, Rupert''s phone rang.


    Finley was calling.


    "What''s the matter?" Rupert answered the call.


    "Mr.Benton, our men located Kabir," Finley reported respectfully.


    Rupert nodded and asked, "Have you discovered who ordered him?"


    "No.He passed away in a car crash the day after we found him."


    Finley''s voice held a twinge of regret.


    They had been so close to discovering who was behind the ident in the studio.


    Unfortunately, all their efforts were wasted.


    "Dead?"


    Rupert''s eyes narrowed.


    "Keep investigating."


    "Yes."


    When Rupert disconnected the call, Annabel asked, "What''s wrong?"


    Rupert replied, "Finley''s men tracked down Kabir, but thetter died in a car ident."


    "What? Dead?"


    Annabel was quite bewildered.


    How could such a coincidence happen that Kabir died just one day ] after Finley located him?


    Someone seemed to be pulling the strings from behind the scene.


    Who was it?

 Chapter 85 Aggressive Protest

    Chapter 85 Aggressive Protest


    The following morning, Annabel went to the police station again.


    Two police officers took her to Lover Lake and she told them in detail how yesterday''s incident had


    happened.


    They took down notes and didn''t dare to omit any information.


    After all, Rupert told them to dig up the truth and prove Annabel''s innocence immediately.


    It was almost noon when Annabel arrived at Benton Group.


    The moment she got out of the taxi, several people rushed out of nowhere and surrounded her.


    "Who are you? What do you all want from me?" Annabel asked warily.She didn''t know these people,


    and they all looked vicious.


    Were they here to rob her in broad daylight? "Annabel Hewitt!"


    A grey-haired woman walked out of the crowd and grabbed Annabel''s clothes.


    "Look, everyone! She''s the murderer!"


    Frowning, Annabel pushed the middle-aged woman and asked coldly, "Who are you? And why are you


    shouting at me?"


    "Don''t you know who I am? You killed my daughter!"


    The woman managed to keep her bnce.Then, she charged at Annabel again with red eyes.


    "You are such a vicious woman.You pushed my daughter into theke.My poor daughter is only twenty-


    five years old.But she''s in aa because of you.I don''t know if she will ever wake up.Oh, what would


    I do without Nina?"


    It turned out she was Nina''s mother.It dawned on Annabel that these people were Nina''s rtives and


    friends who came to make trouble for her.


    "I didn''t kill anyone.Your daughter is still alive.Shouldn''t you be by her side instead of wailing


    here?"Annabel folded her arms over her chest and looked down at her coldly.


    Aa wasn''t a death sentence.


    There was still hope for Nina.


    A caring mother was supposed to be by her daughter''s side.But here this woman was, making a scene


    in front of the Benton Group building.


    How interesting! "Bitch! How dare you talk back at me?"


    Nina''s mother, Talia Jones, gave Annabel a hot p the next second.


    "You shameless bitch.I''ll tear you into pieces for what you did.You don''t know who you are messing


    with."


    "Are you crazy?"


    When Talia was about to strike another blow, Annabel caught her hand and pushed her away.


    Talia fell to the ground this time.She sat there and shed tears.


    "Ah! Did you see that, everyone? This murderer wants to kill me like she killed my beloved


    daughter.Look at her face.She''s evil.Don''t let her fool you."


    The people who came with Talia were enraged.


    They shouted at Annabel.


    One of them pulled out a banner with red text, "Annabel is a murderer! Blood for blood!"


    N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner.


    The group of people began to chant at the top of their voices.


    Many passersby stopped to watch and film the scene.


    Some even joined in cussing Annabel out.


    "She is so beautiful.How can she be a murderer?"


    "Haven''t you heard that beautiful women are the most dangerous? This woman is certainly no


    exception."


    "Wow, I can see that now."


    More and more people gathered to watch the extraordinary scene.


    Seeing this, Talia upped her acting game.She raised her hands, looked up to the sky, and screamed


    like an aggrieved person.


    "Oh, Nina.Why are you so unlucky? Why did you meet the devil''s daughter when you were only trying


    to make ends meet? She pushed you into theke just because you were better than her.She deserves


    to die, not you.I can''t leave without you, Nina.I''ll join you if you die!"


    Annabel couldn''t take this madness anymore.Her head was banging now.


    "Get out of the way!"she yelled, looking down at Talia coldly.


    Talia stared at Annabel and yelled back, "I won''t go anywhere until I get justice for my daughter.I want


    everyone to see you for the murderer that you are!"


    The security guards who heard the noise walked out of building.


    When they saw that Annabel was being harassed by all these people, they walked over.


    The head said, "This is a private establishment, not a protest ground! Please leave!"


    "Guards, you came right on time.Don¡¯t allow this murderer into the premises.Arrest her instead!"


    Talia grabbed a security guard''s arm.


    "If you don''t get out of the way, I''ll call the cops on you," Annabel said coldly, raising the phone in her


    hand.


    "You have ndered me and disrupted public order.Do you want to go to jail?"


    Talia shouted, "How dare you threaten me?"


    She turned to her cohorts and asked, "Why are you all standing there? Why don''t you take revenge for


    Nina now?"


    As if controlled by a puppet string, the brawny men charged toward Annabel.


    One of them reached out to grab her arm.


    Annabel was in a fix.


    Just as she put up her hands to fight back, a cold and sharp voice came.


    "Don''t you dare!"


    Annabel looked up to see Rupert striding toward her.His aura was so nerving that everyone here


    quivered.


    The crowd split in half.


    Even the wailing Talia fell silent as she stared at him with wide eyes.


    Rupert stopped when he got to Annabel.He held her hand with tenderness in his eyes.


    "Are you hurt?"


    His concern and gentle touch warmed Annabel''s heart greatly.


    "No, I''m good."


    She shook her head, staring into his eyes.


    Finley, who was on Rupert''s heels, frowned and said coldly, "Who are you and why are you making


    trouble here?"


    Talia replied in a shaky voice, "I''m Nina''s mother.Annabel pushed my daughter into theke.She''s a


    murderer."


    "How dare you nder Annabel?"


    A hint of disgust shed through Finley''s eyes.He turned to the head of security guards and ordered,


    "Drive them away."


    Holding her hand, Rupert led Annabel into thepany.


    "Why didn''t you call me? You could have gotten hurt."


    He had been enjoying the view from his office when he saw the pandemonium outside.He feared that


    Annabel would have gotten hurt if he had shown upter.


    Annabel smiled faintly.


    "I thought I could handle it myself."


    Rupert lowered his head slightly, leaned in close, and whispered in her ear, "I''m always here for you,


    Annabel.Next time, don''t face such things all by yourself."


    Why this man was so proud and flirtatious? Annabel blushed.


    "See youter!"


    Then she rushed to the secretaries¡¯ office.


    Rupert smiled faintly, looking at her receding figure.He found her extremely charming whenever she


    was shy.


    Once Annabel got to her desk, she received the promotional photos the photographer sent.She


    carefully looked at them one after the other.


    The photos taken indoors thest time were good.


    Annabel pursed her lips with satisfaction.


    "Oh.My.God!" eximed Eve, the employee sitting next to Annabel.


    "You have got to see this, Annabel! You are trending on online!"

 Chapter 86 Slanderous Gossips

    Chapter 86 nderous Gossips


    She was trending online? Annabel whipped out her phone from her bag and logged on to Facebook.


    A viral post popped up on her feed.


    It read, "An employee of Benton Group has been used of attempted murder and publicly assaulting


    the victim''s mother."


    There were pictures attached to this post.


    It was stated in the body of the post that Annabel intentionally pushed Nina into Lover Lake and that


    two eyewitnesses already testified against her, but the police still didn''t detain the culprit.


    It was further said that Nina''s mother went to seek justice for her, but Annabel beat and pushed her to


    the ground.


    N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner.


    The attached photos indicated that Annabel pushed Talia to the ground.


    However, the truth was that Annabel had only slightly pushed Talia in self-defense.


    The cunning elderly woman sat on the ground to elicit sympathy.


    In contrast to the truth, Talia was made out to be the pitiful victim in this post.


    And Annabel wasbeled a vicious and unrepentant attacker.


    Thements that flooded thement section were so harsh.


    Everyone roasted Annabel without holding back.


    Annabel stared at the screen for a while and frowned.


    This matter was turning into something else.


    The police hadn''t concluded the investigation, but the public was already crucifying her and using


    her of the crimes she nevermitted.


    It was strange that everyone was against her without knowing her side of the story.


    The trolls seemed to have been paid to add fuel to fire.


    Talia was an ordinary middle-aged woman.There was no way she could afford to do such.It appeared


    that one of Annabel¡¯s many enemies was working against her now.


    Who could it be? Annabel was pondering hard when her phone suddenly rang.


    As soon as she answered the phone, Anthony''s voice came.


    "Hey, have you seen the viral post? Why are you trending?"


    "Yes, I just saw it." Annabel smiled.


    "It''s nothing actually.Someone just wants to ruin my reputation."


    "Okay...But do you know who is behind this? Just give me a name and I will sort this out for you right


    away!" Anthony said angrily.


    "Damn it! How dare they nder you? I must put a stop to it.I''ll hack the media system and clear it all


    up!"


    "You don¡¯t have to do that," Annabel uttered casually.


    "Since this person is so hungry for cheap poprity, they can go ahead and enjoy it while itsts."


    Anthony was surprised.


    "Aren''t you afraid that it will dent your reputation?"


    Annabel sneered, "I have been boredtely.This uproar is something interesting for a change.Let''s just


    watch as the drama unfolds.I can tell it''s going to be fun."


    Anthony thought for a while and said, "You mean...?"


    "Run a check on Nina for me," Annabel suggested, leaning back in her seat.


    Since Nina tried to hurt her, there must be clues she left behind.Anthony immediately understood.


    "All right, I''m on it.Await good news soon."


    After hanging up the phone, Annabel''s eyes turned cold.Her initial n was ¡®to live a peaceful life in


    Douburgh for three months.However, it seemed that wouldn''t be possible now.


    Annabel wasn''t a pushover.She couldn''t just sit back and watch someone drag her down.She woke up


    a little early in the morning.


    Talia and her cohorts had pestered her for a long time, so she felt a little sleepy now.


    Yawning, Annabel stood up and went to get herself a cup of coffee from the break room.


    In the hallway, many employees stole nces at her and whispered to each other.


    "Do you think the rumor is true? Did this gentle-looking woman push Nina into theke?"


    "Don''t be deceived by looks.Since the news is going viral, it must be true."


    "Well, we can¡¯t say for sure.Anyone can start false rumors and make them believable."


    "Even pretty and gentle people can be murderers.It''s a jungle out there in the countryside.Perhaps


    Annabel became vicious after spending all her years there."


    Annabel turned a deaf ear to the gossip.She held her head up high and went to the break room without


    sparing any of the gossipers a nce.


    The vending machine was pouring dark coffee into Annabel''s cup when the door of the break room


    suddenly swung open.


    Annabel sharply turned.She saw a tall figuree in.She was surprised.


    "Rupert?"


    The break room was for ordinary employees.


    Why was Rupert here? After all, his assistant was responsible for serving him whatever he wanted to


    take be it coffee, tea or juice.


    Rupert shut the door behind him and walked up to Annabel.


    "Are you okay?" he asked, looking down at her with concern.


    "Huh? Why won''t I be?" Annabel took a sip of the hot coffee and set down the cup calmly.


    Rupert was stunned.


    "Haven''t you seen the viral post online?"


    "Oh, that?" Annabel smiled.


    "I have seen it, but it''s nothing.I''m not guilty, so why should I be bothered?"


    The calm look on Annabel''s face was a little out of Rupert''s expectation.


    The curses online were a lot.


    Normally, getting bashed that much would make anyone sad.


    This was why he immediately made some calls for the post to be taken down.


    Thereafter, he rushed to check on Annabel.


    After finding out that she was here, he didn''t hesitate toe over.


    Never did it cross his mind that Annabel would be here sipping coffee without giving a damn.


    Was she that strong? Or was she just pretending to be? Suddenly, Rupert reached out and held


    Annabel''s hand.


    He looked into her eyes and said assuredly, "Don''t worry.I''ve asked people to take down the post.If any


    employee here is caught speaking ill of you, they will be fired on the spot."


    Annabel looked at him, helpless.She didn''t need his help.She wanted the post to be up for as long as


    the uproar wouldst.


    It was sort of fun watching how people blindly turned against her when she was the victim.Why was this


    man so nosy? Anyway, it could be seen that Rupert did it just because he cared.


    Annabel felt moved at the thought of that.She smiled brightly.


    "I''m really fine."


    Moving closer, Rupert whispered in her ear, "Annabel, you are my fiancee.It''s my duty to protect you,


    understand?"


    His warm breath sprayed all over her neck, making her blush.


    Annabel''s heart began to beat faster.She held her breath.


    A strange sensation swept through her.Her toes curled.


    The next second, she bit the inside of her lower lip hard.


    How could she allow him to affect her this way? After she resumed breathing again, she pushed him


    away and said, "Someone might see us.Anyway, you shouldn''t get too involved in my business.We


    aren''t in a real rtionship.I can take care of myself."


    Annabel didn''t like being indebted to anyone.


    Rupert had been of great help to her recently, so she didn''t want it to be a pattern.


    Things would getplicated if it did.


    Rupert''s face darkened.


    Conflicting glints shed through his eyes as he had mixed feelings.However, he became calm again.


    Suddenly, he pulled her over.


    Annabel fell into his arms involuntarily.


    "Be honest, Annabel.Do you only see me as your contractual fiance?" asked Rupert in a deep voice,


    wrapping his arm around her slender waist.


    His minty and warm breath sprayed on Annabel''s face.Her heart began to race again.She could see


    her reflection in his deep eyes; they seemed to be sucking her in.


    After a while, Annabel looked away.She pushed him away again and pursed her lips.


    Finally, she asked, "What else are you to me?"

 Chapter 87 Nina Was Awake

    Chapter 87 Nina Was Awake


    Rupert''s face darkened.


    Annabel struggled in his arms, which aroused his desire to conquer her.


    Since she only saw him as her contractual fiance, he wanted to show her that he was more than that.


    Maybe the dynamics of their rtionship would change after that.


    Rupert held her tightly in his arms.


    "Let go of me!" cried Annabel, trying to break free.


    "What if I don¡¯t?" Rupert smiled coldly.


    The air in the break room seemed to freeze.


    All of a sudden, there was a knock on the door.


    "Is someone in?"


    Another voice said impatiently, "Who the hell locked the door from inside? Do they think the break room


    is theirs? This is ridiculous!"


    Annabel took the opportunity to break free from his embrace.


    "Let me go!"


    Annabel opened the door and left the room.


    The two employees at the door were shocked after she darted past them.They stared at her back.


    "Isn''t that Annabel?" one of them asked curiously.


    "Yes.Did shee here to hide because of the rumor? I guess she''s guilty.I can''t believe a murderer is


    working in thispany.How dare she show up to work after what she did?"


    "You two are fired!"


    A cold voice interrupted the gossip of the two employees.


    The gossiping women jumped when they saw Rupert staring daggers at them.


    Their ever-so-cold CEO looked even more vicious than before.


    The temperature in the break room seemed to drop to zero because of his presence.


    Rupert walked out of the tea room with both hands in his pockets, leaving the two employees stunned.


    As soon as Annabel returned to her desk, she got a call from the cop, Apollo.


    "Hello, officer.To what do I owe this call?" Annabel answered the phone and asked politely.


    N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner.


    "Nina is awake!" Apollo said in a somewhat serious voice.


    "Really?" Annabel asked.


    "Yes! As soon as she regained consciousness, we went over to hear her side of the story.She insisted


    that you pushed her into theke," Apollo uttered more seriously.


    "Oh, I see," Annabelmented with a slight frown.She wasn''t surprised at all.She hadn''t expected


    Nina to say the truth.


    After all, thess didn''t like her one bit.


    It was funny that Annabel was being framed by the person whose life she had saved.


    Apollo continued, "Pending thepletion of the investigation, you shouldn''t leave Douburgh.You can


    be summoned to the station at any time.Not to worry, we will find out the truth."


    Annabel nodded.


    "All right, officer."


    The news about Annabel being an attempted murderer didn''t die down although Rupert''s men were


    working tirelessly.


    Nina woke up and alleged that Annabel pushed her, so it went viral again.


    Many reporters gathered at the hospital and wanted to interview Nina.It was past visiting time, so they


    weren''t allowed into the building.


    A reporter who had managed to get Nina''s phone number called her.


    "Word on the street is that you were pushed into Lover Lake by Annabel the fiancee of Benton Group''s


    CEO.Is that true?"


    Nina began to shed crocodile tears.


    "Yes, it''s true.I didn''t fall into the water by ident.Annabel pushed me.She wanted to kill me.I heard


    that she''s still roaming freely.Please use your tform to demand justice for me."


    "Can you tell us more details? Why did Annabel try to kill you? Have you guys had any fights before?"


    "It''s a long story.How about this? Come to my ward tomorrow, so we can talk face to face."


    A cunning and insidious light shed through Nina''s eyes.She wanted to drop her so-called story in bits


    and pieces for now.


    If she opened up via the phone, the uproar wouldn''tst.She wanted to milk this issue for fame while


    also bringing Annabel down.


    A phone interview wasn''t as tantalizing as a live one.She knew that the story would go viral if her crying


    face was broadcasted live for the whole world to see.


    The viewers were sure to curse Annabel more than ever before.


    Nina made an appointment with the reporters to give an exclusive interview in the ward tomorrow at


    visiting time.She would tell them in detail how she was framed, pushed into the water by Annabel, and


    how the cold-blooded culprit refused to rescue her when she was drowning.


    After Nina got off the phone, her eyes gleamed with malice.She was certain that she would send


    Annabel to prison for good.


    The near-death experience wasn''t in vain, after all.Her sworn enemy was going to be behind bars.


    Nina was going over how she would act pitiful tomorrow when a strange call suddenly came through.


    Thinking it was a reporter, she took on her pitiful voice again.


    "Hello."


    "Nina, it''s me."


    Heather''s voice came from the other end of the line.


    "You did a good job this time."


    "Thanks.Annabel will be defeated this time.Trust me."


    A smug smile appeared on Nina''s face.


    "I n on putting on my best act in front of the media and the police.Besides, Cathy and her ssmate


    already testified in my favor.Annabel is sure to get locked up for a few years."


    "I like the sound of that!" Heather was very satisfied.


    "Although this wasn''t how we nned it, this still works.I just want that bitch out of my way.By the way,


    there''s no implicating evidence, right?"


    "Of course not!" Nina said confidently.


    "I checked the ce carefully before taking action.


    Annabel and I were the only ones there at that time.Even Cathy and her ssmate didn''t show up until


    I fell into theke.I''m dead sure no one else knows that I identally fell into the water while trying to


    push Annabel in."


    "That''s good." Heather nodded with satisfaction.


    "Once this is done, I''ll give you all that I promised.And you will also be able to return to Benton Group."


    "Thank you."


    There was determination in Nina''s eyes.She had gone all out just to get rid of Annabel and return to


    Benton Group.


    Failure wasn''t an option for her this time.


    At night, the top trending news online was about Annabel and Nina.


    The bashing Annabel received multiplied after people learned that the victim pointed fingers at her.


    A great percentage of them even called for her immediate arrest.


    In the CEO''s office, Rupert leaned back in his seat and scrolled through Twitter.


    Almost all the tweets on his feed were about the incident involving Annabel and Nina.He squinted


    slightly.


    Finley pushed the door open and said, "Sir, I''ve found what you asked me to look for."


    He held out a U disk to Rupert.


    Rupert took the U disk, inserted it into theputer, and yed it.


    After that, his sexy lips parted.


    "Very good."


    "should I order someone to take down all nderous posts about Annabel?" Finley asked for


    instructions.


    The media was bing more and more untrustworthy; they wrote anything just for traffic.


    They even wanted to hold live interviews.


    So stupid! After tapping his chin for a while, Rupert said, "No need."

 Chapter 88 Counterattack (Part One)

    Chapter 88 Counterattack (Part One)


    It was a quiet night.


    Lying on her side on the sofa, Annabel stared at her phone screen.


    The uproar online was louder than it was this morning.


    People were cursing her to no end.


    Some trolls even called for her to be drowned like she allegedly did to Nina.


    Everyone was looking forward to watching tomorrow''s live broadcast.


    They longed to hear the testimony from the victim.


    They prepared their virtual stones, ready to attack Annabel once her wickedness was confirmed.


    Annabel pouted her lips.


    "Tomorrow? I can''t wait." Suddenly, her phone rang.She saw that it was Anthony calling.


    "Ada, I havepleted the assignment you gave me.Check your e- mail; I sent it already," Anthony


    said on the other end of the phone.


    Annabel nodded with satisfaction.


    "Thank you."


    "No problem.Nina is ying with fire.She won''t expect what''sing for her!" Anthony sneered.


    "Ada, don''t let them go!"


    "Huh? Do I look like a softie to you?"


    Annabel''s voice was calm, but the hint of resolve was enough to make even the mightiest men


    shudder.


    "That''s what I''m talking about!" Anthony eximed.


    "It''s a piece of cake for Ada to y her enemies!"


    "Don''t tter me, boy." Annabel chuckled.


    After ending the call, Annabel was about to click on the email icon when she heard a clear voice from


    the door.


    "Who was that on the phone?"


    Annabel raised her head.She saw Rupert leaning against the doorframe with a faint smile.


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    Annabel was stunned.She remembered shutting that door.


    How did he get in without her hearing a sound? How much of her conversation with Anthony did he


    hear? It was all good, anyway.She hadn''t said anything inappropriate.


    Annabel sat up and asked, "Why are you here? I remember locking that door."


    Rupert stepped into the room and uttered with a smirk, "This is my house, remember?"


    Annabel sighed helplessly.


    "Fine..."


    Rupert walked to her and sat down with his legs crossed.


    "Have you seen thetest viral post? I heard that Nina will have a live interview tomorrow."


    "Yeah, everyone is talking about it online," Annabel replied calmly.


    "Aren''t you afraid?"


    Rupert turned to look at Annabel.


    "Why should I be? I''m innocent!" Annabel sneered.


    "A clear conscience fears no usation.The liars are the ones to be afraid, isn''t that right?"


    "You have a point."


    Rupert nodded in agreement.


    Women were known to be very emotional people.


    They were sure to burst into tears if anyone framed or wronged them.


    However, Annabel was so calm as if she wasn¡¯t in the middle of a storm.


    Rupert was bedazzled by her strong psyche.


    "Anything else? I want to go to bed." Annabel feigned a yawn. She wanted to check the information that


    Anthony sent her, so she tried chasing Rupert away.


    The reason Rupert hade here was to tell Annabel not to worry her head over the news of Nina''s


    tell-it-all broadcast tomorrow.


    But now, it seemed that wasn''t necessary.


    Taking a look at her, Annabel stood up and said, "Sleep tight."


    The moment the door was shut, Annabel clicked on the e-mail and opened the file Anthony had sent


    her.


    A secondter, her lips curled up in a smile.


    Nina was such a fool.


    Annabel was going to expose her vicious deeds during the live interview tomorrow.


    At the crack of dawn the next morning, journalists from various media houses gathered at the gate of


    the hospital.


    They didn''t want to miss the first-hand information.


    Once visiting time came, they rushed into the building like cattle moving into a green field.


    Ninay in the hospital bed with a sickly face.


    Cathy was also in the ward under the guise of visiting her.


    "Dear journalists, thank you foring today."


    Nina feigned weakness and struggled to sit up on the bed.


    Seeing that the cameras were already rolling, Cathy held Nina and said, "Be careful.You know you are


    still in a bad state."


    The leading reporter began the interview.


    "Hello, everyone.I believe that you are all curious about what happened between Nina and


    Annabel.There have been many spections, but what is the truth? Today we are here at Nina¡¯s ward


    to ask the people involved what transpired that day."


    A reported asked Cathy, "Miss Benton, rumor has it that Annabel is your cousin Rupert Benton''s


    fiancee.What''s your take on this?"


    Cathy rified.


    "It''s a false rumor.Don''t you know who my cousin is? How can a good and upright man like Rupert be


    engaged to a heartless woman? The Benton family is no ce for criminals like Annabel.Only good


    people are wee."


    "I see."


    The reporters all heaved a sigh of relief.


    They had been afraid of stepping on Rupert''s toes.


    Their worry dissipated now that Cathy denied Annabel''s ties with Rupert and the Benton family as a


    whole.


    The reporters turned to today''s protagonist, Nina.


    "Miss Jones, this might be difficult for you.But can you tell us what happened at Lover Lake on that


    unfortunate day? Many people want to know the truth."


    With a pale face, Nina began, "First of all, I want to thank you all for your concern."


    Nina held her chest and continued, "That day, my friend and I were supposed to have fun at Lover


    Lake, but she canceled at thest minute because something came up.I decided to walk around


    alone.During the stroll, I bumped into Annabel near theke.She started raining insults on me as soon


    as she set eyes on me.She even wished me death.I was just about to get away from her when she


    pulled me back and pushed me into theke.As I struggled to stay afloat, Annabel kept asking me to


    die."


    Nina wiped her cheeks when she finished speaking.


    Another journalist asked, "What do you think could have been Annabel''s motivation for pushing you


    into theke?"


    Nina burst into tears.


    "I''m not sure, but I think it has something to do with the grudge she holds against me.When I was still


    working in Benton Group, Annabel was envious of me.I thought it was just a mere dislike.It came as a


    shock to me that she hated me to the extent of wanting me dead.I''m a bad swimmer.I struggled with all


    my strength and called out for help when I could.Annabel just stood ashore and yelled at me to die


    faster!"


    Cathy chipped in, "Yes, that''s true.My ssmate and I happened to see how Annabel pushed Nina into


    theke."


    "And there you have it, viewers! It turned out that the spections and bits of news were true.Annabel


    intentionally pushed Nina into theke.Criminals like Annabel shouldn''t be allowed to roam freely.We


    believe that the long arms of thew will catch up with her soon,"the lead reporter said to the camera


    seriously.


    Those words caused a round of apuse from the audience.


    They called Annabel many unprintable names.


    It was at this moment that Annabel arrived at the door of the ward.


    She overheard those words.


    Holding her head up high, she walked into the ward majestically.


    She looked at Nina and said calmly, "I agree, justice must be served! Criminals should be


    punished.Isn''t that right, Nina?"

 Chapter 89 Counterattack (Part Two)

    Chapter 89 Counterattack (Part Two)


    Nina was shocked for a while.


    Her eyes filled with rage and disdain, she responded, "Annabelle, you''re a murderer.How dare you


    show up here?"


    The reporters gazed at Annabel as they heard her voice, worried about missing information.


    And focused their cameras on her.


    Nobody expected Annabel would show up.


    Many inte users cursed her.


    They thought that she would be hiding.


    On the other hand, the arrival of Annabel would make things more exciting for the media.


    The conflict between the two would make their live interview more enjoyable and appealing to the


    public, and viewership would increase.


    One reporter stepped forward and asked Annabel, "Nina and Cathy have told us what happened at


    Lover Lake.They all im that you pushed Nina into theke.Is that true?"


    "Cathy, did you honestly see me push Nina into theke?" Annabel chuckled.


    "Yes.My ssmate and I witnessed the incident," Cathy replied firmly.


    "Are you sure?"


    Annabel then looked at Nina and sneered.


    "What about you, Nina? Did you see it clearly? Did I push you into theke?"


    "Yes! You''re so wicked that you wanted to murder me.How could I possibly be wrong? You were the


    one who pushed me into theke!"


    Nina shouted furiously, her pale face distorted and her eyes filled with hatred.


    "Well, Nina, you imed I pushed you into theke, intending to kill you.But you''re still alive, aren''t


    you? Who rescued you?" Annabel inquired abruptly.


    Nina was astounded.She was well aware that Annabel was the one who rescued her and gave her


    CPR.But there was no way she was going to tell the truth.She stared at Annabel angrily and replied, "I


    passed out at that time.How could I know?"


    "What about you, Cathy? Since you saw me push Nina into the water, you must have seen who


    rescued her, right?"


    Annabel stated indifferently, crossing her arms over her chest.


    Cathy hesitated for a second before responding, "It was...Rory."


    "Rory, were you the one who rescued Nina?"


    Annabel raised her voice and inquired, looking at the ward''s door.


    Rory? The reporters were ecstatic.


    They couldn''t believe that Rory also came.


    Rory stepped in and removed his hat and sunsses, revealing his beautiful face.


    "Oh, my goodness! It''s indeed Rory, the movie star!"


    Everyone knew Rory was a low-key guy who rarely epted interviews from the media.


    Many reporters would follow him all night to take a photo of him.But now Rory showed up there.


    "Rory, were you also present when the ident happened at Lover Lake that day?" a reporter asked.


    "Yes." Rory nodded.


    The reporter continued, "Did you see what happened at that time? Was Annabel the one who pushed


    Nina into theke?"


    Rory cleared his throat and replied gently, "No.That day, we went to Lover Lake to shoot an


    advertisement.Annabel went in search of the perfect shooting location.When I arrived at the scene, I


    saw Nina in theke.I quickly jumped into the water to rescue Nina but almost drowned since I''m not a


    good swimmer.Thankfully, Annabel jumped into the water and rescued both of us."


    The reporters exchanged shocked nces after hearing Rory¡¯s statements.


    Annabel was the one who saved Nina.


    Why would Annabel jump into theke to save Nina if she was the one who pushed her into the water


    and nned to kill her? Seeing the reporters¡¯ puzzled expressions, Rory withdrew his phone from his


    pocket, opened the picture library, and showed it to them.


    "This is the video I shot at the time.Take a look."


    Annabel was skillfully conducting CPR for Nina in the video, with sweat all over her forehead.


    "As you can see, if I] pushed Nina into theke, why would I bother saving her? Is there a problem with


    my brain?"


    Annabel asked sarcastically while staring at the reporters.


    The reporters nodded and looked at Nina suspiciously.


    When Cathy saw this, she answered quickly, "Because you thought Nina was dead at the time.You did


    CPR merely to prove your innocence."


    "Do you think I''m as stupid as you who can''t even tell the difference between the living and the dead?"


    Annabel sneered as she messaged the space between her eyebrows.


    Some reporters burst outughing when they heard Annabel''s statement.


    "Annabel, don''t think you can cover up your crime of trying to kill Nina with just a few words!" Cathy''s


    face darkened.


    "Yes!"


    Nina crossed her arms over her chest and scowled at Annabel.


    "Even if you rescued me, it wouldn''t change the fact that you pushed me into theke and wanted to kill


    me."


    "Really? Who intended to kill whom? Who attacked me with a knife in Benton Group''s garage?"


    Annabel questioned.


    Reporters, hearing Annabel''s statements, questioned eagerly, "Do you mean...?"


    Benton Group''s underground garage was monitored.


    Annabel went to the monitoring room this morning to obtain the surveince footage of that day.


    Annabel began ying the video at this time.


    In the video, Nina insulted Annabel, pulled out a knife and attempted to stab her.


    Simultaneously, she yelled, "Annabel, go to hell!"


    The video paused abruptly, and Annabel stated coldly, "Everyone has seen it.Nina was the one who


    tried to stab me with a knife and wanted to kill me.That was also the case at Lover Lake that day.She


    tried to push me into theke and identally fell into the water."


    Annabel''s video was streamed live to viewers throughout the country.


    At this very moment, viewers began toment.


    "Oh my God, Nina is a horrible person."


    "Annabel seems to have turned the table."


    "The story is bing increasingly intriguing.Keep on!"


    "Rory is quite attractive.Is there anyone who wishes to see him like me? I will always stand for Rory


    and Annabel!" Nina''s face hardened.


    "Annabel, stop talking nonsense! You were the one who pushed me into theke."


    "Nonsense?" Annabel sneered.


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    "Didn''t you try to stab me with a knife? Didn''t you yell that I should go to hell?"


    Everyone present nodded and looked at Nina curiously.


    Nina was too agitated to think clearly.


    "Even if I wanted you dead at the time, it didn''t mean anything.It was not like what happened in Lover


    Lake." Annabelughed.


    "You''ve finally admitted it.You wanted to kill me, didn''t you?"

 Chapter 90 Counterattack (Part Three)

    Chapter 90 Counterattack (Part Three)


    "Nonsense!"


    Nina red at Annabel, biting her lower lip and clenching her fists until her fingernails pierced her flesh.


    "Don''t mix the two things up! How does what you said change the fact that you tried to kill me?"


    "Nina, you aren''t going to back down, huh?"


    An icy expression appeared on Annabel''s face the next second.She took out her phone and clicked on


    the file Anthony sent to her yesterday.


    "Here is the record of your browser history.Days before the incident, you searched for how to kill a


    person without getting caught.Most of the articles your clicked were about pushing people into ake


    so it would look like an idental drowning."


    "That''s a fucking lie! I never searched for such.You are trying to frame me!"Nina broke out in cold


    sweat.Her eyes twinkled with panic when she saw the browser history records on Annabel''s phone.She


    cleared her browser history once she was done.


    How did Annabel get a hold of the records? Was that even possible? Nina kept giving herself a pep talk


    in her head.


    As far as she knew, it was impossible for anyone to get deleted browser records.She took a deep


    breath and put on a defiant mask.


    "You faked these records.I have never browsed such things in my life.I can''t believe you would stoop


    so low, Annabel.You are still hurting me despite what you did!"


    Annabel chuckled.


    "Just so you know, I already asked the police to get yourputer.You cleared your browsing


    history.However, it might interest you to know that doesn''t change a thing.Technology is more


    advanced these days.A skilled hacker can easily restore the records in no time.Soon, we will know the


    truth!"


    "You..."


    Nina was too stunned to speak.She pointed at Annabel as her face turned deathly pale.


    "Calm down.I''m not finished yet."


    With a smug smile, Annabel took out a pen recorder and spun it with her fingers.


    "I believe you will be more interested in this."


    Under everyone''s curious gaze, Annabel pressed the y button.


    A record began ying, it was a record of the conversation between Nina and Talia.


    "Nina, your father went gambling again and lost a lot of money.He''s owing a creditor a huge sum.This


    morning, the creditor came knocking and vowed to kill us if we didn''t pay up.I don''t know what else to


    do.Can you help us pay up?"


    Talia uttered, almost wailing.


    "Mom, don''t worry.Give me some time.I''ll soon return to Benton Group.Then I will have enough money


    to clear the debts."


    There was great certainty and determination in Nina''s voice.


    "Really?" Talia¡¯s voice was filled with doubt.


    "of course!" Nina replied firmly.


    "Once I get rid of Annabel for good, I can return to work at Benton Group."


    "Are you sure?" Talia asked.


    "A hundred percent sure! Have some faith in me, mom. I''ll get the best opportunity tomorrow," Nina


    said viciously.


    "Annabel will be at Lover Lake for an advertisement shoot tomorrow.Once I see that she''s all alone


    near theke, I''ll push her into it without anyone noticing.She will drown in no time.Even if her body is


    later found, it will be ruled out as idental drowning."


    A tumult of shouting broke out in the ward.


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    The reporters were shocked to the bone.No one expected this shocking revtion.


    Annabel turned off the pen recorder and looked at Nina coldly.


    "Do you have anything else to say, Nina?"


    At this time, Nina''s face was blue.She wished what just happened was a dream.


    How the hell did Annabel get a recording of her phone call with her mother? "Dear viewers, I believe


    you saw what just happened.The tables have just been turned.It appears there¡¯s more to the Lover


    Lake incident than meets the eyes."


    The reporters didn¡¯t forget to interact with their audience despite the shocked state they were in.


    "ording to thetest evidence Annabel brought, we think it''s safe to say that Nina isn''t the victim but


    the mastermind of the whole thing.Of course, we will leave it to the cops to investigate properly.We are


    looking forward to a fair judgment like everyone else."


    The people connected to the live broadcast lost their cool at this moment.They began hurling insults at


    Nina.


    "What a shameless woman Nina is! It turned out she fell into her own trap.I wish she had drowned to


    death!"


    "We were wrong about Annabel.She''s innocent.I hope she can forgive us."


    "Annabel is so cool.Love her!"


    "Marry me, Annabel!"


    "Bah! Stop dreaming.She''s mine!"


    Some people praised and drooled over Annabel with admiration.


    Outside the ward, Rupert was sitting on a bench and staring at hisputer screen with a smile.He


    initially nned to hand over the U disk Finley gave him yesterday to the police this morning.But when


    he learned that Annabel asked for a day''s leave from the work, his curiosity made him tail her.


    To his surprise, Annabel] came over to Nina''s ward.It was right when the tell-it-all interview was


    ongoing.


    Nina lied that Annabel pushed her.


    Annabel tendered irrefutable evidence that proved Nina to be a liar.


    Rupert nodded thoughtfully.


    Neo wonder she was so calm throughout yesterday.


    It turned out that she was just sharpening her sword, waiting for the right time to strike her enemy.


    Her counterattack was a kill shot.


    Rupert couldn''t help admiring this nominal fiancee of his.


    After the reporters spoke to the audience for a handful of minutes, the cameras were panned to Nina


    and the reporters began interrogating her.


    "What do you have to say about the recording Annabel just yed? That''s your voice, right?"


    "No! It''s fake!"


    Balling her fists, Nina gritted her teeth.


    "Annabel doctored the recording.She''s trying to set me up."


    "You are the liar, Nina.Annabel has never wronged you!"


    A cold and sharp male voice suddenly came from the door.


    Annabel frowned immediately.She knew that voice far too well.


    All eyes turned to the door involuntarily.


    There, Rupert was standing in a ck bespoke suit.


    His broad shoulders and chest were entuated.


    Although his eyebrows were furrowed and his ck eyes were cold, he still looked handsome.He


    walked in steadily with his hands in his pockets.His gait and aura were like that of a king.


    Everyone was held spellbound at the sight of him.


    Thements online went wild.


    "Oh, my God! Am I dreaming? I have finally seen Rupert Benton!"


    "I have always wanted to have a close look at him.Please take a close-up shot of him now!"


    "You are the man of my dreams, Rupert! I love you!"


    "I love him, too!"


    "Me too."


    "Me too."


    Hundreds of thirstyments dropped online in a matter of seconds.


    Compared to the viewers, the reporters on ground shivered with fear.


    Rumor had it that Annabel was Rupert''s fiancee.


    They had criticized Annabel before now, so they were scared of incurring this powerful man''s wrath.


    "Good day, Mr.Benton.May we know why you came here today?" a reporter asked cautiously.


    Rupert made a giant stride to where Annabel stood.He held her hand, looked at her affectionately, and


    said seriously, "I came here to make sure my lovely fiancee gets justice."

 Chapter 92 Rupert Is A Good Guy

    Chapter 92 Rupert Is A Good Guy


    Stunned, Cathy pursed her lips and said reluctantly, "Maybe my eyes deceived me."


    Just now, the video that Rupert showed exposed not only the truth but also exposed Cathy''s lie.


    "Your eyes deceived you?" Annabel sneered.


    "What about your ssmate then? Did his eyes deceive him too? Perjury is a crime.The repercussions


    for it range from detention to..."


    "l said my eyes deceived me!" Cathy yelled and gave Rupert a look of distress.


    "Rupert, please help me.Say something."


    But Rupert shot Cathy an indifferent nce as he held Annabel''s hand.


    "Let''s go."


    Under Cathy''s envious gaze, Annabel and Rupert walked out of the ward hand in hand and into the


    elevator.


    The elevator doors closed.


    "Your performance today certainly exceeded my expectations."


    Rupert looked at Annabel sideways.


    "I didn''t expect you toe to the hospital and confront Nina."


    Annabel smiled.


    "What? Do I look like a pushover to you?"


    With a grin, Rupert looked back at her and shook his head.


    "No."


    "Thanks a lot for what you did just now."


    After a little hesitation, Annabel expressed her gratitude.She didn''t expect Rupert to stand up for her


    and take the time to dig up such a crucial video that exposed Nina''s lies.


    Even Anthony didn''t find the video, yet Rupert did.He must''ve put in a lot of effort.It was impossible for


    her to not be moved by his gesture.


    But...


    "I said I would protect you,"


    Rupert reminded, his voice ringing clearly in Annabel¡¯s ear.


    His tone was extremely maic and slightly seductive.


    Annabel frowned and leaned to the side without realizing it.


    A bit of disappointment shed across Rupert''s eyes.


    Did she have to keep a distance from him? Did she have no feelings for him after what he had done for


    her? With his hands in his pockets, Rupert''s expression turned cold.


    For a moment, the air in the elevator froze.


    Pursing her lips, Annabel looked away from him.


    Just then, her phone rang.


    It was her grandfather.


    Annabel quickly picked up.


    "Grandpa, why are you calling me all of a sudden?"


    On the other end, a burst ofughter boomed through the line.


    "I saw what happened today on TV.Rupert is a good guy.He''s protecting you."


    Annabel was slightly embarrassed.Her grandfather''s voice was so loud that Rupert might''ve been able


    to hear everything.


    Annabel''s grandfather continued, "You''ve been spending time with him for almost a month now, haven''t


    you? How are you two? When am I going to attend your wedding?"


    "Grandpa, what are you talking about?" Annabel flushed.


    "Come on! This guy is talented, handsome, capable, and worthy of you."


    Annabel''s grandfather was very satisfied with Rupert.


    "Grandpa, I have something else to do.I have to hang up now!"


    Hearing Rupert''s vague chuckle, Annabel quickly ended the call.


    "Your grandfather has good taste, much better than yours," Rupert teased.


    Annabel rolled her eyes.


    "How can you be so narcissistic?"


    Ignoring the man beside her, she stared at the elevator''s shing numbers, hoping to get to the first


    floor as soon as possible.


    As soon as they walked out of the elevator, Rupert''s phone rang.It was Bruce.


    "Grandpa, what''s up?"


    Rupert answered, a subtle look on his face.


    "I haven''t seen you and Annabel for days.When will you two visit me?" Bruce asked through the phone


    speaker.


    Rupert nodded.


    "I''ll go visit you when I''m free."


    "Don''t wait until you''re free.You''reing tonight.I''ll ask the chef to prepare your favorite dishes."


    Without waiting for Rupert''s reply, Bruce hung up.


    Rupert shook his head helplessly.He and his grandfather shared the same trait of being bossy.


    "What''s wrong?" Annabel asked curiously.


    Rupert turned his head and gave a tiny smile.


    "My grandpa wanted us to have dinner with him this evening."


    "Oh, I see."


    A faint grin spread on Annabel''s face.


    Both of their grandfathers called them at the same time.She felt something was not right.


    "I''ll pick you up after work." Rupert said with a deadpan expression.


    The two returned to thepany.


    As soon as Annabel returned to her seat, an excited Eve came over.


    "Annabel, your retaliation this morning was amazing.You exposed that shameless Nina!" Eve


    eximed in admiration.


    Annabel smiled.


    Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org.


    "She deserved it."


    "Annabel, why are you so calm? Do you know how popr you are on the Inte now? "


    Eve showed Annabel her phone.


    "Look! All of the top trending and most searched online posts are about you."


    Annabel nced at the screen.


    Sure enough, she saw the video of her performing CPR on Nina.


    Now, Annabel was hailed as a beautiful girl of kindness.


    Most of them were discussing her rtionship with Rupert.


    "Annabel is absolutely gorgeous.Rupert is undeniably dashing.They''re a perfect match!"


    "I wholeheartedly support Annabel and Rupert together!"


    However, there were a few harshments as well.


    "I heard Annabel came from the countryside.She''s nothing but a scheming bitch.She doesn''t deserve


    Rupert!"


    Annabel rubbed her eyes.She went to the hospital today to just expose Nina''s crime.


    Annabel didn''t expect Rupert to arrive and announce she was his fiancee in front of the reporters.


    Now the public¡¯s opinion on it spread like wildfire, which wasn''t what she intended.


    After some thinking, Annabel sent Anthony a message.


    "Help me take down all of the trending and most searched posts about me."


    "What''s wrong, Ada? You''re a stunner in those photos and that video alongside your handsome


    fiance.Why would you want them taken down?" Anthony said jokingly.


    "I told you to take them down.Cut the crap.I''ll give you half an hour.


    I don''t want to see any news about me again! "Yes, ma''am!" Anthony replied.


    At the CEO office, Rupert squinted at his phone screen.


    The photo of him holding Annabel was very clear.


    There were so manyments flooding it.


    Rupert beamed.He was so absorbed with browsing the news.But within a few minutes, all the trending


    news about Annabel suddenly vanished.

 Chapter 93 Sexual Prowess

    Chapter 93 Sexual Prowess


    What was going on? Rupert frowned.He purposely allowed the media to report the news.He hadn''t


    consented for it to be removed.


    The post was the most viewed one in history.


    No one in their right mind would want to take that down.


    After thinking for a while, Rupert called Finley and ordered him, "Find out who removed the most viral


    post about what I said.And why."


    "Yes, sir," Finley replied respectfully.


    He had just seen that the most viral post was taken down.It was so weird.


    To the best of his knowledge, his boss was the only one who could give the order for such a post to be


    taken down.


    Who could have done that? In less than thirty minutes, Annabel received a message from Anthony.


    "Ada, it is done."


    Annabel replied with satisfaction, "Good! I knew you won''t fail."


    "If you don''t mind me asking, is the news true? Are you Rupert''s fiancee? I guess it''s true.Only a man


    like that can control a woman like you," Anthony asked curiously.


    "Mind the business that pays you, Anthony." Annabel texted back sourly.


    What did he mean by Rupert was the only man who could control her? That was bullshit! No man could


    do that! With a frown, Annabel put down her phone and went online on herptop.


    Sure enough, there was no news about her.She then continued to work.


    The shooting of the Ice and Fire advertisement had been slowed down by Nina''s problematic stunt.She


    had to hurry up the process.


    After making an appointment with Rory and Margo to shoot the advertisement again, she called Brett to


    set the date for the press conference.


    Everything was ready now.


    Once themercial shooting was done, the new product would beunched officially.


    Time passed by without Annabel noticing.


    It wasn''t until Rupert''s call came through that she finally turned away from herputer.


    "Can we leave now?" Rupert''s voice came from the other end.


    Annabel looked at the time and found that it was way past closing hour.


    "Okay."


    Annabel nodded.She didn''t want to keep Bruce waiting.


    In the car, Rupert was behind the wheel.His eyes were fixed on the road.


    Sitting in the passenger seat, Annabel looked out of the window.


    Suddenly, Rupert''s phone rang.


    Finley was calling.


    After putting on the wireless earphone, Rupert answered the phone and asked in a low voice, "What''s


    up?"


    "sir, I just found out who took down the post," Finley said.


    "It was done by a famous hacker simply known as Anthony."


    "Anthony?" Rupert frowned.


    This person''s identity was a mystery.


    Rupert had heard of him before.


    "Did you find out why he did it?" Rupert asked tly.


    "No, sir.I''m still on it," Finley answered honestly.


    "I think he just wanted to show off."


    "Just continue investigating." Something smelled fishy to Rupert.


    He narrowed his eyes and continued driving.


    When Annabel heard Anthony''s name, she frowned subconsciously.


    Why did Rupert have Anthony investigated? Did he find out the connection between her and Anthony?


    Was her other identity about to be exposed? Annabel held her breath, thinking Rupert might query her.


    But he didn''t.He just drove straight to his grandfather''s house.


    Before they could get into the house, Dolly came running toward them.It jumped in front of Annabel and


    circled her while wagging its tail wildly.


    "Oh, you remember me!" Annabel squatted and stroked Dolly''s fur.


    "Woof! Woof! Woof!"


    Dolly barked, melting into her hand.


    "Anna, even Dolly misses you,"


    Bruce said with a smile, stroking his beard.


    "You shoulde here more often.It seems like ages since Ist saw you."


    "Okay, Grandpa!"


    Rupert uttered before Annabel could say anything.


    Annabel was speechless.


    When did he be her spokesman? Why did he agree on her behalf? "Come on in."


    Holding Dolly in his arms, Bruce ushered them in.


    "Anna, you sit down here for a while.Dinner will be ready soon."


    "Okay."


    Annabel nodded obediently.


    "You two will stay the night.No objections!"


    Bruce ordered, wagging his index finger slowly.


    Earlier in the day, Bruce had been on the phone with Leonard.


    The two old friends agreed that Annabel and Rupert weren''t getting closer as fast as they wanted.


    They both decided that Bruce should keep a close eye on them and make a concerted effort to bring


    them closer.


    "Okay."


    Rupert agreed without hesitation.


    Annabel turned to look at him with wide eyes.How could he make such a decision without asking for


    her opinion? "Sir, dinner is ready,"


    Jaxen came over and announced respectfully.


    "Let''s go to have dinner."


    Bruce stood up and strode toward the dining room.


    Rupert and Annabel followed him and sat down at the table.


    The table was filled with different kinds of dishes.


    Annabel looked down and found that the dishes in front of Rupert were a little special.


    They seemed like libido-boosting dishes.


    How strange! What on earth was Bruce up to? Just as Annabel was pondering, Bruce picked a piece of


    meat and put it on Rupert''s te.


    "Rupert, you should eat more."


    Rupert noticed it too.


    The corner of his mouth twitched.


    Was his grandfather kidding? Did he need to eat it? Upon seeing this, Annabel chuckled and asked


    Rupert in a low voice, "Are you impotent or something?"


    Rupert''s face darkened.


    How dare she question his sexual prowess? "You will find out soon," he muttered through gritted teeth.


    Once they were done with dinner, Bruce took two of them to Rupert''s room.


    "I''d rather stay in the guest room," Annabel said, rubbing the space between her eyebrows.


    "That''s not possible!" Bruce immediately disagreed with annoyance.


    "You have to stay here.All the other rooms are under renovation now.This is the only avable room!"


    "What?"


    Annabel''s shoulders slouched.She squinted at the old man.


    Howe all the rooms were being renovated at the same time, except this one? "Are you young


    people more conservative than an old man like me? I''d like to think not."


    N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner.


    Bruce almost pushed Annabel into the room and locked the door from outside.He stroked his beard


    with a face-splitting smile as he walked away.


    "Those two will definitely fall in love after spending a night together."


    Annabel was stunned after getting locked in the room like a prisoner.


    What was Bruce up to? Suddenly, Rupert grabbed her and pressed her against the door.He ran his


    fingers through her hair as he lowered his head slowly.


    With his lips to her ear, he whispered amorously, "Who raised doubts concerning my sexual prowess


    just now?"

 Chapter 94 Tell Me About Candy

    Chapter 94 Tell Me About Candy


    The strong masculine cologne from Rupert enveloped Annabel as he stared down at her with bright


    eyes.


    Annabel swallowed hard after thinking for a while.


    "Ermm...Your grandpa did."


    "What? Really?" Rupert uttered, raising his eyebrows.


    "Yeah!"


    Annabel nodded in a hurry.


    "He asked you to eat all those dishes.Wasn''t he trying to say that you were impotent?"


    "How dare you say that?"


    Rupert''s face darkened, but his eyes twinkled with increasing lust.


    Maybe it was because of the food his grandfather fed him.His blood was boiling and he felt a throbbing


    pain down his groin.


    At this moment, Annabel was like a beautiful blossoming flower.He so wanted to pick her up.


    Annabel licked her dry lips, her eyes glistening with innocence.


    "I didn''t say anything..."


    This move was tempting.


    Rupert couldn''t help pressing against her and lowering his head for a kiss.


    Annabel''s heart began to pound so hard she could hear it.


    Rupert''s handsome face kept erging in front of her.


    In the end, his lips fell on hers.


    The strange warmness brought Annabel back to her senses.She bit her lip and turned her face


    away.She pushed him away and said, "I''m going to take a shower."


    She ran into the bathroom and locked the door behind her.


    In no time, she was done showering.It wasn''t until she stood in front of the mirror in a towel that she


    realized something.She had no clothes to wear.


    "Rupert!"Annabel called out.


    Rupert''s voice came from the other side of the bathroom door.


    "What is it?"


    "Ermm...I don''t have any clothes to wear.Please, can you go to Water Moon Community to get me


    something to wear?"


    Annabel managed to say, cupping her burning cheeks with both hands.


    "Have you forgotten that Grandpa locked the door? I can''t teleport, you know," Rupert teased.


    "He''s your grandpa.You should be able to convince him to let you out!"


    Annabel got even more embarrassed.


    "I hate to break it to you, but that''s not possible," Rupert responded faintly, knowing how stubborn his


    grandfather was.


    Annabel fell silent.


    Just as she was about to call out for Bruce and plead with him, Rupert knocked and said in a charming


    voice, "Open up."


    "What do you want?" Annabel asked vigntly.


    "Here are some clothes for you," Rupert replied.


    Clothes for her? Was that a trick just to get her to open the door? Grabbing the hair dryer for self-


    defense, Annabel cautiously opened the door.


    Rupert gave her a bag.She shut the door again and opened the bag on the washstand.


    There were indeed clothes inside.


    There was a new set of women''s underwear and a clean white shirt.


    "Why is the shirt so big like it belongs to a man? Is it Rupert''s?"


    Annabel muttered to herself.


    A strange thought made her frown deeply.Howe he had a new set of women¡¯s underwear? Did


    that mean he often brought girls over here? Annabel got dressed reluctantly and finally walked out.


    The moment she stepped into the bedroom, she took Rupert''s breath away.


    A touch of passion glimmered in his eyes.He gawked at the woman in front of him.


    She hadn''t dried her hair, so water was dripping from it.His shirt looked oddly good on her, partly hiding


    her curvaceous figure.Her long legs were incredibly sexy.


    Rupert swallowed hard.


    "Howe you have a set of women''s underwear at home?"


    Annabel blushed under his gaze.She tried to strike up a conversation to distract him.


    "Do you often bring women here?"


    "Huh? Are you jealous?" Rupert teased, rubbing his chin.


    "Answer the question!" Annabel said seriously.


    Rupert cleared his throat and said, "I know nothing about that.I just saw it on the sofa.Grandpa must


    have asked some maid to prepare it for you."


    How thoughtful of Bruce! Annabel was rendered speechless.


    "I''m tired.I want to go to bed early,"


    Annabel said in a serious tone, looking at the king-sized bed in the middle of the room.


    "I''ll sleep in the bed.You can sleep on the sofa."


    "No way!" Rupert refused coldly.


    "I can''t sleep on that small sofa.I''m used to sleeping in a soft andfortable bed."


    "Fine, I''ll sleep on the sofa then."


    With that, Annabel walked to the sofa.


    Suddenly, Rupert pulled her back before she could lie there.


    "You are a guest here.How can I allow you to sleep on the sofa?"


    Annabel lost bnce and crashed into his hard-rock chest.She immediately straightened up and red


    at him.


    "Then what do you suggest we do?"


    "Isn''t it obvious? Let''s sleep in the bed together,"


    Rupert whispered with a smirk.


    Before Annabel knew what was happening, he lifted her with one hand.


    "Hey, Rupert, what are you doing? Put me down!"


    Annabel struggled, pping his chest.


    Was this man crazy? "Okay!"


    Rupert did put her down, but on the bed.He leaned forward and said slowly, "Do you want me to show


    you what I''m capable of?"


    "Don''t even dare! If you take advantage of me again, I''ll teach you a lesson you would never forget!"


    Annabel tried to get up, but Rupert pushed her down.She shot him a fiery re.


    Rupert wanted to tease her to no end.But when he saw how angry she looked, he raised his hands in


    surrender and stood up.


    With a lingering fear, Annabel scuttled to a corner of the bed and leaned on the headboard, all the while


    ring at him.


    "Don''te close to me!" Rupert looked a little sad.He sat on the bed and turned to look at her.


    "Annabel, have you ever considered your grandfather''s suggestion?"


    "What?"


    Annabel was stunned.


    Rupert looked serious.


    "Don''t you think we should try to work on our rtionship?"


    In the past, Rupert thought Annabel was one of the many gold diggers who wanted to be with him for


    money.He thought she and Leonard got into his grandfather''s head so they could milk the Benton


    family.


    But with time, he realized that he was wrong.


    Not only did Annabel not give a damn about his money, but she was also an independent woman.She


    worked hard to earn a living, unlike the leeches he met in the past.He constantly found himself ogling at


    her.She was gorgeous.


    And for some reason, he always wanted to protect her even if he meant endangering himself.


    Looking into Rupert''s serious eyes, Annabel took a deep breath and said calmly, "I have a question for


    you, Rupert."


    "Okay, shoot!"


    Rupert was stunned for a moment.


    Annabel suppressed all kinds ofplex emotions in her heart and said, "Can you tell me about


    Candy?"


    Candy...


    The twinkle in Rupert''s eyes turned dim.He realized he hadn''t thought of Candy as he used to in recent


    times.


    N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner.


    After a while, Rupert asked, "What exactly do you want to know?"


    "You love Candy, don''t you?" Annabel inquired without beating around the bush.

 Chapter 95 Annabel And Candy

    Chapter 95 Annabel And Candy


    Rupert fell silent.He opened the bedside table drawer, selected a cigar, and then lit it with a lighter.


    As he sat and smoked, a cloud of smoke gathered around him.His expression was cold, and there was


    a touch of sadness in his frown.He continued to smoke until the cigar was entirely spent.


    "Candy...She was with me when I was kidnapped as a child."


    Kidnapped? Annabel frowned.


    If she remembered correctly, Rupert had mentioned kidnapping several times before.


    "Annabel, have you ever been kidnapped?"


    At the time, Annabel had thought the questions were strange and rude.


    But now, she wondered if he thought as Candy or a substitute for Candy.


    Rupert''s expression turned dark as he remembered what had happened when he was young.


    "The kidnappers wanted me, and Candy was just in the wrong ce at the wrong time.We were locked


    up in a cabin somewhere.We spent a few days in the dark together."


    "How did you escape?" Annabel asked in a voice that was deep with emotion.


    For some reason, she wanted to know what Rupert and Candy shared.


    Rupert''s handsome face crumpled as he answered, "Candy fell off a cliff to save me."


    He didn''t want to recall the past.It was too painful.He had been powerless to save Candy.


    All he could do was watch as she disappeared into the abyss.


    Candy was never heard from again, but he hadn''t given up hope that she had survived.He had been


    looking for her ever since but found nothing.


    Annabel fell silent.


    Rupert''s past with Candy was more tragic than she had imagined.


    Candy had fallen off a cliff to save him.


    Maybe she was dead.


    No wonder Rupert couldn''t forget her.


    "Do I look like Candy?"


    N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner.


    Annabel suddenly asked.


    Rupert was stunned.


    Back then, Candy was just a little girl.


    Moreover, they were trapped in darkness.His memory of what she looked like as a child was vague.


    What he remembered about Candy was the warm feeling she gave him.


    That was unforgettable.


    When he and Annabel were alone, it seemed like Annabel was Candy, but not because there was a


    physical resemnce.


    It was because Annabel had the same faint fragrance and gave him the same warm feeling.


    "You are simr," Rupert admitted.


    Annabel felt inexplicably ufortable.


    She finally understood why Rupert had taken such drastic action to protect her in the past, like when he


    stepped in front of a knife for her, or when he did his best to help her when she was framed by Nina.


    Just now, he asked, "Don''t you think we should try to work on our rtionship?"


    It was all because she looked like Candy.


    Annabel took some deep breaths and thought hard about her situation.She looked at the man beside


    her and said coldly, "Rupert, listen, I''m Annabel.I''m my own person.There is only one of me in the


    world.I''m not a recement for Candy.My future husband must love me wholeheartedly.I won''t marry


    someone who sees me as a substitute.So, it¡¯s impossible for us to be together."


    Annabel grabbed the nket off the bed as she got up and went straight to the sofa toy down.


    The firmness of her tone echoed in Rupert''s ears.


    As he watched her march to the sofa without hesitation, he considered theplex emotions he had


    for her.


    He didn''t know whether or not it was because of Candy that he fell in love with Annabel.But he did


    know for certain that at this moment, his heart belonged to Annabel.


    It waste at night.


    Annabel tossed and turned on the sofa, unable to stop thinking about thest month with Rupert.He


    truly was an exceptional man, just as her grandfather had promised.He was talented, handsome,


    capable and respectable.He was considered the most powerful man in the city.


    However, his heart already belonged to his childhood love, Candy.


    Annabel was always a perfectionist, especially when it came to love.She would never be someone''s


    substitute.


    Rupert would always love Candy more; therefore, they couldn''t be together.Both Annabel and Rupert


    had a sleepless night.


    Dawn broke, and Annabel rose from the sofa with dark circles around her eyes.


    Rupert''s handsome face also showed signs of his sleepless night.


    Bruce was in a good mood this morning and noticed that both looked tired when he opened the door for


    them.


    "None of the dishes went to waste," Bruce murmured.


    "You should control yourselves," Bruce said with an ambiguous smile.


    Annabel was speechless.


    What was on Bruce''s mind? When Annabel arrived at thepany, she was still thinking about the


    story about Rupert and Candy.


    If Candy was the woman Rupert loved, Annabel would help him find her.She sent a message to


    Anthony.


    "Help me investigate someone." Anthony replied quickly, "Who?"


    "A girl who was kidnapped with Rupert ten years ago. Her nickname is Candy."


    "Ten years ago? Don''t you have any other information? Anything else?"


    Annabel replied, "That''s all I know.Get back to me as soon as possible."


    Anthony was helpless.


    "Okay."


    Annabel was very satisfied with Anthony''s ability.


    In the past, he had always been quick toplete any task she assigned him.But this time, Anthony


    didn''t reply for a long time.


    Annabel waited until it waste at night before calling him.


    "How is it going with the thing I asked you to investigate?"


    "I can''t find anything."


    Annabel was stunned.


    Nothing could be found? How could was that possible? Anthony was one of the best.


    How could he not have found anything? "I''m sorry, Ada.I tried my best, but...I really can''t find anything."


    There were traces of guilt and self-doubt in his voice.


    "Maybe it''s because I''m not skilled enough.Ada, maybe you should try..."


    "Okay, I see."


    Annabel hung up the phone and frowned.


    What kind of girl was Candy? What happened that day, and where was she now? Most of all, why


    couldn''t Anthony find any information about her?

 Chapter 96 Plagiarized

    Chapter 96 giarized


    Annabel should have expected this result.


    If it was that easy, Rupert would have found Candy years ago.


    But why was she so difficult to find? What happened to Candy after she fell off that cliff? Regardless if


    Candy was alive or dead, there would have been some clues, some evidence that she had existed.


    How could she disappearpletely like this? Annabel couldn''t figure it out, and she had no more


    leads to follow.She would have to put it aside for the time being.


    Over the next few days, Annabel immersed herself in work and soon finished the Ice and Fire shoot.


    A press conference would be held a few dayster, and the Ice and Fire collection would officially be


    launched.


    Annabel was confident that she could make Ice and Fire instantly popr, thus making Benton Group


    the leading jeweler in the industry.


    But two days before the press conference, an ident happened.


    Annabel was at work early that morning, making final preparations for the press conference, when a


    news alert popped up on her phone and drew her attention.


    Love Jewelry was about tounch a new collection with a creative feature: Let Yourself Go.


    Let Yourself Go? Annabel clicked to read the main article.


    "Love Jewelry, this country''s leading jeweler, has hired Marilyn Diaz, a world-famous jewelry


    designer.This coboration has produced an incredible new collection, Let Yourself Go, which is set to


    launch.All of the pieces change color depending on the light they are exposed to, allowing women to


    express themselves as never before.Imagine showing up to any party and dazzling people with your


    color- changing gems."


    Annabel quickly browsed the rest of the news about the uingunch of Let Yourself Go.


    The jewelry was simr to her design, and the gems also changed color ording to the color of light


    shone on them.


    It was Annabel''s idea, and the biggest promotional feature of the Ice and Fire collection.


    Unfortunately, the public didn¡¯t know this.


    In order to create a sensation, Benton Group had kept the color-changing gems a secret.


    The n had been for Annabel to reveal that feature at the press conference to announce theunch of


    Ice and Fire.


    But now, someone hadunched it first.


    Obviously, Love Jewelry had stolen her design.


    They were the leading jeweler domestically, and therefore well- known.


    They had enjoyed afortable monopoly in their industry that ended when Benton Group arrived.


    Annabel was sure that if theunch of Ice and Fire went as nned, it would put Benton Group ahead


    of Love Jewelry.


    There was a lot at stake, so Annabel wasn''t terribly surprised by Love Jewelry''s giarism.


    What did catch her off guard was the fact that someone as renowned as Marilyn would do such a thing.


    Just then, Rupert called.


    "Come to my office." Annabel agreed.


    After the night when everything had been made clear with Rupert, she was much morefortable


    facing him again.


    "Did you see today''s news about Love Jewelry?" Rupert asked in a deep voice as he leaned back in


    his chair.


    "Yes, I did," Annabel said with a nod.


    Rupert frowned.


    "How did this happen?"


    Annabel pursed her lips and said, "If I told you that Marilyn giarized my design, would you believe


    me?"


    "Yes, I would," Rupert replied with hesitation.He trusted her unconditionally, which warmed Annabel''s


    heart.


    "But the current situation is a problem for Benton Group."


    Rupert tapped his knuckles on the table, filling the room with an inexplicable sense of oppression.


    "I know."


    Annabel rubbed the spot between her eyebrows.


    "Love Jewelryunched this design online as their own.When our press conference happens two days


    from now, everyone will think we''re the ones who giarized."


    It didn''t matter that Love Jewelry had only released a few design drawings and descriptions of their


    new collection''s features because their announcement preempted Benton Group''s.


    It was only natural for the public to assume that thepany who announced a new product first was


    the original designer.


    This had obviously been nned as a strike at Benton Group.However, there was one thing that


    Annabel didn''t understand.How did Marilyn get her design idea? Was there a spy in Benton Group?


    Rupert had the same thought.He smiled and said, "I''ll do my best to find out how and why your design


    was stolen, but the press conference needs to be postponed."


    The press conference needed to wait until there was solid evidence.If it happened before then, the


    reputation of Benton Group would be damaged.


    "There''s no need to postpone," Annabel said indifferently.


    Rupert gave Annabel a surprised look.


    Annabel smiled.


    "If you trust me, don''t postpone the press conference."


    Again, Rupert replied without hesitation, "Then you will be in charge of the press conference."


    "No problem," Annabel said, pursing her lips.


    The moment she left the CEO''s office, she spotted Berniceing toward her with an aggressive look.


    "Annabel, you giarized?" Bernice scolded Annabel rudely.


    "Did you witness this?" Annabel asked coldly.


    Bernice mmed a newspaper on the table.


    "Look, your Ice and Fire is a copy of Marilyn''s design."


    Annabel nced over the newspaper.It was the same as the article she had read on her phone.


    Even Bernice thought she was the one who had giarized.


    "I didn''t giarize," Annabel said.


    "Annabel, the truth is in front of you.Why are you arguing? Do you understand how much trouble you''ve


    brought thispany?"


    Bernice raised her voice in the hopes that more people would hear and spread the word.


    As the director of the design department, her previous design had been harshly criticized by Annabel,


    causing her to lose face in front of Rupert.


    N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner.


    Annabel even ignored the design department''s work and went straight to Brett with the Ice and Fire


    design, which also thrilled Rupert.


    Annabel was an outsider, so how could she be exceptionally capable? It turned out that she giarized


    Marilyn''s work.


    "I don''t know if thepany is in trouble, but I think you may be in trouble," Annabel said with an ironic


    smile.


    Bernice was stunned.


    "What trouble am I in?"


    "you''re the director of the design department, but you can''t tell the originals from the giarized


    versions. Doesn''t that make you feel ashamed?" Annabel replied, still smiling.

 Chapter 97 Your Dinner

    Chapter 97 Your Dinner


    "What do you mean by that?"


    Bernice demanded, bing even angrier.How could Annabel mock her in front of their colleagues?


    "Exactly what I said,"


    Annabel responded with casual indifference.


    "Stop denying it.It''s a fact that you giarized."


    Bernice raised her voice, wishing the whole world could hear and know that Annabel was a fraud.


    In the beginning, only a few people were privy to the design for Ice and Fire.


    Now, everyone in the secretary department heard Bernice.


    They began looking doubtfully at Annabel.


    Marilyn was famous for her designs, and Annabel was just an unknown secretary who came from the


    countryside.


    How could she know jewelry design? She must have taken the risk to get herself promoted.


    Annabel faced the doubtful eyes of her colleagues with a rxed expression.


    "Is that all, Bernice? If there''s nothing else, you should go back to work.This madness isn''t wee."


    "What? I''m not crazy! I can''t believe you dare to even suggest it."


    Bernice was furious.


    Annabel was still calm.


    "Did I say that? You''re the one who said crazy."


    "You bitch!"


    Bernice was so angry that her facial muscles were twitching.She took a few deep breaths and told


    herself to calm down.


    After all, her goal was to publicly expose Annabel''s giarism.


    With her mind refocused, Bernice snorted and asked, "What''s with your attitude? Do you feel it''s


    reasonable to giarize? If my memory serves me right, Ice and Fire will beunched in two days on a


    press conference.


    Are you nning to create a scandal?


    "Don''t worry, Bernice.The design department isn¡¯t expected to get involved with the press conference.If


    you have time to spare, see about improving your department," Annabel said sarcastically.


    Bernice¡¯s expression became even more twisted with rage.


    "I have never known someone so shameless.Everyone can see that you''re guilty of giarism, and you


    don''t even have the decency to admit it.I''m going to inform Mr.Benton of the situation and ask him to


    cancel the press conference."


    "Rupert gave me full authority over the press conference," Annabel said with restrained delight.


    "Impossible." Bernice sneered.She didn¡¯t believe that Rupert could have missed the news about Love


    Jewelry.


    As long as he saw it, he would know that Annabel was a giarist.


    There was no way he would let the press conference continue, let alone give Annabel authority over it.


    "Believe it or don''t, but it''s the truth."


    Annabel was growing exhausted with Bernice and her petty rivalry.


    There was a lot of work to be done in preparation for the press conference, and she wanted to get


    started.


    Bernice was simply wasting her time.


    There was obvious hostility in Bernice''s tone as she said, "You think too highly of yourself,


    Annabel.Why would Mr.Benton give authority to a proven thief?"


    Annabel frowned and was about to respond when a familiar male voice said, "I left the press


    conference to Annabel.Do you have a problem with my decision?"


    Annabel turned and saw Rupert approaching.


    "Shouldn''t you people be working?" Rupert said coldly to the crowd that had gathered around Bernice


    and Annabel.


    The startled employees quickly ceased their chatter and returned to their desks.


    "Mr.Benton," Bernice said, stepping closer to Rupert.


    "Haven''t you seen the news about Love Jewelry''s new collection? Their design is identical to


    Annabels."


    "So what?" Rupert asked with a frown.


    So what? Bernice was stunned by his response.


    Annabel was clearly a giarist.


    Why hadn''t she been fired? "But Annabel giarized the design for Ice and Fire.It was morally wrong,


    and she has created a scandal for thispany," Bernice said, assuming that Rupert didn''t thoroughly


    understand the situation. She found the design drawings of Love Jewelry¡¯s new collection online to


    better disy their simrity to the Ice and Fire collection.


    "Here, here, and here.These pieces are almost identical to Ice and Fire pieces.The fact that they also


    change color is solid proof that Annabel stole Marilyn''s ideas."


    Rupert held Bernice in a cold stare and asked, "Isn''t it possible that Marilyn stole Annabel''s ideas?


    What makes you so certain that Annabel is the giarist?"


    Marilyn stole Annabel''s ideas? That was impossible.


    Bernice bit her lip and said, "Marilyn is one of the top designers in the industry.She''s won awards for


    her designs.Why would she steal an outsider''s ideas?"


    "Well, it has nothing to do with you." Rupert pulled his tie impatiently.


    Bernice couldn''t believe what she was hearing, but she held her tongue.


    Why did Rupert support Annabel when the facts against her were clear? If the press conference wasn''t


    cancelled, she was afraid that Benton Group would be a joke within the industry.


    Determined not to give up, Bernice left the secretary department and headed for the sanctuary of the


    design department.


    On the way, she bumped into someone by ident.It was Cody, the vice president of thepany.


    "Sorry about that," Bernice hurriedly apologized.


    "What''s wrong?" Cody asked with a slight frown.


    "What happened?"


    Bernice retold the story of Annabel''s giarism and the press conference that had not yet been


    cancelled.


    "I don¡¯t understand what there is between Annabel and Mr.Benton.Why does he have so much faith in


    her? He saw the news, but he still wants to go through with the press conference for Ice and Fire.It''s


    obvious that they want to embarrass thepany, right?"


    Bernice paused for a moment before continuing, "Sir, you are the founding member of the


    company.You have to be fair."


    Cody sighed.


    "Nowadays, Rupert controls thepany.I''m an old fart."


    After Bernice left, Annabel returned the staggering amount of work she had left to do.


    The press conference had to go well.


    Benton Group''s reputation was at stake.


    N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner.


    Without Annabel knowing, it was time to get off work.


    "Let''s go back," Rupert said, calling from his office.She nced at her watch and said, "I''ll work


    overtime.You can leave."


    "Okay."


    Rupert hung up the phone.It was gettingte, and Annabel was still working.Suddenly, she heard


    familiar footsteps.She didn''t need to look to know that it was Rupert.


    "Didn''t you go back?" Annabel asked in surprise.


    Rupert was holding a lunch box.He put it on her desk before leaning close to say, "I brought you


    dinner."


    Dinner? It urred to Annabel that she hadn''t eaten yet that evening.


    But how did Rupert know that she hadn''t had dinner yet? And he even brought her dinner in person!

 Chapter 98 Candy Was Afraid Of Darkness

    Chapter 98 Candy Was Afraid Of Darkness


    "Open it," Rupert smiled and said in a tender voice.


    Annabel opened the lunch box and was greeted with the fragrance of the food.


    The lunch box was filled with all her favorite dishes.


    "Where did you get this?"


    Annabel sniffed appreciatively.She had been so lost in her work that she had forgotten to have dinner.


    As soon as she caught scent of the food, her stomach rumbled.


    Rupert watched her with a smile.His thin lips quirked up slightly as he replied, "I cooked for you."He


    knew that once Annabel started working, dinner would slip her mind.


    After work, he went back home to cook dinner himself and returned to thepany to deliver it to her.


    Warmth coursed through Annabel¡¯s body.She smiled and said, "Thank you!"


    "Taste it."


    Rupert sat down next to Annabel and watched her wolf down the food.He couldn''t stop the soft smile


    that lit up his face.


    "It¡¯s delicious." Annabel nodded and praised the food truthfully.Her phone rang at that moment.She


    looked down and saw that Rory was calling her.


    When Rupert saw the name Rory on Annabel''s phone screen, his handsome face darkened.


    Annabel ignored Rupert and answered the phone.


    "Rory, what''s the matter?"


    "Hi, Annabel." Rory''s voice brimmed with concern.


    "I saw the news about Love Jewelry today.I know it''s put you in a bad spot.But don''t worry.I will testify


    on your behalf to prove that you didn''t giarize the designs."


    When Rory was shooting the advertisement, the samples of Ice and Fire pieces were used in the


    shoot.


    As a result, he could prove that the samples were produced long before yesterday, when the news


    about Love Jewelry came out.


    Brett, Margo, and the others could also testify.


    But Love Jewelry would consider this and prepare themselves thoroughly to attack Benton Group.


    Annabel knew it would not be so easy to prove Love Jewelry''s giarism at the press conference that


    would be held in two days.


    With a small smile, she said, "Thank you.I can take care of it myself.Right now, I''m more concerned


    about how my design was leaked."


    Not many people knew about the Ice and Fire collection, but they weren''t just a handful either.


    Bernice, Brett and his assistant, the photographer, the spokespeople, and even some senior leaders of


    thepany had seen the Ice and Fire samples.


    In other words, any of these people might be responsible for leaking the design concepts of Ice and


    Fire.


    "Who do you suspect it was?" Rory asked.


    N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner.


    Sensing the displeasure of the man next to her, Annabel narrowed her eyes and replied, "I don¡¯t know."


    After disconnecting the call, Annabel smiled and turned to Rupert.


    "Rupert, who do you think leaked the information?"


    Rupert answered, "I''ve asked Finley to investigate.We will see some results soon."


    Annabel nodded and stopped pursuing the topic.


    After finishing dinner, she wanted to continue working, but Rupert insisted on taking her home.


    "you''re not feeling well.Come back and rest properly," Rupert said in an irrefutable tone.


    Annabel felt helpless.


    If she didn''t go, Rupert would also stay at the Office.However, she couldn''t work with him hovering


    around her.So she was left with no choice but to go home with him.


    They entered the elevator and the doors closed behind them.


    As soon as Annabel pushed the button for the first floor, a sizzling sound came from the light in the


    ceiling of the elevator.


    It flickered a few times, and then the elevator was plunged into darkness.


    "Ah!"


    Annabel couldn''t stop the scream that escaped her lips.


    She had been terrified of darkness since childhood.


    When the lights went out, intense fear crept over Annabel.She crouched on the floor.


    Some memory fragments shed in her mind, but she couldn''t make sense of them.


    Just as Annabel was certain the fear would swallow herpletely, she heard Rupert''s captivating


    voice.


    "Don''t be scared."


    Rupert reached out and wrapped his strong arms around Annabel without hesitation.He pressed his


    thin lips against her ear and whispered, "Don''t be scared.I''m here with you."


    His voice felt like a beam of light in the darkness, giving Annabel infinite warmth.The cloud of fear and


    despair around her heart instantly dissipated.


    Leaning into Rupert''s chest, Annabel felt immeasurably relieved.


    "What happened?"


    Annabel asked after taking a few deep breaths to calm herself down.


    "Something must be wrong with the elevator," Rupert said with furrowed eyebrows.


    He took out his phone and turned on its shlight.


    "What should we do now?"


    Annabel leaned deeper into Rupert''s embrace.


    Would she be trapped in this dark elevator for the rest of the night? Noticing how reliant on him the


    woman in his arms was, Rupert grinned cheerfully.He hadn''t expected the strong and independent


    Annabel to have this vulnerable side too.


    Annabel''s vulnerable side made Rupert eager to protect her.


    Rupert held her tightly in his arms, inhaling her subtle scent.He felt a familiar sensation again.


    Were Annabel and Candy really two different people? Why did he feel that they were so simr?


    Seeing that Rupert stayed quiet but continued holding her tightly, Annabel looked up and asked,


    "Rupert?"


    This brought him back to his senses.


    "I''ll call the security guard and tell him to find someone to repair the elevator."


    Soon, a maintenance worker came and fixed the elevator.


    The light came back on and everything looked bright again.


    "Are you okay?"


    Rupert watched the woman in his arms.


    It was only then that Annabel realized she was leaning against Rupert''s chest.


    Even worse, she had her hands around his neck.


    The position was so misleading.


    Feeling embarrassed, Annabel let go of Rupert and apologized, "I''m afraid of darkness, so..."


    Rupert stared at Annabel carefully and said, "Candy was also terrified of the darkness."


    Candy? Annabel was stunned.


    So, Rupert thought she was Candy again? Pursing her lips, she was about to retort when she heard


    Rupert asking, "Annabel, are you really not Candy?"

 Chapter 99 Amazing Annabel

    Chapter 99 Amazing Annabel


    "Of course not!"


    Annabel pushed Rupert away.


    "Rupert, I''ve already made it clear that I''m not Candy, and I refuse to be thought of as her


    recement!"


    Rupert was frustrated, but he didn''t force the situation.


    "Let''s go back," he said, nodding expressionlessly.


    Brett was in a private room at Charming Bar.He liked to be out of the public eye when he drank with his


    friends.


    Annie had followed him without his knowledge.


    "Brett."


    Annie opened the door and entered without waiting for permission.


    Brett frowned slightly and asked, "What are you doing here?"


    "Brett, why are you avoiding me?" Annie asked in an aggrieved tone as she took a seat next to him.


    "You don''t answer my calls, and when I go to the hotel to look for you, you''re never there."


    "We broke up," Brett responded coldly.


    "Brett, are you so heartless?" Annie leaned against Brett.


    "Have you forgotten the happy memories we made? You said you''d love me I forever.You can''t be that


    cruel."


    Brett pushed Annie away impatiently.


    "Annie, this is thest time I''m going to remind you that we broke up!"


    "But why, Brett? Why are you being so cruel to me?" Annie asked the handsome man before her with


    red eyes. She would not epted his decision.


    Their rtionship was just getting started. He couldn''t break up with her now; it was too cruel. It was all


    Annabel''s fault.


    If Annabel hadn''t exposed her, Brett never would have dumped her.


    "Annie, I don''t want to see you again," Brett said coldly, shrugging her off as he stood to leave.He didn''t


    look back.


    Annie ran after him and caught his arm.


    "Brett, please don''t do this.Give us another chance.Please...I still love you.We can go back to how


    things were before..."


    "Enough! Stop following me!" Brett demanded.


    He wrenched his arm free and left, feeling greatly annoyed.


    Annie lost her bnce and fell heavily to the floor.


    Heather and Be had just entered the bar.


    "Isn''t that Annie?" Heather asked.


    Be nodded.


    "Yes, why is she on the floor?"


    "Hopefully she''s dying of embarrassment,"


    Heathermented viciously.


    Be paused before asking, "Heather, do you mean...?"


    "Let''s go and see, shall we?" said Heather with a growing smile.


    Annie was about to stand when a woman suddenly appeared and asked, "Annie, are you all right?"


    Annie raised her head and saw Heather offering her a hand.


    "Thank you.I''m fine."


    Annie epted Heather''s assistance and stood.


    Be stepped forward and asked with feigned concern, "What happened to you, Annie? Why are you


    such a mess?"


    The thought of Brett''s heartless brought tears to Annie''s eyes.


    "Brett broke up with me."


    "Why?" Heather asked, though she already knew the answer.


    "It''s all because of Annabel!"


    Annie grit her teeth.


    "If she''d never shown her face, Brett wouldn''t have broken up with me."


    "What? Annabel again?"


    N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner.


    Be pretended to be surprised.


    "Seducing men is her specialty.It''s too easy for her, and I don''t think she takes any man seriously.She''s


    nothing but a slut.Getting even should be easy.You just need to show Brett what Annabel is really like,


    and he''lle back to you."


    "You''re right!"


    Jealous resentment shed through Annie''s eyes.


    "Annabel, you won''t get away with what you''ve done to me!"


    Heather smiled triumphantly and pretended something had just urred to her.


    "Benton Group ns tounch the Ice and Fire collection at a press conference two days from now,


    right? I heard Annabel is responsible for organizing it."


    Annie clenched her fists and grit her teeth.


    "In two days, Annabel.You''ll see.And Brett will see you for what you really are!"


    The days before the press conference passed quickly.


    Annabel rose early to ensure that she would not be rushed.


    After washing and dressing, she went downstairs to the living room and saw Rupert sitting on the


    sofa.He was dressed in a suit and his hair was meticulouslybed.He was so handsome that no one


    would be able to take their eyes off him.


    "Good morning," Rupert said when he spotted Annabel.


    They had breakfast, then got in Rupert''s car.


    Annabel was surprised when she noticed that he wasn''t driving to Benton Group.


    "Aren''t we going to thepany?" Annabel asked, looking out the window and trying to guess his


    intended destination.


    "No."


    "Well, then, where are we going?"


    Annabel was curious.


    The press conference was scheduled for the afternoon.


    Where was Rupert taking her now? Rupert gave her a side nce and said, "You''ll know when we get


    there."


    Ten minutester, Rupert parked his car in front of a salon.


    "Here we are." Annabel got out and considered the salon''s golden sign.


    It read: ANA Studio.


    ANA Studio was a high-end salon that catered to the elite who wanted a one-stop shop topletely


    beautify themselves.


    Here, women could get her clothing chosen and her hair and makeup done by the best stylists in the


    business.


    The moment Rupert was out of his car, the manager came to greet him.


    "Mr.Benton, this way, please."


    "Let''s go."


    Rupert looked at Annabel with a smile.


    "Miss Hewitt, this way, please.We are ready," the manager said with a smile.


    Now Annabel understood why Rupert had brought her here.He had made an appointment for her in


    preparation for the press conference.


    Perhaps he was more concerned about this afternoon than he was letting on.


    Annabel nodded and followed the manager into the dressing room.


    When Annabel came out again, everyone was amazed.


    Rupert couldn''t stop staring at her.


    The red dress that Annabel wore had a vest top which greatly ttered her chest.


    Just enough of her porcin skin was visible to be alluring yet elegant.


    Her long hair was draped over her shoulders in a particrly attractive fashion.She was dazzling.


    "Do you like it?" Annabel asked Rupert when she noticed him staring at her.


    "you''re so beautiful," he answering,ing back to his senses.


    The press conference began at two o''clock.


    It was being held in a luxurious conference room on the eighteen floor of the Benton Group building.


    Annabel reviewed the preparations once more.


    Everything was ready.


    She looked at her watch and saw that it was ten minutes to two.


    In ten minutes, the press conference would start.


    Besides the press, there would be many attendees from influential families.


    The guest list included Margo, Rory, and many VIPs in the jewelry business.


    Of course, as CEO of Benton Group, Rupert would also be there.


    It was obvious that Benton Group attached great importance to this press conference.


    Meanwhile, the journalists scrambled for the best seats in the room.


    They were all excited for the press conference to begin, and all of them feared missing out on breaking


    news.


    The press conference began on time, and at exactly two o''clock, Annabel appeared on stage.

 Chapter 100 Plagiarism Accusation

    Chapter 100 giarism usation


    This was an exciting moment.


    Everyone was looking forward to the official beginning of the press conference.


    Radiating confidence, Annabel walked up the stage majestically.


    The spotlight was on her now.


    "Good day,dies and gentlemen! On behalf of Benton Group, I''d like to wee you all to theunch


    of the Ice and Fire jewelry!"


    Annabel cleared her throat and said into the microphone.


    A thunderous apuse came from the audience.


    Heather, who was seated somewhere in the crowd, didn''t look pleased like the rest of the guests.Her


    eyes sparkled with envy as she stared at the elegant woman on the stage.


    It had taken her some time to convince her brother to bring her to this conference.


    She came with the sole purpose of dealing with Annabel once she got the chance.


    "Bitch, I''ll teach you a lesson tonight," Heather muttered to herself, gnashing her teeth.


    After the pping subsided, Annabel continued, "The Ice and Fire jewelry series is a grand series done


    by Benton Group in the third quarter.As the name depicts, the theme for this collection is ice and


    fire.You all must be wondering what that means and why we chose that theme.Not to worry.You will


    soon find out.Let''s take a look at the promotional film."


    Annabel signaled the technical staff.


    In the promotional film, Margo, in a white dress and the new Ice and Fire jewelry series, walked


    gracefully toward Rory.


    Under the milky white light, the jewelry shone brightly, making Margo look like a pure ice fairy.


    But once the light became warmer and dim, the light from the jewelry changed from white to red¡ª


    almost like a zing fire.


    It changed how Margo looked.


    From being an ice fairy, she became the queen of fire, who looked dazzling and bold at the same time.


    The guests gasped in awe as their eyes were glued to the screen.


    Some began to praise it.


    "Wow, it''s so beautiful! I have never seen anything like it."


    "Well, I have!" someone suddenly uttered with uncertainty.


    "Isn''t this the same as the Let Yourself Go jewelry series?" Many people immediately began to whisper.


    "Oh, I can see the striking resemnce.It''s really the Love Jewelry''s Let Yourself Go design Why did


    Benton Group use the same design?"


    "Oh, my! Does that mean they giarized?"


    "This is unbelievable! Benton Group stole someone else''s work? How shameful!"


    Once the promotional film ended, a reporter stood up and asked boldly, "While I admit that the concept


    of the Ice and Fire series is amazing, I can''t help but notice that it''s the same idea as Love Jewelry''s


    Let Yourself Go series.It seems Benton Group stole that idea. What do you have to say about this?"


    Annabel cast a cold nce at the reporter¡ªa woman who looked like she was in her early twenties.


    Only experienced senior reporters were sent to cover press conferences held by toppanies like


    Benton Group.


    But here this young woman was, in the midst of many senior reporters from other media houses.


    Something smelled fishy.


    Perhaps Love Jewelry had a hand in this.


    In the face of this brewing antagonism, Annabel still smiled calmly.


    "First and foremost, I''d like to remind you to mind yournguage.If you continue to make malicious and


    unfounded usations about Benton Group, we will have to take legal action against you and your


    employer."


    The reporter hade prepared.


    "Oh, pardon me.I didn''t mean to offend you.I just asked the question that was on the mind of every


    other reporter here.Why is the Ice and Fire series the same as the series by Love Jewelry? Can you


    answer that, please?"


    With a graceful smile, Annabel said, "As you all know, the Let Yourself Go series was onlyunched


    two days ago.The samples of the Ice and Fire series were produced earlier than that."


    "What are you trying to say? Do you have proof that the Ice and Fire series was designed earlier than


    Let Yourself Go?" the reporter inquired aggressively.


    Annabel said, "Benton Group''s promotional film was shot three days ago, and the samples were


    completed a week ago.Many of those involved in this project can prove it, including the male model you


    just watched in the promotional film."


    "Yes, I can prove it."


    Rory stood up from the high table.He took the microphone before him and spoke seriously.


    "I was invited to be the model for the advertisement a week ago.At that time, Annabel showed me the


    samples for the series.Mr.Brett McCoy was also present then."


    Rory was a popr actor, so his words were credible.


    The opinions of the audience gradually changed in favor of Benton Group.


    Annabel continued, "It goes without saying that the samples werepleted more than a week


    ago.Since many of you are conversant with how things work in the jewelry industry, you should know


    that it takes at least two weeks for a design to be produced into a sample.Love Jewelry pushed out


    theirtest series only two days ago without an early announcement.How could Benton Group have


    copied them in just two days?"


    "Annabel is right."


    Brett also stood up.


    "I can also prove that Ice and Fire was already in the works and ready long before Let Yourself


    Go.More than two weeks ago, Annabel showed me the design for the new series."


    With a dismissive flick of her wrist, Annabel said seriously, "Benton Group wasn''t built yesterday.The


    company is known for its uniqueness and top-notch quality every time.We would never steal or copy


    anyone''s work!"


    "Don''t you think you are being too absolute?"


    The reporter didn''t back down.


    "It''smon knowledge that Brett McCoy is a partner of Benton Group and that the Ice and Fire series


    was done in coboration with him.I''m afraid his words aren''t credible.As for Rory Kelly, it has been


    reported that he grew up with Rupert Benton.They are close, so it''s not surprising that he wants to help


    his friend''spany."


    After pausing to let the doubts of the others grow again, the reporter continued, "It''s obvious the two of


    them are favoring Benton Group.Even a blind man can see that yourpany stole Love Jewelry''s


    design.Aren''t you going to own up to it?"


    "Watch your mouth!"


    Annabel fired with a deep frown.


    "Since you are so adamant, you should watch the video provided by the cops."


    N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner.


    The drowning incident at Lover Lake happened on the same day as the shoot for the advertisement.


    After Cathy called the cops, they interviewed some people, including Margo.


    Margo was wearing the Ice and Fire jewelry, so it was shown in the police''s recording.


    Once the video finished ying, Annabel turned to the reporter and shed her a sarcastic smile.


    "What do you have to say now? You aren''t going to say that the cops are favoring Benton Group, are


    you?"


    The reporter was rendered speechless.


    "There''s nothing left to be said about this matter.I''d leave it to everyone to make their judgment.Those


    who have eyes and brains will know what is right,"


    Annabel uttered, smiling faintly.


    Another reporter sprang up and asked, "Now that it has been proven that Ice and Fire was done before


    the Let Yourself Go series, is that to say that Love Jewelry stole yourpany''s design? What are you


    going to do about that?"


    "It''s not a given, but we can''t rule out the possibility.Benton Group will investigate before taking any


    action," Annabel responded.


    "My design was published in a fashion magazine two months ago!" An angry female voice came from


    the door of the room.

 Chapter 101 So-called Proof

    Chapter 101 So-called Proof


    The sudden voice made all heads turn to the door of the room.


    A woman dressed in a well-ironed suit and heels walked in.


    Her curly blond hair bounced as she walked.


    Annabel squinted at her.


    This woman must be Marilyn Diaz, the new chief designer hired by Love Jewelry¡ªthe so-called


    designer of the Let Yourself Go series.


    Marilyn walked up the stage in an imposing manner.


    She snatched a microphone from a reporter and shouted, "It''s ridiculous that Annabel Hewitt here


    used Love Jewelry of giarism.We have never stolen or copied anyone''s work, not even that of


    Benton Group."


    Her shout caused an uproar in the room.


    The reporters began to discuss excitedly.


    Press conferences were usually boring, so it was interesting to witness this drama for a change.


    A satisfied smile tugged at the corners of Marilyn''s lips as she watched the rowdy audience.


    To add fuel to the fire, she uttered in a much louder voice, "Miss Hewitt, you just said that the Ice and


    Fire series was done a month ago and even got two men to testify to that, didn¡¯t you?"


    "Yes, I did," Annabel replied, folding her arms; keen to see what this woman was up to.


    With a smug smile, Marilyn said, "In that case, I''m certain that you stole my design for Let Yourself Go!"


    The troublesome young reporter asked Marilyn, "Do you have evidence to back your im?"


    Marilyn sneered, "I actually finished the design for Let Yourself Go two months ago.Since Benton


    Group came up with Ice and Fire a month ago, isn''t it obvious who the giarist is?"


    "But as far as I know, Let Yourself Go was only announced in the media two days ago.How can you


    prove that Benton Group copied your work?" the reporter inquired further.


    Marilyn waved the magazine in her hand and said, "As I said earlier, my design was published in a


    fashion magazine just days after I was done with it.I recently signed a contract with Love Jewelry, so


    Let Yourself Go was realized just two days ago."


    Annabel watched as Marilyn and the reporter echoed each other.Her suspicion was confirmed; Love


    Jewelry sent their minions to cause a disruption here and sabotage the sess of Benton Group''s new


    series.


    Marilyn also showed up, bringing the so-called evidence to prove that Benton Group giarized.


    Annabel was going to allow her to enjoy the attention for a while.


    While all this was happening, Heather was smiling from ear to ear.


    The n she had made was supposed to be set in motion during the celebration dinner in the evening.


    N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner.


    However, it was thrilling to watch things go downhill for Annabel during the press conference.Her


    greatest enemy was being disgraced at such a crucial moment.


    This was sure to cause a lot of trouble for Benton Group.


    Heather believed that Rupert wouldn''t tolerate such a big mistake.


    After all, he valued the business more than anything.He would fire Annabel at the very least.


    Heather still had a big surprise for Annabel up her sleeve.She was confident that she would be able to


    get rid of her tonight.


    Heather chuckled as she watched the exciting live drama.


    The reporter asked Marilyn respectfully, "Can you show us this fashion magazine?"


    "of course!" Marilyn smiled.


    She opened the fashion magazine for all to see.It was called Storm.


    Annabel had never heard of it before.


    There was indeed a publication of a design simr to Let Yourself Go.It was also stated that it could


    change colors under the lighting of the environment.


    "There you have it, guys! Ice and Fire is a copy of my design!"


    Marilyn''s eyes turned cold as she looked at Annabel provocatively.


    "It''s a criminal offense to steal someone else''s idea.I demand that Benton Group apologize, destroy all


    the Ice and Fire products, and also pay me fifty million dors aspensation!"


    A tumult of surprised shouts broke out in the room immediately.


    Fifty million wasn''t a big deal for apany like Benton Group, but its public image was.


    For many decades, thepany had been in a good light.It had never been used of any slight


    misappropriation, let alone something as serious as giarism.


    However, it was indisputable to the guests and reporters here.


    The magazine Marilyn presented proved beyond reasonable doubt that her design came out first


    before Ice and Fire was conceived.


    Annabel couldn''t help but look at the tform.


    Rupert was seated there with his legs crossed leisurely as if he wasn''t disturbed by the drama going on


    at all.He suddenly gave a bright smile.His eyes sparkled with trust and confidence.He believed that


    Annabel could handle the situation well.


    Seeing this, Annabel smiled back and turned to look at Marilyn.


    "where was this magazine published? I have never heard of Storm, let alone seen one before now."


    Marilyn pursed her lips and said in a contemptuous tone, "It shows how unexposed you are! For your


    information, this magazine is published in France.You haven''t been there, so that exins why you


    don''t know it."


    "Oh.So, the country of publication is France!"


    Annabel nodded her head, pretending to be impressed.


    "As far as I know, France is a francophone country.Why is Storm in English?"


    Marilyn was taken aback, but she managed to say, "English is widely spoken in France too Besides,


    this particr edition was published for the English-speaking audience!"


    Annabel took the magazine, raised it high, and asked, "Has anyone ever seen or heard about this


    magazine before now?"


    Many of the guests here were top yers in the fashion and jewelry industry.


    The people who fell under this category exchanged awkward nces.


    None of them had seen or heard of Storm before.


    "Marilyn, a respected designer like you should be able to get a spot at an internationally known


    magazine.Why did you choose a magazine no one else has heard of? The origin of this magazine is


    questionable, so it''s impossible to trust its authenticity.I''m afraid you can''t use this as proof that Benton


    Group stole your design," Annabel said with a bit of irony in her tone.


    The reporters nodded, agreeing with her.


    Top fashion magazines always published works from respectable designers and brands.It made no


    sense that Marilyn chose an unknown magazine when she was spoiled for choice.


    Marilyn''s expression changed.


    "The design is mine, so I have every right to choose where it''s published.Stop trying to fool the


    public.Admit your wrongs and apologize to me for stealing my design this minute!"


    "I''m afraid you are the one to apologize!" Annabel''s eyes suddenly darkened.


    "You are the thief! Let Yourself Go is a carbon copy of Ice and Fire.Stop ying the victim when you


    are not!"

 Chapter 102 The Original Designer Is Leo

    Chapter 102 The Original Designer Is Leo


    Marilyn''s face turned livid at Annabel''s words.


    "Annabel Hewitt, this is pure nder.If you don''t apologize to me right this instant, I''ll call the police!"


    "Do it," Annabel said calmly, a mocking smile tugging at the corners of her lips.


    "Anyway, you''re the giarist here.It''d be good to call the police."


    One of the reporters immediately pricked up his ears.


    "Miss Hewitt, do you have any evidence that proves that Marilyn giarized?"


    "Can you tell us why you said that Marilyn was a giarist?" another reporter chimed in.


    Staring at Marilyn, Annabel exined, "I don''t know how you were able to copy the idea, but the person


    who came up with the idea of gems changing colors under different lights is Leo!"


    Leo? A collective gasp sounded in the room.


    Leo was a world-renowned, mysterious fashion designer.


    No one ever saw Leo''s true face or knew their gender.


    Was this idea originally Leo''s? If this was true, how did Annabel know? "Miss Hewitt, are you saying


    that this idea came from Leo? Is that true?" a reporter asked eagerly.


    "Yes, that''s exactly what I''m saying." Annabel''s tone was confident and calm.


    "If you have any questions, ask Anika Mendoza, the director of Leo Studio.She''s here today!"


    Two days ago, Annabel reached out to Anika as soon as she saw the news regarding Love Jewelry.


    Anika immediately booked a flight to Douburgh, and together, the two women hatched a n to deliver


    the final blow to Love Jewelry in today''s press conference.


    As if on cue, Anika, who was sitting in an inconspicuous corner, slowly stood up.She took off her


    sses and smiled at Annabel knowingly.


    "Oh, my God! It''s really Anika!" Chaos erupted in the crowd.


    It was known to all that Leo Studio was one of the top clothing studios in the world.


    Normally, only the members of the royal family could see someone as important as Anika.


    But here she was, at Benton Group''s press conference.


    "Miss Mendoza, is what Miss Hewitt said true?"


    The reporters swarmed towards Anika in a frenzy, eager to get the answers from her.


    "Miss Mendoza, was it Leo''s idea? Did Marilyn giarize Leo''s concept?"


    Being bombarded by the reporters¡® questions, Anika coughed slightly and waved her hand, asking


    everyone to be quiet.


    The crowd quieted down obediently, and she cleared her throat and finally said, "Yes, that''s right.It was


    Leo''s idea, and Marilyn giarized it."


    "Bullshit!"


    Marilyn''s expression changed the second Anika spoke against her.


    "I came up with the idea first! I even published it two months ago! Do you have any evidence to prove


    that the idea was originally Leo''s?" Anika sneered coldly.


    "I hate to break it to you, Marilyn, but Leo applied for a patent a year ago.It just hasn''t been made


    public yet."


    A patent? How could it be possible? Marilyn bit her lip nervously.


    "Prove it!"


    Anika had expected such a response, so she calmly pulled a document out of her bag.


    "Everyone, look here.This is Leo''s patent certificate, which has already been verified by the


    International Patent Bureau.Originally, Leo intended to use this invention on the buttons of his next


    clothing line, but the patent''s scope also includes jewelry design."


    It turned out that Leo was the original designer.


    Marilyn was at a loss for words.


    All the color drained from her face, and she wanted to defend herself, but she didn''t know how.


    "Marilyn, you giarized Leo''s designs and ndered Benton Group.Ourpany will sue you


    shortly," Anika said, narrowing her eyes at Marilyn.


    Feeling the disdainful gazes of the crowd, Marilyn tried her best to keep her cool.


    Nheless, she couldn''t help but re at Annabel with unmasked hatred.


    It was supposed to be a wless n.


    Benton Group was supposed to be ruined today! But the n went awry.


    And she was losing miserably! Anika...


    Wasn''t she supposed to be abroad? Why did she show up at Benton Group''s press conference today?


    Why would Anika agree to Annabel''s invitation? Did Annabel know everything beforehand? Did she set


    a trap for her at the press conference? Just then, the young reporter hired by Marilyn asked, "Now that


    we know that Leo is the original designer, does that mean that Annabel and Benton Group also


    giarized Leo¡¯s work?"


    Even if it proved that Marilyn was a giarist, it wouldn''t be a failure to drag Benton Group into trouble.


    Anika smiled.


    "No.Benton Group has partnered with us, and our studio authorized Benton Group to take charge of


    Leo''s patent.In a word, Annabel didn''t giarize.The real giarist is Marilyn!"


    As Anika spoke, she unveiled another document.


    It was the authorized agreement between Leo Studio and Benton Group.


    When Rupert saw the agreement, his expression darkened.


    When did Annabel sign this agreement? Why didn''t he know about this? Annabel''s performance today


    far exceeded his expectations.


    Not only did she quash Love Jewelry, but she also put Ice and Fire under the limelight.


    Still, Rupert was a bit perplexed.


    Why did Anika show up? Annabel didn''t look surprised.


    It seemed that she was expecting Anika to be here.


    But how did Annabel know Anika? When did they sign such an agreement? At this moment, Marilyn


    was surrounded by reporters.


    "Why did you giarize Leo''s idea? Now that your crime has been exposed, how do you feel?"


    Marilyn''s expression darkened.


    "I''m sorry.I won''t be answering any questions today!"


    She tried to weave her way past the reporters when a cold voice suddenly boomed.


    "Stop!"


    Annabel looked up and saw Rupert suddenly walking forward with steady steps.


    N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner.


    His cold gaze was trained on Marilyn.


    "What do you think you''re doing? Did you think you could just leave after ndering Benton Group?"


    Marilyn couldn''t help but shiver when she met Rupert''s sharp eyes.She took a step back and asked


    falteringly, "What do you want?"


    "Apologize to Annabel!" ¡®Rupert said coldly.


    "What? Why should I apologize to her?"


    Marilyn hissed through gritted teeth.


    "Leo''s the designer.What does Annabel have to do with it?"


    "Because you giarized Annabel''s design!" Rupert said.

 Chapter 103 Celebration Dinner

    Chapter 103 Celebration Dinner


    "What do you mean?"


    Marilyn''s face darkened.


    Frowning, Rupert said, "Apart from changing colors in response to the light, the other parts of your


    design are simr to the Ice and Fire series, too.You took Annabel''s design as a basis and created the


    Let Yourself Go series."


    Marilyn''s body began to tremble involuntarily.She took a few deep breaths to force herself to calm


    down.


    "Do you have any proof?"


    Shooting a razor sharp re at Marilyn, Rupert answered coldly, "Archie Craig admitted he stole


    Annabel¡¯s drawing and sold it to you."


    Archie Craig? Hearing Rupert''s words, Annabel was slightly surprised.If she remembered correctly,


    Archie was a design assistant in the design department who had only been working at thepany for


    less than a year.He didn''t participate in the Ice and Fire project.


    How could he have stolen the design and sold it to Marilyn? Marilyn turned white as a ghost upon


    hearing this.


    Indeed, it was Archie who sold her the design of the Ice and Fire series.


    At that time, she thought the design was innovative.


    Once she heard the original designer was an unknown secretary from Benton Group, Marilyn had a


    devious n.She and the president of Love Jewelry went over it.


    In order to crack down on Benton Group and maintain Love Jewelry''s position in the jewelry industry,


    she not only tried to be the first to release the Let Yourself Go series but also used Benton Group of


    giarism at the press conference.


    However, she didn''t expect her total demise would arrive today.


    Annabel invited Anika here and pointed out that the original creator was Leo.


    Now, Rupert revealed who stole Benton Group''s design and sold it to her.


    "As for Storm, I''ve hired someone to look into it and confirmed it''s there is no such magazine," Rupert


    pointed out.


    "You got Annabel''s design a month ago.How were you able to publish the article in the magazine two


    months ago?"


    "I..."


    Marilyn bit her lip and was about to say something when the big screen in the middle of the meeting


    room suddenly lit up.


    A series of evidence proving that Marilyn''s designs were giarized was being disyed.


    Even her graduation design was giarized from her roommate.But because Marilyn''s father was


    influential, she could easily solve everything by using money to rebuild her image as an international


    jewelry designer.


    The irond evidence was bared before her.


    Marilyn''s face turned pale as she screamed, "Turn it off! Quickly!"


    But no one paid her any attention.


    "I didn''t expect Marilyn, a world-renowned master of her craft, to be such a shameless woman.Not only


    did she giarize but she used others of giarizing.The audacity."


    "Bah! I''ve always admired her, treated her with respect for her globally acimed skills, and even


    studied her pieces.It turns out she giarized everything!"


    Everyone was talking about what shemitted.


    The jewelry design expert image Marilyn had worked hard on to create over the past few years was


    destroyed in mere seconds.


    Annabel couldn''t help but smile as she looked at Marilyn, who everyone detested at that moment.She


    didn¡¯t expect Rupert to be able to dig deep into and unveil Marilyn''s multiple misdeeds in just two days.


    Marilyn couldn''t escape losing her high standing and spotless reputation this time.


    In the face of all the overwhelming abuse and criticism, Marilyn''s face twisted.


    Realizing the sticky situation she was in, she pretended to faint to the floor.


    Security arrived and escorted her out of the room.


    "Well, so much for giarism.I solemnly dere that Benton Group strictly adheres to the principle of


    putting its customer first.We will do our best in every task and will nevermit acts such as


    giarism that will certainly damage ourpany''s reputation!"


    Annabel''s statement won thunderous apuse from everyone present.


    Despite the giarism incident, the Ice and Fire press conference achieved exceptional sess.


    Once the press conference was over, manypanies showed their interest in Ice and Fire series.


    Brett was very satisfied with the press conference as well.


    "We''ll be holding a celebration dinner tonight.I hope you''ll be attending," Annabel admitted with a smile.


    Rupert nodded slightly and whispered in Annabel''s ear, "I''ll pick you up tonight."


    Annabel looked back and smiled at him, their lips so close to touching.


    The intimate interaction between the two made Heather green with envy.


    "Marilyn is useless."


    Heather thought Annabel would be the one convicted of giarism today, but the tables had been


    turned.


    A fierce look shed across Heather''s eyes.


    "It doesn¡¯t matter.I have a big gift for you at tonight''s celebration dinner.Just wait, Annabel!"


    The celebration was being held at Imperial Hotel.


    Brett happened to live there too.


    After the press conference, he returned to his room to rest.


    Just as he was about to change into his party attire, the doorbell suddenly rang.


    Brett thought it was a cleaner doing housekeeping.But when he opened the door, he saw Annie


    standing outside.


    "Annie, why are you here?"


    Impatience shed across Brett''s blue eyes.


    "I''ve made it clear to you that we broke up."


    "I know."


    Annie lowered her eyes.


    "Brett, I''m not here to pester you."


    Brett asked in confusion, "Then what are you doing here?"


    Annie pursed her lips and said in a low voice, "I know I''ve gone too far in the past.I shouldn''t have


    hated Annabel.She scolded me because I was in the wrong.I''m sorry for everything I''ve done."


    After a pause, she continued, "So I''m begging you to take me to the dinner party tonight to formally


    apologize to Annabel."


    "I see..."


    Brett pondered on her request.


    Seeing that he might agree, Annie seized the chance and said, "Brett, I know I did something


    wrong.Please give me a chance to apologize to Annabel, okay?"


    "Alright!"


    Brett agreed reluctantly, realizing that Annie had repented for her misdeeds.


    The dinner party was set at eight o''clock.


    At around seven o''clock, many celebrities who attended the dinner arrived at the banquet hall.


    Here and there, a few reporters were seen carrying all kinds of cameras.


    This afternoon''s press conference was already a huge sess.


    Perhaps something even more exciting would happen at the dinner party.


    N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner.


    No one wanted to miss any news.


    "Mr.Benton is here!" someone announced.


    The noisy banquet hall suddenly quieted down.

 Chapter 104 May I Have This Dance

    Chapter 104 May I Have This Dance


    At the venue for the party, Annabel and Rupert stood side by side in front of the rotating ss door that


    reflected their figures.


    Rupert turned his head to look at his fiancee.His eyes first fell on her cleavage, then on her hot


    hourss figure.His eyes glistened with excitement.He arched his arm and said in a deep voice, "Shall


    we?"


    After hesitating for a second, Annabel held his arm.


    It would be so strange if they walked in separately.


    After all, she was his date for the party.


    Annabel was rarely this obedient, so Rupert couldn''t help smiling in amazement.


    The moment the couple walked in together, they drew the attention of the guests already inside the


    hall.


    Rupert was in a bespoke ck suit.He looked dashing as always.He became the center of attention in


    a matter of seconds.


    Annabel wasn''t overshadowed by her dashing fiance.She turned heads, too.


    The long white dinner gown she had onplimented her hourss figure.She was graceful, to say


    the least.It was as if a queen had left her throne to dine with mortals.


    No one could take their eyes off her.


    Like a swarm of flies, some reporters surrounded them and aimed their microphones at Rupert''s lips.


    They bombarded him with questions.


    "Mr.Benton, did you throw tonight''s celebration party for Annabel?"


    "Are you going to get married to her?" Finley stepped in and opened his arms.


    "I''m sorry, Mr.Benton can''t take any of your questions now."


    Annabel leaned in close to Rupert and muttered, "These reporters do have a lot of questions."


    Rupert smiled at her.


    "As the fiancee of such an important man, you have to get used to such things."


    Oh, not again! Why did he call her his fiancee again? She already made things clear to him.


    Why was he speaking as if she agreed to marry him for real? Feeling extremely awkward, Annabel


    changed the topic.


    "By the way, how did you know that it was Archie who sold the design to Marilyn?"


    "Finley found it." Rupert narrowed his eyes slightly and frowned.


    "Unearthing the culprit was just a walk in the park.Only a few people knew about the Ice and Fire


    design."


    "How can that be? Archie didn''t take part in the project." Annabel was confused.


    "But Anais did.Archie is Anais''s boyfriend," Rupert exined.


    "Oh, I see!" Annabel eximed.


    "But why did he do that? He must have known that his actions could cost his job and even Anais¡¯.Why


    did he risk it?"


    "Well, money can make a greedy person do anything," Rupert said with a shrug.


    Archie betrayed his girlfriend for money? Maybe money was indeed a factor.But Annabel couldn''t


    shake off the thought that there was more to this.


    As Annabel tried to fathom things, Rupert suddenly said, "It''s my turn to question you now."


    "Huh?" Annabel jolted back to reality.


    "What do you want to ask?"


    "What''s ¡®between you and "Anika? And when did you sign the authorization agreement?"


    Rupert leaned in close and whispered in her ear.


    "Why didn''t you inform me?" Annabel was stunned.She couldn''t tell him that she was Leo.


    After failing toe up with a perfect lie, she looked up at him with big eyes and said yfully, "Take a


    guess."


    Heather, who was seated at a table not too far away, saw the two whispering.


    "Girl, look at how they are behaving so lovey-dovey.Ugh! Men are scum!" Be added fuel to the fire.


    Almost crushing the ss of red wine in her hand, Heather red at Annabel and said, "That slut is


    only good at seducing men.Anyway, I''ll let her seduce men as she likes tonight."


    "What do you mean?" Be asked curiously.


    Heather whispered something into her friend''s ear and capped it off with, "That''s my big surprise for


    Annabel tonight.She will be degraded when the timees."


    Be''s eyes lit up after she finally understood the n.


    She gave her a thumbs up and said, "Girl, you are so smart! With this n, we will be able to deal with


    Annabel tonight without anyone suspecting us.I love it!"


    "Of course, I''m smart," Heather said with a flip of her hair.


    "As long as Annie seeds, we will just wait for a while before sending Rupert and the reporters


    over.He will see that his so-called fiancee is actually a slut." Be nodded.


    "Rupert is a proud man.He would never stay engaged to a woman who dares to sleep with someone


    else in public.I''m sure he will break off the engagement there and then!"


    "Even though he¡¯s currently under her spell, he wille to his senses once he sees that she''s a


    whore," Heather said, smiling evilly.


    "Yes, he will ¡®surely drive that bitch away.And then, he wille back to you.Girl, be prepared to take


    your rightful ce, which is by Rupert''s side!" Be ttered her.


    Heather smiled more brightly and looked around the hall.


    "By the way, where is Annie? I haven''t seen her yet.Hasn''t she arrived?"


    The sess of the n was dependent on Annie.


    Where the hell was she? Did something or someone stop her froming? Or did she just change her


    mind? Just as Heather began to panic, Be pointed toward the entrance and said excitedly, "There


    she is!"


    Heather saw Annie walk in with Brett and heaved a sigh of relief.


    The next second, her eyes sparkled with fierceness and determination.


    "Just wait and see, Annabel.I''ll ruin you tonight," she mumbled, taking a sip of wine.


    It was about eight o''clock when the party began officially.


    Soft and melodious music began to y as the host got on stage.


    "Good evening,dies and gentlemen.Wee to Benton Group''s celebration dinner.Now, let''s make


    wee the CEO with a warm apuse!"


    Under the warm apuse, Rupert gracefully went up the stage.


    The golden spotlight was on him.It made him look like a king who was about to address his subjects


    from his high throne.


    After clearing his throat, Rupert said in a clear voice, "Thank you all foring to celebrate with us.The


    Ice and Fire jewelry series wasunched today, marking the entry of Benton Group into the jewelry


    industry.This wouldn''t have been possible without the help of someone special.I''ll like to thank this


    person tonight."


    Rupert paused and looked at Annabel with loving eyes.


    "Please give it up for my beautiful fiancee, Annabel!" he announced, gesturing toward her.


    A thunderous round of apuse rang out, and countless envious eyes were focused on Annabel, which


    made her a little embarrassed.


    What was wrong with him? How could he describe her like that in front of all these people? Annabel''s


    heart felt warm, but she was ufortable at the same time.


    Just as she was blushing, she heard Rupert''s melodious voice again.Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org.


    "Annabel, may I have this dance?"

 Chapter 105 Ruperts Dance With Heather

    Chapter 105 Rupert''s Dance With Heather


    The moment Rupert finished speaking, he approached Annabel.He offered her his hand and asked


    politely, "May I?"


    He looked like Prince Charming, and Annabel was entranced.


    She couldn''t refuse his offer to dance.


    "Of course," Annabel replied with a smile and ced her hand in his.


    Rupert led Annabel to the dance floor.


    As they moved in harmony with the music, they hardly seemed to touch the ground.It was their first


    dance, but they fit perfectly together.Their coordination seemed effortless.It was as if they had been


    partners for years.


    "Annabel, are we in sync?"


    Rupert bowed his head and spoke quietly so that only his partner could hear.


    "We''re okay," Annabel replied.


    "But your steps are a bit too quick.Slow down a little."


    Rupert leaned even closer and whispered in her ear, "I wasn''t talking about the dance."


    His breath was warm against the side of her face, and she felt an indescribable itch.She grew hot in the


    face.She and Rupert were indeed on good terms.


    Many things had happened in the past month.


    Nina had wronged Annabel for pushing her into the water.


    Annabel had found the recording and exposed Nina, while Rupert found the video to reveal her


    crime.This afternoon''s press conference was another example.


    In response to Marilyn''s usation of giarism, Annabel called Anika to prove that she was the


    designer of Ice and Fire, and Rupert discovered that it was Archie who had stolen and sold Annabel''s


    designs to Marilyn.


    They worked so well together, it was as if fate intended them to be connected.


    "We are in sync," Annabel conceded with a smile.


    Rupert''s heart was warmed by Annabel''s words, and his expression softened involuntarily.


    In his most tender tone, he asked, "Since we''re so in sync, would you reconsider my proposal?"


    Rupert''s proposal...


    Annabel looked into his eyes, and her heart rate increased.She knew what he was talking about.


    Whether they were in sync or not was one thing; whether they were suitable for each other was


    another.


    Annabel couldn''t ept a serious rtionship with a man who still pined for another woman.


    Even the thought of her turned Annabel cold.


    "Don''t you think it''s inappropriate to talk about that here?"


    "Really?" Rupert asked with raised brows.


    "of course," Annabel coldly responded.


    "Besides, I''ve been very clear.Try not to be so forgetful, will you?" Rupert''s expression quickly


    darkened.


    Frustrated, he remained silent, and they continued the dance.


    This man...He was angry with her again.


    How mean! Annabel kept these thought to herself and focused on the dance.


    As she watched the handsome couple dance, Heather felt her jealousy mount.


    Rupert had indirectly admitted to his rtionship with Annabel when he asked her for the first dance.


    The whole room was watching them, and Annabel was beingvished with attention.


    What was this simple country girl''s secret? How had she managed to enchant Rupert sopletely?


    "Don''t worry about it, Heather.


    Annabel won''t be smug for long,"


    Be said in an attempt tofort her friend.


    Heather regained herposure and averted her eyes for the offensive scene on the dance floor.


    "Annabel, enjoy it while you can!" she said through grit teeth.


    When the song that Rupert and Annabel were dancing to ended, the banquet began.


    Everyone had apliment for Rupert, who responded politely to their ttery, but without emotion.


    Several toasts were proposed, and he ended up drinking a few sses of wine.


    When he looked around for Annabel, she seemed to be gone.


    Put off by the liveliness of the party, Annabel moved to a quiet corner.


    She was about to get some cake when an attractive voice asked, "May I sit here, Annabel?"


    The voice belonged to Rory.


    "I don''t mind.Take a seat if you want to," Annabel answered without trying to hide her indifference.


    Rory took a seat next to her.


    "I never got the chance to finish telling you about my ns for Star Entertainment."


    He and Annabel had made a date to discuss his ns over dinner, but Rupert had derailed the


    evening.


    "Okay.Email it to me, and I''ll take a look when I have time."


    Annabel sipped at her orange juice.


    Rather than agree, Rory suddenly changed the subject.


    "Annabel, can I ask you a question?" Annabel nodded.


    "Sure.What is it?"


    "Your rtionship with Rupert...Is it really just contractual?" Rory asked, even though he knew it wasn''t.


    Annabel answered with question of her own.


    "Why do you want to know?"


    Rory was encouraged by this reply, so he continued with another question.


    "Have you ever had genuine feelings for Rupert?"


    Genuine feelings? Annabel had been avoiding this, and inwardly, she cringed.


    The truth was that she didn''t know how she felt about Rupert.


    However, she was certain that Rupert''s feelings for Candy were genuine and that she couldn''t ept it.


    As she was thinking these thoughts, her annoyance began to show on her face.She pursed her lips


    and stated, "No.I don''t have romantic feelings for Rupert.Our rtionship is contractual, and nothing


    more."


    Rupert was hiding in the shadows nearby and overheard the conversation.He had been looking for


    Annabel.


    And he spotted her sitting next to Rory in the corner.


    Annabel''s voice was dismissive.


    "I don''t have romantic feelings for Rupert.Our rtionship is contractual, and nothing more."


    Rupert approached with a forbidding expression.


    "Could you repeat that for me, Annabel?"


    Annabel was stunned.


    Rupert appeared out of nowhere.


    Did he hear the conversation between Rory and her? "I''m sorry, but no.I don''t like to repeat myself."


    Her eyes met Rupert''s, and his unhappy re seemed to freeze her in ce.


    Heather chose this moment to approach Rupert.


    "Would you like to dance?" she asked coquettishly.


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    Rupert paused, then agreed, though his voice stayed cold.


    "Really?"


    Heather couldn''t believe her good luck, nor could she prevent the note of ecstasy in her voice.


    Was she dreaming? Rupert remembered that night when Annabel was jealous because she thought he


    and Heather had sex.


    He smiled at the opportunity that Heather was presenting him now.He made sure Annabel was


    watching before wrapping an arm around Heather¡¯s waist and leading her to the dance floor.

 Chapter 106 Fake Olive Branch

    Chapter 106 Fake Olive Branch


    "I know you have feelings for me, Rupert."


    Heather lost her cool and leaned on Rupert, rubbing her bosom on him.


    Rupert ignored her, and the corner of his eye was fixed on Annabel.


    The sight of Rupert and Heather embracing each other on the dance floor made Annabel sick to her


    stomach.


    Rolling her eyes, she stood up and walked to the door.


    "Annabel, where are you off to?" Rory followed her in a hurry.


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    Annabel halted in her tracks and reluctantly turned to look at him.


    "I''m not feeling well.I want to be alone."


    With that, she walked out of the hall.


    Rory''s heart sank as he stared at her receding figure.


    Was her sudden ill health because of Rupert? Rory saw the way Annabel''s face changed when Rupert


    and Heather went to the dance floor together.


    Although Annabel never admitted it, Rory had a hunch that she had feelings for Rupert.


    Annabel always said she disliked Rupert and couldn''t wait to break off the engagement, but why was


    she upset upon seeing him dancing with Heather? The realization made Rory sad.


    As he stood there, feeling dejected, Be walked up to him and greeted him with feigned surprise.


    "What a coincidence!"


    Be had been staring at him for ages.She couldn''t take her eyes off him all evening.She had been


    calcting how to strike up a conversation with him, so she took the chance as soon as she saw him


    standing alone.


    Rory nced at her coldly.


    "Oh, it¡¯s you!"


    "Yes, it''s me.Do you remember me?" Be reached out her hand.


    "May I have this dance?"


    "No, you can''t."


    Those cold and straightforward words shattered Be''s hopes.


    Ignoring Be, Rory went back to the table he earlier shared with Annabel and held a ss of red wine


    tightly.He looked at the ss until he saw his handsome reflection in it.


    Be''s face turned blue and pale.She clenched her fists.


    It was all because of Annabel! Rory loved Annabel too! What was so good about Annabel that so many


    men wanted her? Resentment and malice shed through Be''s eyes.She couldn''t wait to see both


    Rupert and Rory so disappointed in Annabelter tonight.


    Be impatiently scanned the hall for Annie.


    When she saw Annie standing before the buffet, Be strode to her and pretended to serve herself


    some food too.


    "Have you seen Annabel?" Annie hadn''t seen the target anywhere around.


    Knowing that Be was a friend of Heather''s, she couldn''t help asking about it.


    "Annabel?" Be pointed at the door.


    "I just saw her go out."


    "She went out?"


    Annie frowned deeply, wondering if Annabel would return soon.She was a little anxious.


    What if Annabel didn''t return? Wouldn''t her chance be wasted? It had taken her great effort to convince


    Brett to bring her to the party.She had prepared everything ahead of time.She just couldn''t let all her


    efforts go down the drain.


    "Do you have something important to tell Annabel? She just left, so you should be able tc catch up with


    her if you ¡®eave now," Be suggested.


    "Okay, thank you."


    Hearing this, Annie ditched her te of food and headed for the door.It was quiet and cool cutside.


    Standing on the balcony of the second floor, Annabel leaned against the railing and looked at the stars


    in the dark right sky.Her mind was somewhere else.


    "Snap out of it, Annabel! I:''s none of your business that Rupert and Heather are dancing.Why are you


    affected by that?" Annabel talked some senses into her head as she patted her cheeks.


    A cold wind suddenly blew, making her shiver.She turned and was about tc walk back tc the banquet


    hall when she heard a female voice.


    "There you are!"


    A blue-eyed blonde appeared; it was Annie.


    Thinking of the unpleasant encounters she had with Annie in the past, Annabel put on her guard.


    "Were you looking for me?" she asked with a frown.


    "Yes."


    Annie walked over, carrying a tray that had two sses of red wine.


    ¡°I came to apologize to you," she uttered, holding out one of the sses to Annabel.


    "You came to apologize?"


    Annabel knitted her eyebrows in suspicion.


    Annie, of all people, came to apologize? Imposs:ble! There must be something fishy going on.


    Annie nodded and said sincerely, "I know we didn''t get along, but I want to make peace.


    Everything that happened is my fault.


    Brett has opened my eyes to this.


    Please forgive me for everything.


    If you ept my apology, let¡¯s toast to forgiveness and new beginnings, okay?"


    "l ept your apology, but we don''t have to drink."


    Annabel looked down at the ss in Annie''s hand.


    The Annie she knew would never extend the olive branch! She suspected that the wine was probably


    drugged or even poisoned.


    Annie grew impatient after Annabel turned down the drink.


    "I sincerely apologized to you.If you don¡¯t drink the wine, it means you refuse to forgive me."


    "And why should I do that?"


    Annabel uttered sarcastically, folding her arms.


    "You..."


    Annie was on the verge of losing her temper.But when she thought about the n, she suppressed her


    anger and pouted again.


    "It seems you haven''t forgiven me.Brett will be so mad at me if he finds out.I love him with my life.I


    don''t want to lose him."


    Annabel wasn''t fooled by her fake tears.


    "What does that get to do with me?"


    Annie bit her lip and exined, "Brett asked me to apologize to you tonight.I promised him that I would


    get your forgiveness.Please have mercy on me.Drink this wine to show that you have forgiven me."


    Since Annie gave it her all just to make her drink the wine, Annabel grew curious.


    What exactly did Annie have up her sleeves? Annabel wanted to find out, so she decided to y along.


    "All right..."


    After giving it a thought for a while, Annabel took over the ss of wine as if she believed Annie''s


    words.


    "Since you apologized so sincerely, I have no choice but to ept it."


    Annie hit a high note with her inner soprano voice, seeing that her n was working.She took the other


    ss and clinked it with Annabel''s.


    "Cheers!"


    "Cheers!"


    Annabel raised the ss to her mouth.


    Instead of sipping the wine, she took a whiff of it secretly.


    The wine was drugged, just as she had suspected.

 Chapter 107 Meet Trick With Trick

    Chapter 107 Meet Trick With Trick


    Annabel raised her ss and pretended to gulp down half the wine in it.


    Taking advantage of the dim light, she secretly emptied half of the ss''s contents.


    Annie didn''t notice it.She couldn''t conceal the wide smile on her face when she saw that Annabel¡¯s


    ss was half empty.


    It worked! Annabel finally drank the wine.She was going to teach her a lessonter.


    Noticing the expression on Annie''s face, Annabel sneered inwardly.She deliberately swayed her body.


    Holding the ss in her left hand, she supported her head with her right palm and slurred, "Oh, why do


    I feel so dizzy?"


    "What''s wrong with you, Annabel? Are you okay?" Annie asked, pretending to be concerned.


    "I feel dizzy and warm..." Annabel acted as if she was in a lot of difort and leaned against the


    railing.


    "Did you eat something bad? How about this? I''ll help you to the lounge to take some rest."


    Annie struggled to tamp down the excitement buzzing through her.She stepped forward and kindly


    supported Annabel.


    "Okay, thank you."


    Annabel looked flushed and restless.She kept pulling on her dress.


    "Why am I feeling so hot all of a sudden?"


    "Hold on.Just rest in the lounge."


    Annie held Annabel¡¯s arm and began walking toward the lounge.She didn''t expect the medicine to be


    so effective that it would start acting immediately.


    Annie covertly sent a text to Heather, which said, "Everything is going ording to the n.Annabel


    has consumed the ss of wine.I''m taking her to the lounge now.You can send someone here in ten


    minutes."


    Annie and Annabel arrived at the lounge.


    Annie helped her sit on the sofa and said with an evil smile, "Annabel, rest well here."


    Then she spun on her heel and made to leave.She had only taken one step forward when she heard


    an icy voice behind her.


    "Stop!"


    Annie was nonplussed and instinctively looked back.


    Annabel suddenly sprung to her feet and red at Annie fiercely.She waspletely different from her


    weak appearance a few seconds ago.


    "Annabel, aren''t you..." Annie was shocked.


    "What?"


    Annabel abruptly grabbed Annie''s hand with disdain and shoved her hard, tossing her onto the sofa.


    Fear surged in Annie''s heart.She struggled to get to her feet but was pinned down by Annabel.


    "What are you doing?"


    Annie red at Annabel in fearful anger.


    Hadn''t Annabel been drugged? How was she all right now? Had she only been pretending to be out of


    her senses just now? What the hell was Annabel doing? Brandishing the ss of wine in her hand,


    Annabel said menacingly, "Since this wine is so delicious, I''ll let you drink it."


    "I won''t drink it.Let me go."


    Annie squirmed hard to push Annabel away.


    Gripping Annie¡¯s face with one hand, Annabel poured the remaining wine into her mouth.


    Seeing how shameless Annie was and how she tried to harm her with such a despicable method,


    Annabel wouldn''t be tender-hearted.


    Annie deserved to drink this wine herself and get a taste of her own medicine.


    Annie choked on the wine and coughed violently.


    "Annabel! Bitch! You didn''t drink that wine.You were just pretending!"


    "No, I didn''t drink it.So what?"


    Annabel curled her lips in disdain.


    "I didn''t expect you to use such a lowly method.But since you did, you can enjoy this ss of wine by


    yourself."


    "Annabel, I won''t spare you!"


    Annie red at Annabel with immeasurable resentment.She wanted to stand up, but the drug took


    effect soon.She was so weak that she copsed on the sofa.She felt so hot.


    Under the drug''s influence, Annie began to feel warm and ufortable as if she was feverish.


    Seeing Annie lying helplessly on the sofa, Annabel smiled scornfully.She spun on her heel and strode


    out of the lounge.


    On the banquet hall''s dance floor, Heather clung tightly to Rupert, her heart pounding in her chest.


    This was the first time she had been so close to Rupert.He was willingly dancing with her.


    Did it mean that he also loved her? As this thought crossed her mind, her heart beat faster.She looked


    up and gazed at Rupert''s gorgeous face obsessively.


    If only time could stop at this moment! While Heather was lost in her daydream, Rupert let her go


    abruptly.His eyes had never left Annabel.


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    The second he saw her get up and leave, he lost interest in dancing with Heather.


    "Rupert, where are you going?"


    Heather almost fell down and caught Rupert hastily.


    Rupert pushed her away with a nk face and said, "I have something to deal with."


    Heather''s spirits plunged when she noticed that he had regained his usual indifference and


    detachment.


    They had been so close to each other just now.


    They had been dancing together in perfect sync.


    Why did he be so aloof with her in just a few minutes? Why? She loved Rupert so much.


    Why was he so distant? It was all Annabel''s fault! Just then, she received a text from Annie.


    When she saw Annie''s message informing her that everything had gone ording to their n, she


    couldn''t stop the smile that split her face.


    That was great news.


    Annabel took the bait.


    They would see a good show soon.


    When Rupert saw Annabel having sex with another man and cheated on him in public, he would be


    furious.


    This time, she could get rid of Annabel once and for all.


    Rupert shoved Heather away and scrutinized the banquet hall, but he didn''t see Annabel.


    He frowned.


    What was up with this woman? Didn''t his dancing with Heather bother her at all? Unable to spot her


    anywhere, he called her, but her phone was switched off.


    Rupert tugged on his tie in irritation.


    Suddenly, Heather''s voice came from behind him.


    "Rupert."


    "What is it?"


    Rupert impatiently asked.


    In a hesitant voice, Heather said, "There is something I''m not sure if I should tell you."


    "What''s the matter?" mRupert asked expressionlessly.


    "I just saw Annabel with a man..."


    Heather bit her lower lip and left the sentence hanging on purpose, allowing him to imagine a million


    different scenarios.


    Annabel and a man? Rupert''s handsome face darkened.


    "Where is Annabel?"

 Chapter 108 Backfired Plan

    Chapter 108 Backfired n


    "I Just saw Annabel flirting with another man.They walked to the lounge on the second floor," Heather


    lied.


    "Annabel threw caution to the wind.She''s engaged to you, but she has no respect for you..."


    Before Heather could finish speaking, Rupert began to match toward the second floor with a cold face.


    In the lounge on the second floor, Anniey on the sofa and kept scratching her body.She pulled her


    dress like a mad woman.It was as if her entire body was on fire.


    Suddenly, the door of the lounge swung open.


    A man with gold-dyed hair walked in.He was the man that Heather had specially found for the job.It


    was nned that he woulde to rape Annabel once she was drugged.


    By the time they were having sex so wildly, Heather would show up with Rupert and make it seem like


    Annabel cheated on him.


    The man¡¯s lustful eyes widened the second he saw Annie on the sofa.


    "So sexy."


    He licked his lips lustfully.He couldn''t wait to have sex with this beauty and get paid too.It was a windfall


    for him.


    "Baby, every minute counts.Come on, let''s enjoy this night."


    With that, the man pounced on her.


    Annie wasn''t in her right mind.Under the influence, she wrapped her arms around him and moaned.


    "Wait for me, Rupert!"


    In the corridor, Heather chased after Rupert who was taking giant strides to the said lounge.


    Many reporters were already gathered at the door of the lounge by this time.


    Heather had asked Be to send an anonymous tip to the reporters about something they would like to


    get on camera.


    The reporters were all excited.


    The anonymous tip was about Rupert''s fiancee having sex with another man in the lounge.


    It was sure to be breaking news! The woman Rupert had fondly introduced to everyone as his fiancee


    and danced with not too long ago was now cheating on him with another man.


    The public would go crazy once they got wind of this.


    It was exciting to think about reporting it.


    Just as the reporters were about to barge into the lounge, they saw Rupert walking toward them.


    They all sealed their lips and froze.


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    The icy expression on Rupert''s face could freeze the sun.


    The newsmen shivered in his presence.


    However, they didn''t want to leave and miss this explosive news.


    Suddenly, the faint sound of pleasurable moans wafted through the door of the lounge.


    The reporters exchanged shocked and excited looks secretly, but they didn''t dare to make a sound in


    Rupert''s presence.


    Was the anonymous tip true? Was Annabel having sex with another man in there? "Rupert, won''t you


    go inside to catch them red-handed?"


    Heather urged, seeing that Rupert halted in front of the door.


    She was itching to see Annabel get caught in the act.


    She hade this far, so she wanted to see everything through to the end.


    Rupert was expressionless as he stared at the door.


    Was Annabel really inside there? He couldn''t believe it.


    Noticing the doubt on Rupert''s face and his hesitation, Heather turned to the reporters and asked,


    "What are you all waiting for? Don''t you know your jobs? Get in there!"


    With Rupert around, the reporters didn''t dare move an inch.


    They badly wanted to see and record what was going on in the lounge, but they couldn''t risk their


    heads for it.


    At this moment, a clear female voice came.


    "What''s going on here? Is something interesting happening?"


    That voice...


    Rupert knew that voice far too well.


    When he turned in the direction it came, his eyes fell on the beautiful face he always loved to see.


    It was Annabel! She was outside! This meant she wasn''t the moaning woman inside the lounge.


    Rupert''s lips curved up in a smile as he breathed a sigh of relief.


    At this moment, Heather looked as if she had seen a ghost.


    Shouldn''t Annabel be having sex with the man in the lounge now? Why the hell was she outside?


    Heather suffered a headache.


    She took a deep breath and asked, "Why are you out here, Annabel?"


    "What sort of question is that?"


    Annabel fired back sarcastically.


    "Shouldn''t you be in..."


    Heather couldn''t wrap her head around what was happening.


    The scheme had been mapped out perfectly.


    Annie said everything went well.


    Why then was Annabel here safe and sound? Who the hell was the woman in the lounge? Annabel


    folded her arms and inquired, "Where should I be in? Were you trying to say I should in the lounge?"


    Heather''s face turned scarlet as she bit her lip.


    Rupert turned to Heather with a frown.


    "Didn''t you say that you saw Annabel and a man in the lounge?"


    "Ermm...I must have seen it wrong."


    Heather wiped the cold sweat on her forehead.


    "Really?"


    Rupert sneered.


    "Apologize to Annabel now!"


    Heather clenched her fingers and red at Annabel angrily.


    Apologize to her? Why? Despite the hostility she received, Annabel smiled and said, "Rupert, maybe


    Heather saw it wrong.


    She must have mistaken someone else for me.


    In that case, we should first check if the woman inside looks anything like me."


    "Okay," Rupert said in a deep voice.


    The reporters couldn''t wait to kick open the door once they got permission.


    Everyone was greeted with the wild scene of two naked people as soon as the door was opened.


    A man was drilling Annie as she screamed and held on to him as if she would never let him go.


    "Oh, my God! It¡¯s Annie!"


    a reporter screamed out after recognizing Annie.


    Crack! Crack! Crack! The shutter sounds of several cameras rang out the next second.


    How could the reporters not take photos of the shocking scene before them? It didn''t matter anymore


    that Annabel wasn''t inside.


    As a popr actress and the girlfriend of Brett, the CEO of Lady Fashion, Annie was just as


    newsworthy.


    This would be a huge sex scandal once it got out.


    The countless shes from the cameras and shocked murmurs made Annie a little sober.


    She held her previously dangling boobs once she realized she was naked.


    Her eyes were filled with horror as she faced the reporters who continued to take photos of her.


    After pushing the man away, Annie picked up her clothes and covered her private parts.She cried,


    "Stop! Stop taking pictures!"


    Some of the reporters went to her with their microphones and bombarded her with questions.


    "Who is this man? Is he your new boyfriend?"


    "Is it true that you broke up with Brett?"


    "What was the cause of your break up? Did you dump him because of this guy?"


    Annie''s face turned deathly pale.


    She held her head and trembled all over.


    She didn''t know this man or how she ended up in bed with him.


    And then, it struck her! This was all because of Annabel! Annie shot her a murderous re.


    Pointing at her, she yelled, "Annabel! That fucking bitch set me up!"

 Chapter 109 Trade Blames

    Chapter 109 Trade mes


    The series of questions from the reporters brought Annie back to her senses.She stared daggers at


    Annabel.It was all because of Annabel! Annabel had forced her to drink the drugged ss of wine,


    making her lose herself and get caught in the act by all these people.


    "Annabel, you are at fault! You caused this!"


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    Annie roared and charged at her target, attempting to p her.


    However, a big hand grabbed her arm and smacked her down to the hard floor in a split second.


    "Ouch!"


    Annie cried and looked up, only to see Brett.


    Brett''s blue eyes gleamed with utter disgust.


    "I''m highly disappointed in you, Annie.Aren''t you ashamed of yourself? You are supposed to be


    remorseful!"


    Those words pierced Annie''s heart like a thousand knives.


    Even Brett saw her having sex with another man.


    "My love, please listen to me.It¡¯s not what you think.I don''t know this man at all," Annie said, trying to


    hold Brett''s leg.


    "Honey, how can you say you don''t know me?" The man looked so unhappy.


    Covering his crotch, he got up from the sofa.


    "Didn''t you say that you loved me more than anything in this world? You even wanted to marry me.Why


    are you denying me now? It''s not fair!"


    In his mind, he had to act well so he would be paid in full.He insisted that he and this woman were in


    love.He didn''t know Annabel, so he felt Annie was the person he was supposed to frame.


    This was what he was hired for.He held Annie in his arms.


    "Don''t be shy, honey.We are both adults.It''s not a crime for us to make love.There''s nothing to be


    ashamed of."


    "Get your filthy hands off me.I don¡¯t know you!" Annie pushed him away.


    "Annabel! Annabel is behind this! She framed me! I don''t know how I got into this room.It¡¯s all a setup!"


    With her hair ruffled like that of a mad woman, Annie stood up and pointed at Annabel.


    "She drugged me! I have no idea who this man is."


    She was drugged? The reporters grew even more curious when they heard this.It seemed there was


    more to this than met the eye.However, none of them had the guts to ask questions in front of Brett and


    Rupert now.


    Only at this moment did Heather finally understand what was going on.


    It appeared that Annabel had yed a fast one on Annie when thetter was about to drug her.Annie


    drank the drugged wine and ended up in this situation.She practically fell into the trap they set up for


    Annabel.


    Annie was so useless! How did she mess everything up at thest minute? "Annabel, you are a bitch!


    This is all your fault.I won''t let you get away with this!"


    Annie turned crazy.She raised her hand, preparing to attack Annabel again.


    Brett stood in front of Annabel and shouted, "Why would Annabel do this? Didn''t youe here to


    apologize to her?"


    Annie looked away in guilty.


    "Yes, I apologized to Annabel out of the goodness of my heart, but she set me up instead of forgiving


    me."


    "Enough!" Annabel sneered.


    "You shot yourself in the foot, you fool!"


    Since she had already turned the tables, she didn''t intend to make Annie suffer more.But she was


    having a rethink now that Annie was trying to put the me on her.She wasn''t going to allow that to


    happen.


    With her eyes zing, Annabel continued, "You came to me under the guise of apologizing.However,


    you drugged the wine that you offered me.You ended up drinking it and falling into the ditch you dug up


    for me!"


    "You''re lying! I didn''t!"


    Annie yelled like a lunatic.She wasn''t going to admit that her n had backfired.


    "Look at this! It¡¯s the record of you buying aphrodisiac online!" Annabel threw the evidence to Annie.


    After forcing Annie into drinking the wine, Annabel asked Anthony to check Annie''s purchase records


    on Amazon, and he found something.


    The reporters were shocked to see the records.


    In no time, they turned against Annie.


    "Annie is at fault here.


    And I was beginning to think she was the victim.


    This is unbelievable!"


    "she''s so despicable! Thank goodness Annabel didn''t fall into her trap."


    In the face of these criticisms, Annie''s face turned pale.She wanted to defend herself, but words failed


    her.She just stood there looking dejected.


    "You had iting, Annie.Don''t mess with me ever again.Take care!"


    With that, Annabel turned around and left.She didn''t want to stay here any longer.


    Rupert went after her.


    In the corridor, he asked, "Where are you going?"


    "Home," Annabel answered indifferently.She was tired after everything she went through tonight.


    "Okay, I''ll go with you," Rupert said in a low voice.


    "And why would you do that?" A look of sarcasm appeared on Annabel''s face.


    "Aren''t going to dance with Heather anymore?"


    Dance with Heather? With a chuckle, Rupert asked, "Don¡¯t tell me you are jealous."


    "Me? Jealous? Why should I be?" Annabel rolled her eyes at him.


    Just then, the doors of the empty elevator opened.


    Rupert pulled her in.


    "what are you doing?"


    Annabel shook off his hand and stepped back warily.


    Rupert took a stride to her.


    With his eyebrows raised, he said, "I know you are jealous, Annabel."


    "Ha-ha! How do you know that? Stop being so narcissistic!"


    Annabel flipped her hair and looked away.


    "I can see it in your eyes, Annabel.Why are you fighting your feelings for me?"


    Rupert ced his hands on the wall of the elevator, confining her.


    Their bodies were so close that Annabel could perceive his masculine fragrance.


    The temperature in the elevator changed.


    The two of them stared at each other until the elevator finally arrived on the first floor.


    With a ring, the elevator doors swooshed open.


    Annabel finally came to her senses and pushed him away.


    "I don''t know what you are talking about."


    She walked out and spun on her heels.She then said, "You can go home alone.I have something else


    to do."


    "It''s alreadyte.What else do you have to do?" Rupert narrowed his eyes.


    "It''s none of your business.Don''t follow me," Annabel warned coldly.She then walked out of the hotel


    and hailed a taxi.


    Lost in thought, Rupert stared at the taxi as it went down the road.


    Where was Annabel off to at this time of the night? Why did she tell him not to follow her? Was she


    going to see another man? In the back seat of the taxi, Annabel was grumbling.


    She took several deep breaths before she was able to text Anika.


    "Hey! Meet me at the bar for a drink."


    In the Charming Bar, Anika was already seated by the time Annabel arrived.


    "Here!"


    Anika waved at Annabel from her seat.


    Annabel sat next to her and requested, "A ss of cocktail, please!"


    Anika handed the ss to her and looked at her with a smile.


    "Girl, what''s wrong with you? You look like someone annoyed you.What happened?"


    "It''s nothing."


    Annabel gulped her drink in one shot.


    The dim light shone on her.Her beautiful features weren''t entirely visible for all to see.She looked soft,


    mysterious, and troubled at the same time.


    Studying her closely, Anika poured her another drink.


    "Someone clearly made you angry.Let me guess.It was Rupert, right?"

 Chapter 110 Love Is Blind

    Chapter 110 Love Is Blind


    The mention of Rupert ignited the irritation Annabel was trying so hard to drown.She mmed the


    ss on the table and said, "Can you not talk about him?"


    "Oh, it seems I guessed right." Anika chuckled.


    "No offense but, you are being too hard on him.Judging by the things I heard about him while I was


    abroad, he''s a good man.And I''m more convinced of it after seeing him today."


    "What did you hear about him?" Annabel sucked her teeth at the thought of what Rupert said to her in


    the elevator.


    "He''s tall, handsome, rich, and powerful.If you ask me, you guys are a perfect match," Anika teased,


    pouring her another ss.


    Annabel drank it up in one gulp and spat, "Tacky!"


    "I disagree!" Anika coughed.


    "That wasn''t what I thought when I saw you two at the press conference.You looked like a match made


    in heaven.Don''t tell me you have no feelings for him after living with him for weeks."


    "Stop talking nonsense!"


    Annabel leaned back and took a deep breath.


    "I don''t feel a thing for him, and I don¡¯t think it would ever happen.My grandfather insisted Ie here


    to stay with him for three months.We have already agreed that the engagement will be called off once


    the time pses."


    Anika shrugged and said, "In that case, let''s make a bet."


    "On what?"


    Annabel inquired indifferently.A mischievous smirk sat on Anika''s face.


    "Let¡¯s bet on whether you and Rupert will break off the engagement.If you lose, you have to give me


    your handmade ne.What do you say?"


    Anika always wanted the ne.


    Annabel was excellent at fashion designing,puter hacking, and she could even make nes


    like a pro.


    This condition of hers only emphasized that she was convinced Rupert was the man for Annabel.


    "You won''t be getting the ne from me, then!"


    Annabel smiled confidently.


    "Enough about me.Tell me about you.Where''s Jared?"


    At the mention of Jared, Anika''s eyes dimmed.She stared at the wine ss in her hand and said slowly,


    "He''s currently volunteering in a rural school."


    Annabel was taken by surprise.


    "What? That''s so thoughtful of him! But is he going to give up your rtionship?"


    Jared Ortega was Anika''s senior in college.He was a tall, handsome, and bright student.He was quite


    popr back then.


    The first time Anika met him was during a debate contest.


    They had a heated argument.


    Afterward, they hit it off and began dating.


    However, Anika¡¯s parents were against the rtionship because Jared, who had lost his father when


    he was a child, was poor.


    Anika''s family was wealthy and schrly, so they wanted Anika to marry someone of the same ss.


    This caused a huge quarrel between Anika and her family.She went abroad alone just to get away from


    them.


    One day, she bumped into some hooligans who wanted to take advantage of her.It was at this time


    Annabel appeared out of the blue and rescued her.


    From then on, they became good friends.


    Anika became the manager when Annabel set up Leo Studio, making them friends and business


    partners.


    Work was good for Anika, but she couldn''t say the same for her rtionship.She and Jared had


    maintained a lukewarm rtionship over the years.


    Annabel frowned, showing dissatisfaction.


    "If he loves you, he should follow you abroad and work hard just to prove your parents wrong.Why did


    he go to the rural area instead? It seems like he¡¯s not even putting up a fight for your love.I don''t know


    what you love about him." Anika sighed.


    "Haven''t you heard that love is blind? Once you love somebody, you only want to think about them.It''s


    hard to fall out of love."


    Annabel was about to say something when a surprised voice interrupted her.


    "Hey, Annabel!" She turned around and saw Marcel walking toward her.


    "Look who we have here! Marcel!" Annabel smiled at him.


    Marcel was a regr in this bar.He came here to hang out with a few friends.He was excited to see


    Annabel.


    "This beautifuldy must be Anika." Rubbing his palms together, Marcel shed Anika a yboy smile.


    "I have heard a lot about you." Annabel did the introduction.


    "Anika, meet Marcel.He''s a popr actor."


    "I know him.I have seen him on TV a few times."


    Anika shook his extended hand.


    "It''s a pleasure to meet you."


    Marcel sat down without being invited.Then he pointed to the dance floor and suggested, "Ladies, how


    about we hit the dance floor? I came with some friends."


    "No, I''ll pass.You two can go ahead."


    Annabel rubbed her temples, feeling more tired than she was before.


    Marcel wasted no time taking Anika to the dance floor.


    They stepped to the beat while Annabel sat in the corner alone.


    Once Annabel''s eyes fell on them, she couldn''t help but remember how Rupert had danced with


    Heather.


    What was on Rupert''s mind? One moment, he suggested that she should give their rtionship a try.


    And then he got entangled with Heather and they danced like a couple.


    Was he trying to date Heather while also stringing her along? Utterly disgusted at the thought, Annabel


    gulped more than half of the wine straight from the bottle.She suddenly felt a little uneasy, so she went


    to thedies¡¯ room.


    The moment she got back, a man in a red shirt came and sat close to her.He whistled.


    "Hello, beautiful! Why are you drinking alone? How about we hit the dance ''floor?"


    After cast:ng a sidelong nce a: him, Annabel ignored him and took a few more shots.She almost


    choked.


    "Akem..." She coughed, feeling intense pain in her threat.


    The man, who had been ogling at her, tried to help her stand up.


    "Baby, you are drunk.Let me take you home."


    "Fuck off!"


    Annabel shook off his hand in disgust.


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    "Ok, you are fierce! 1 like fierce women..."


    The man whistled again, having no intention to leave.


    All he had in mind was having sex with this extraordinary beauty.He licked his lips as he stared at


    Annabel''s cleavage.


    "Money isn''t a problem for me, girl.Just name your price."


    Annabel was on the verge of losing it.


    "If you love your life, you''ll leave now."


    "Huh? Oh.baby! I like it rough.Juste with me.You can do whatever you want to me."


    The lustful man pulled her.


    Annabel stepped on his foot with her heel.He yelped and let go of her immediately.


    "Fuck!"


    The man caught Annabel¡¯s arm just as she was about to walk away.He tried to hug her forcefully.


    "You slut, I must fuck you tonight!"


    Bang! Annabel smashed a wine bottle in the man¡¯s head as soon as she got her hand on it.


    Blood seeped out immediately.


    "Ah! Bitch, how dare you!"


    The man held his bleeding head, taken aback by what just happened.His eyes turned bloodthirsty


    when he saw the blood on his hand.


    "Do you know who I am?"


    "You can be the president, but I won''t give a damn.If you don''t want to die, you had better leave


    now.Get lost!" Annabel shouted, brandishing the broken bottle in her hand.

 Chapter 111 Under The Influence

    Chapter 111 Under The Influence


    Loud hip-hop music was ring from the speakers in the bar.


    People were dropping it on the dance floor, so no one noticed what was happening in the corner where


    Annabel was.


    The perverted man was named Elian.


    He was known for his notorious activities around here.He often came to the bar to prey on vulnerable


    beauties who were most times wasted or tipsy.


    Elian couldn''t take no for an answer.He would get any woman he wanted, by hook or by crook.


    Tonight, the woman who caught his fancy was Annabel.He wanted to have her in his bed.


    To his greatest surprise, she was a fighter.


    The throbbing pain he felt in his head made him even angrier.He called out to his minions, "Guys,e


    here!"


    A group of sturdy and fierce-looking men matched over and surrounded Annabel.


    "Capture her!"


    Elian yelled and held the wound on his head.


    "Bitch, you dared to hit me! I''ll teach you a lesson tonight!"


    Annabel scoffed without a hint of fear in her eyes.


    The hooligans were only four.She was confident she could take them on alone.


    One of the men, who wanted to please Elian so badly, made a move to strike Annabel.


    Before he could do so, she gave him a hard kick in the crotch.


    "Ouch!" The man held his groin and copsed to the floor.


    The pain paralyzed him instantly.


    "Loser! You can''t even deal with a woman!" Elian lost his cool.He waved at the others.


    "Let''s strike at the same time!"


    All the men got ready to pounce on her like fierce lions.


    At this critical moment, a cold and fierce male voice suddenly came.


    "Don''t you dare!"


    Like magic, all the men who were advancing toward Annabel halted in their tracks.It took a while for


    Elian to get over the shock.


    When he finally regained his senses, he shouted angrily, "Who the fuck dares to meddle in my


    business? Show your face!"


    The next second, a tall figure walked out from a dark corner.


    Even before he stepped into the light, Annabel knew who this meddler was.


    The disco light blinked on Rupert''s ck suit.His handsome face was frozen, and his deep-set eyes


    shotsers that could burn through anyone.


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    "How dare youy your filthy hands on my woman? Listen, I''m Rupert Benton."


    Rupert Benton? Once Elian saw Rupert''s face clearly, he knew he had fucked up.


    "Mr.Benton, I had no idea that she''s your woman.I''m sorry for offending her.Please forgive me."


    Elian sank to his knees.His minions did the same.


    "Fuck off!" Rupert roared.


    Elian and his men ran for their dear lives immediately.


    After putting down the bottle in her hand, Annabel turned to look at Rupert with a frown.


    "Why are you here?"


    Rupert grabbed her arm and pushed her to the sofa.He leaned over and stared at her coldly.


    "Is this what you came to do?"


    Instead of going home with him, she hade to a bar and gotten into a fight with lowlifes.


    What would have happened to her if he hadn''t arrived on time? Weren''t they going to take advantage


    of her? How dare she speak to him rudely after he just saved her life? Couldn''t she be a little less


    stubborn? She was pissing him off.


    Oblivious to all that was going on in Rupert''s head, Annabel pursed her lips and asked, "Did you follow


    me here? I thought I told you not to.


    Why the hell are you being so possessive?"


    "I..."


    The words Rupert wanted to say were, "I was worried about you."


    However, he spat out with a frown, "I was talking business with someone and I happened to pass


    by.Don''t tter yourself."


    "Oh, so you are saying it''s just a coincidence?"


    Annabel didn''t buy it.She nudged him and said, "Get off me.I need to go home."


    An inexplicable feeling swept through her whole body.


    No! This wasn''t a good feeling.


    Rupert stood up and pulled the panicking Annabel outside.


    After shoving her into the car, he got behind the wheel and drove straight to Water Moon Community.


    Meanwhile, Anika and Marcel were shocked after they left the dance floor.


    The table was a mess and Annabel wasn''t there.


    "Where did Annabel go? I''ll call her."


    Marcel took out his phone as he scanned the bar for Annabel.


    Before he called dial her phone number, Anika stopped him and pointed to the door just as Rupert was


    taking Annabel out.


    "There she is! It seems I will be getting her ne, after all!"


    "What ne?" Marcel asked curiously.


    Anika smiled.


    "It''s a secret."


    Sitting in the passenger seat, Annabel began to feel so uneasy.Her body was burning up.She was


    sweating even though the AC was on.


    What was happening to her? It was as if she had taken an aphrodisiac or a stimnt.


    But who could have drugged her? Elian! It had to be that pervert! Annabel put two and two


    together.She had gone to thedies'' room, and as soon as she got back, Elian appeared.


    He must have drugged her drink while she was away.


    Feeling a pang of regret, Annabel rolled down the window and rubbed her temples, trying to calm


    herself down as soon as possible.How could she be so careless? The cold wind blew, but it didn¡¯t make


    any difference.Her body was on fire.She was thirsty, but she didn''t want water.She craved a man''s


    touch.Her pelvis was already aching badly "Rupert..."


    Annabel lost all will to stay calm.She grabbed his arm and leaned on him.


    "what are you doing? I''m driving!"


    Rupert nudged her.


    "Turn the car around...I need to go to the hospital."


    Annabel held on to him tighter, her chest heaving violently.


    "What''s wrong with you? Talk to me!"


    Rupert soon noticed that she didn''t look fine at all.Her palms were hot and she was sweating profusely.


    Even her face was very red.Her eyes were misty like she was on the verge of shedding tears.


    "Were you drugged?" Rupert asked, squinting with great concern.


    "Yes." Annabel nodded on the verge of losing her senses.


    "I suspect it was that pervert just now."


    Rupert pulled over, carried Annabel to the back seat, andid her down.


    "Have a rest.I''ll call the doctor."


    "Ouch! My body is on fire! I feel so hot."


    Annabel tugged at the bust area of her dress, causing half of her bosom to be revealed.


    Rupert held his breath at the sight of this.


    After snapping out of it, he reached out to stop her and said, "Don''t move."


    "Please help me, Rupert.I can¡¯t take it anymore..."


    Annabel was going crazy.She wanted this burning sensation to stop.


    The man in front of her was like spring water in hot summer.She clung to him for sce.


    As her soft body pressed against Rupert, he was aroused.His groin ached with longing.Her supple


    bosom was going something to him.


    Due to the sweat, the silk dress she had on clung to her thighs.She rubbed her legs, exposing how


    sexy her body was.She was biting her lower lip at this moment.


    Rupert swallowed hard.He was a man; a strong one at that.


    This woman was arousing his sexual desire.


    How long could he put up with this? He would be lying if he said he didn''t want her.

 Chapter 112 You Are The Best Antidote

    Chapter 112 You Are The Best Antidote


    "Annabel, don''t move!" Rupert said in a warning tone after taking a few breaths to calm himself down.


    He used one hand to grasp Annabel''s hand, which was roaming around his body, and removed his


    phone with his other hand to call Tristan.


    "Tristan, get here immediately."


    "Come on.It''s veryte now.I''m asleep."


    Tristan had been fast asleep.


    The ringing phone had woken him up and he answered it groggily.


    "Cut the crap.Get here quickly!"


    Rupert demanded in an impatient voice.


    "Okay, okay.Where are you right now? Send me the address," Tristan said obediently as he began


    putting his clothes on.


    After disconnecting the call, Rupert sent his location to Tristan.


    "Annabel, hang on.The doctor will be here soon."


    Rupert took off his jacket and wrapped it around her.


    Annabel mumbled again, "It''s so hot..."


    She reached out to remove Rupert''s jacket, but he gripped her hands so tightly that she couldn''t move.


    "Rupert, let me go...I feel horrible...It''s so hot..."


    Annabel licked her dry lips, squirmed around, and kept murmuring.


    As Rupert watched her captivating face, he couldn''t stop himself from lowering his head and kissing


    her rosy lips.


    "Mm..."


    Annabel was an enthusiastic participant in his kiss for the first time because his lips felt cool and


    comfortable for her.


    Rupert''s desire was like burning mes.He embraced her tightly and deepened the kiss.


    The temperature in the car steadily climbed up.


    Kissing sounds echoed in the car.


    While the two of them were locked in a passionate kiss, Tristan arrived, out of breath.


    "Well...Did I interrupt you?"


    Tristan was stunned when he caught sight of the couple kissing passionately in the back seat of the


    car.


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    Did Rupert wake him up in the middle of the night and coerce him toe here just to watch this?


    Hearing Tristan''s voice, Rupert finally ended the kiss.


    Rupert sat up straight and tidied up his rumpled clothes.His breathing was still a little erratic.


    "Check on her."


    "What''s wrong with her?"


    Tristan suspiciously eyed the woman lying in Rupert''s arms.She looked familiar.


    A few momentster, he recalled that she was Rupert''s fiancee, Annabel.


    Rupert had summoned him twice now because of this woman.


    It seemed that she held a special ce in his heart.


    When Tristan looked closer, he noticed that Annabel''s face was flushed and her body was pressed


    against Rupert''s.


    As a highly skilled doctor, one nce was enough to tell Tristan that someone had drugged her.


    "Did you do it?" Tristan asked half-jokingly.


    Rupert shot him an icy re.


    "Of course not.She was drugged.Help cure it."


    Tristan eyed Rupert, who was still a little breathless, and burst intoughter.


    "You didn¡¯t need to call me here in the middle of the night." Rupert was taken aback.


    "What do you mean?"


    Tristan gave him a vague smile and said, "Aren''t you the best antidote?"


    "Be serious!"


    Rupert said grimly and shot Tristan a frosty look before he could even finish speaking.


    Tristan immediately shut his mouth and removed a syringe and needle from his medicine box.


    "Fortunately, I carry all kinds of medicines in this treasure chest."


    After he prepared the antidote and loaded it into the syringe, he stabbed the needle into Annabel''s arm.


    The tip of the needle pierced Annabel''s delicate skin.


    Her eyebrows furrowed and she groaned, "It hurts..."


    A trace of distress shed in Rupert''s eyes.He shot Tristan a forbidding re and said, "Be gentle."


    "An injection will hurt a little bit." Tristan curled his lips disapprovingly.


    "You look pretty miserable.Are you serious about your nominal fiancee?"


    "Of course," Rupert replied without hesitation.


    Tristan asked, "What about Candy?"


    Candy...


    Rupert frowned and shot back, "It''s none of your business."


    "Okay..."


    Tristan continued to inject the medicine into Annabel''s arm.


    "It hurts..."


    Annabel bit her lower lip and looked aggrieved.


    Rupert held her hand and his eyes softened.


    "Hang in there, Annabel.


    You will be fine soon."


    After giving the injection, Tristan packed his medical kit and said, "Okay, she will be fine in some time."


    His antidote was highly effective.


    Annabel began to feel much better, and the abnormal flush on her face receded gradually.She leaned


    weakly against Rupert.


    "your work here is done.You can leave now," Rupert said, ncing indifferently at Tristan.


    Tristan shrugged his shoulders.


    Rupert thought he was in the way now.He pressed his lips into a thin line and muttered to himself, "You


    burn the bridge after crossing it."


    "The hospital you took a fancy to thest time will be purchased and the papers will be sent to you


    tomorrow," Rupert said calmly.


    With a wide smile, Tristan said, "Thank you."


    Tristan left satisfied.


    Seeing that Annabel had fallen asleep in his arms, Rupert leaned forward, kissed her forehead,id her


    t on the back seat, and gently covered her with his jacket.


    After driving back to Water Moon Community, Rupert carefully carried the sleeping Annabel out of the


    car and walked home.


    In a daze, Annabel feltfortable and cozy in his snug embrace.


    She nuzzled into his chest and wrapped her arms around his neck, murmuring, "Teddy."


    Her movement reignited Rupert''s extinguished desire.


    "Shit!"


    Rupert cursed under his breath, inhaled deeply, and walked in the direction of the elevator with


    Annabel in his arms.


    After cing her on his bed, he awkwardly made his way to the bathroom.His mind was filled with


    images of the passionate kiss he had just shared with Annabel in the car.Her tempting red lips were so


    delicious, and her body was so soft and graceful.He was perturbed.


    The cold watershed his body.


    Half an hourter, he finally had his lust under control.


    The next morning, Annabel woke up to find Rupert leaning against the edge of the bed, staring at her


    with his unfathomable eyes.


    "Rupert, what are you doing in my bed?"


    Annabel blurted out as she suddenly came to her senses and stared at him vigntly.


    Raising his eyebrows, Rupert chuckled and said, "Look around, this is my bed."


    Annabel took stock of her surroundings.


    "Why am I in your bed? What is your intention?"


    Rupert watched her with a smile and said, "Don''t you remember what happenedst night?"

 Chapter 113 A Cold Last night?

    Chapter 113 A Cold Last night?


    What on earth happenedst night? Annabel looked at Rupert with vignce.


    Rubbing her temples, she gradually recalled the events of the previous night.


    Last night, she met up with Anika for drinks at the bar.


    Later, Elian drugged her.


    Fortunately, Rupert showed up out of the blue and whisked her away.


    At the time, she was burning hot and soon passed out.


    Albeit vaguely, she recalled being intimate with Rupert.


    As soon as she recalled this, Annabel stiffened and checked herself nervously.But she didn''t find


    anything unusual.


    Still, Annabel asked with some uneasiness, "Last night...Did you do anything to me?"


    Seeing the adorably nervous look on her face, Rupert raised his eyebrows and asked, "Were you


    hoping that I did something?"


    "of course not!"


    Annabel snapped, ring at Rupert unhappily.But all the same, she breathed a sigh of relief.It was


    lucky that Rupert had saved herst night.She shuddered at the thought of what would''ve happened


    otherwise.


    All of a sudden, Rupert started to cough violently.


    "What''s the matter with you? Are you sick?" Annabel asked in confusion.


    Rupert cleared his throat and steadied his breath.


    "I caught a cold."


    "Huh? How?" Annabel asked with concern.


    As far as she knew, Rupert was very healthy.


    And he was fine yesterday.


    Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org.


    How did he suddenly catch a cold? Rupert gave Annabel a meaningful look and answered, "Thanks to


    you."


    If this silly woman didn''t hold him so tightlyst night, he wouldn''t have needed to take a cold shower.


    Consequently, he caught a cold.


    "What on earth are you talking about?" Annabel asked, utterly confused.


    She was a smart girl, but no matter how hard she tried, she couldn''t figure out what how she had


    anything to do with Rupert''s cold.Over breakfast, Annabel was focused on her phone, browsing


    through thetest news.


    Suddenly, a headline caught her attention.


    "Last night,w enforcement arrested a group of thugs who endangered the safety of the public."


    There were also some pictures attached.It showed the group of people Elian led and pestered Annabel


    last night.


    Annabel put down her phone and looked at the man sitting opposite her, who was eating breakfast


    elegantly.


    "You had Elian arrested?"


    "so what if I did?"


    Rupert stopped eating and smiled at her meaningfully.


    "Good! A scumbag like him should''ve been put behind bars a long time ago!"


    Annabel nodded approvingly.


    Rupert shrugged and said nonchntly, "Anyone who dares to hurt my woman will suffer the


    consequences."


    His woman? Annabel was speechless.She didn''t belong to anyone! After breakfast, the two went


    straight to Benton Group.


    Along the way, Rupert coughed from time to time, which made Annabel feel sorry.


    Although she still didn''t understand why Rupert''s cold was rted to her, she still went to the pharmacy


    during her break to buy him some cold medicine.


    After all, Rupert had saved herst night.


    Finley knocked on the door to Rupert''s office lightly.


    "Come in," Rupert called in a cold voice.


    Finley pushed the door open, walked up to Rupert''s desk, and reported histest findings respectfully.


    "Mr.Benton, we''ve found the person who remitted money to Kabir."


    "who was it?"


    Rupert put down the documents in his hands and looked up with intrigue.


    Finley handed the printed report to Rupert.


    "The money came from an abandoned bank ount.We followed up on the ount and found that it


    was from an Australianpany called Dacian, which has since closed down."


    "Who was the legal representative?" Rupert asked, furrowing his brows tightly.


    Finley coughed lightly.


    "An Australian farmer. He doesn''t know anything."


    "Keep investigating," Rupert said coldly, his expression darkening.


    It seemed that things were getting more and moreplicated.


    Who made Kabir do that? Was his death really just an ident? Just then, Annabel knocked on the


    door, cold medicine in her hand.


    "Yes?"


    When Rupert saw the beautiful figure at the door, his usual cold demeanor softened instantly.


    Seeing that Annabel was approaching, Finley wisely excused himself.


    "Mr.Benton, I''ll go out now."


    Rupert nodded and waved his hand to dismiss him.


    Finley turned around, walked out of the CEO''s office, and closed the door behind him.


    "Annabel, have you ever heard of Dacian?" Rupert suddenly asked.


    "Dacian? What''s that? A person? Or a ce?"


    Annabel was confused.


    Obviously, the word "Dacian" didn''t ring a bell to her.


    Rupert then ryed to Annabel what Finley had reported just now.


    "I told him to keep on investigating." Annabel needed.


    The situation was indeed strange.


    Who was behind all this? And what was their purpose? "Anyway, what brings you here?" Rupert''s


    maic voice interrupted Annabel''s thoughts.


    Annabel came to her senses and held up the cold medicine in front of Rupert.


    "This is good for your cough.Try it."


    "Is that so?"


    Rupert reached for the medicine bottle in Annabel''s hand.


    As his fingertips brushed against Annabel''s warm palm, Rupert felt a spark.


    Immediately, the seductive look on Annabel''s face fromst night inexplicably popped up in his mind


    again.


    Closing his eyes, Rupert took a deep breath to gather his bearings.


    "The medicine is too bitter.I won''t take it unless..."


    "Unless what?" Annabel frowned.


    How could he refuse to take medicine when he was sick? Cracking a faint smile, Rupert looked at the


    woman in front of him and said simply, "Unless you feed it to me."


    "Rupert, what the hell is wrong with you?"


    Annabel red at him unhappily.It was already nice of her to have bought him medicine, but now, he


    even wanted her to feed him.


    Rupert pretended to be aggrieved.


    "Is this how you treat the person who saved you? If it weren''t for me, you would''ve been taken away by


    Elian."


    Hearing that, Annabel was speechless.How could this cold and arrogant man act like such a spoiled


    child in front of her? He was right, though.He did save herst night.


    So Annabel obliged him.She took a pill from the bottle and put it in Rupert''s mouth.


    "Just this once, okay?"


    As she was feeding him the pill, Rupert bit Annabel''s finger gently.


    This action was so sudden that Annabel was caughtpletely off- guard.


    "Ouch! Blushing furiously, she withdrew her finger.


    "Rupert, are you a dog or something? Why did you bite me?"


    Instead of answering her question, Rupert said in a hoarse voice, "Annabel, we still have two months


    left."


    Annabel was stunned.


    "Two months?"


    "If I can make you fall in love with me in two months, will you stay?"


    Rupert''s eyes were full of mixed emotions.

 Chapter 114 Work For Benton Group

    Chapter 114 Work For Benton Group


    Fall in love with him? In two months?


    "It''s impossible," Annabel said in a small voice, biting her lip.


    "But what if it happens? If you fall in love with me, will you stay?" Rupert insisted on asking, his eyes


    full of determination.


    "It¡¯s not going to happen."


    After saying that, Annabel turned around and walked out of the CEO''s office without looking back.But


    her heart was racing in her chest.


    What did Rupert mean by that? Did he want her to stay? What about Candy? Annabel kept telling


    herself that the reason why Rupert asked such a question was because she looked like Candy.


    And she refused to be someone else''s substitute.


    Over the next few days, everything seemed to be going well.Nina was sentenced to one year in prison


    for intentional injury.


    Ice and Fire had achieved unprecedented sess.


    Brett was very satisfied with the way the cooperation was managed and took his assistant back with


    him to France.


    And thanks to Marcel''s incessant invites, Anika traveled in Douburgh for a few days and then returned


    to France.


    The Ice and Fire jewelry series became famous overnight.


    Benton Group surpassed Love Jewelry, making it the new leader in the jewelry industry.


    As a result, both the Benton Group''s factory as well as the branch factory in France worked overtime to


    manufacture the Ice and Fire jewelry series.


    Because Annabel was also in charge of the Ice and Fire project, she received a lot of praise from


    Rupert.


    Now was her time to shine.


    In the Norman family''s vi Seeing that Annabel appeared on TV with Rupert frequently, Heather was


    infuriated.


    She grabbed a vase on the table and smashed it on the floor, shouting madly, "Annabel! Annabel! It''s


    that goddamned Annabel again! What the fuck is so good about her?"


    Be was shocked by Heather''s reaction, but she quickly regained her senses and tried tofort her.


    "Heather, don''t worry.Annabel''s just lucky, that''s all.But her luck will run out sooner orter.I think


    Rupert just wants a new toy.One day, he''ll get tired of her and kick Annabel out.By then, he''ll marry


    you."


    "But how long do I have to wait?" Heather spat.


    "How the hell is that country bumpkin any better than me?"


    "She can''tpete with you at all!" Be said knowingly.


    "She just has the upper hand because she works and lives with Rupert.She probably does everything


    she can to seduce him."


    "So what should I do? Find a way to destroy her!"


    Heather was so jealous that she wished Annabel would disappear without a trace.


    "Heather, how about you work for Benton Group?"


    Be suggested, scratching her chin wisely.


    "That way, you can monitor Annabel.She won''t have any room to y tricks.And you''ll also have more


    time to spend with Rupert.He''ll quickly realize that you''re a thousand times better than Annabel.By


    then, he''ll dump that bumpkin in a heartbeat and chase you instead!"


    "That''s actually a good idea..."


    Heather nodded with rare satisfaction.But how would she find a way into Benton Group? It seemed that


    she had no choice but to beg her brother for help.Heather took a bowl of soup to the study downstairs


    and knocked on the door.


    "May Ie in?" she asked sweetly.


    "Yes," Hooper called from inside.


    Heather pushed the door open and put the soup on the table.


    "I can''t believe you''re still working at thiste hour. I asked the cook to make some soup. Eat it while it''s


    still hot."


    Hooper looked down at the soup and asked bluntly, "What do you want?"


    "Hooper, what on earth are you thinking about?"


    Heather held Hooper''s arm and shook it.


    "I just care about your health."


    But this only served to make Hooper more suspicious.


    Every time Heather tried to butter him up, she would ask for money or some shiny new thing.He didn''t


    know what his troublesome sister was up to this time around.


    "Quit beating around the bush.What do you want?"


    Hooper snapped, rubbing his aching temples.


    Heather smiled brightly.


    "Here''s the thing.You and Grandpa always say that I don''t do anything and just have fun all day


    long.Now, I want to get a job."


    "Oh? That''s easy.You can choose any position in Norman Group."


    Hooper was a little surprised that his unruly sister wanted to work out of the blue.


    "No, Norman Group will be too boring.Everyone there knows that I''m your sister, so it won''t be a


    challenge at all."


    Heather shook her head decisively.


    "I want to work for Benton Group."


    N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner.


    Now Hooper finally knew what his sister was up to.She imed that she wanted to work, but in fact,


    she just wanted Rupert.


    "No."


    Hooper knew very well that Rupert would never agree to let Heather work for him.But Heather refused


    to give up.


    "Why? I love Rupert! How could you not help me with something as small as this? Are you my brother


    or not?" Hooper pursed his lips.


    "Don''t you know that Rupert''s already engaged?"


    "To a fucking bumpkin!" Heather exploded in anger.


    "She can''t even begin topare with me! How can she marry Rupert?"


    Hooper looked at her indifferently.


    "Annabel? I think she''s pretty good." Heather stamped her feet indignantly.


    "How dare you side with her? I''m your sister! You know I love Rupert.If I can be Rupert''s fiancee,


    the cooperation between Benton Group and Norman Group will run even more smoothly, won''t it?


    Hooper, if you don''t help me, I''ll kill myself in front of you!"


    To prove her point, Heather grabbed the fruit knife on the table.Hooper hurriedly grabbed Heather''s


    hand and yelled, "Stop!"


    "So you''ll help me?" Heather asked sweetly, the ferocious look on her face disappearing in the blink of


    an eye.


    "I¡¯ll help you find a way."


    When dealing with the unreasonable Heather, Hooper was absolutely helpless.


    After all, he only had one sister.


    Before Hooper could find a way to convince Rupert, something bad happened to Benton Group.


    One day, Annabel was checking on the sales of Ice and Fire jewelry with the manager when a security


    guard came over in a hurry.


    "People are making trouble outside," the security guard reported anxiously.


    Annabel immediately stopped what she was doing and asked, "What''s going on?"


    "Some people are outside the gate, iming that they were poisoned by the Ice and Fire jewelry.


    They insisted on seeing you.


    They said that they came to seek justice, and a lot of reporters are outside with them."


    Poisoned? People present exchanged wary nces.


    Every part o/ the production process of the Ice and Fire jewelry line had been strictly tested.


    How could people ge: poisoned? Annabel cleared her throat and said with fierce determination, "I''ll go


    out to see what''s going on."

 Chapter 115 Radioactive Jewelry

    Chapter 115 Radioactive Jewelry


    Annabel followed the security guard out to the gate.


    There, she saw a group of people crowding around the gate.


    There were also countless reporters, carrying cameras and other equipment.


    Suddenly, a man pointed at Annabel and shouted, "It''s her! I saw her on TV! She''s the person in charge


    of the Ice and Fire project¡ª Annabel Hewitt!"


    In an instant, a group of people surrounded Annabel.


    "What''s going on?" Annabel asked, frowning deeply.


    The reporters all scrambled to interview Annabel.


    "What do you have to say about the allegations that the Ice and Fire series used dangerous materials


    that contain some radioactive material?"


    "Did Benton Group decide to use subpar materials to cut costs on production?"


    The reporters bombarded Annabel with loaded questions.


    These reporters were iming that the Ice and Fire jewelry line contained some radioactive material.


    How could that be possible? Benton Group''s raw materials were all strictly monitored and quality


    checked, and it was impossible that such a fatal mistake would be made.


    Could it be someone was deliberately framing theirpany? But Annabel couldn''t be sure.


    Benton Group would remain evil in the eyes of the public until a thorough investigation was


    conducted.She cleared her throat and said steadily, "Please calm down.The products of Benton Group


    are all strictly tested for quality before they''re released.It is highly unlikely that the Ice and Fire series


    contains any radioactive material in them.I believe this must be a misunderstanding."


    "A misunderstanding?"


    A fashionable middle-aged woman in luxury clothing strode up to Annabel.


    N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner.


    "My sister was poisoned after she wore the ne from the Ice and Fire collection.She''s still lying in


    bed in the hospital.The doctor said that she would''ve died if she was sent to hospital a few days


    later.How could this be just a misunderstanding?"


    "Ma''am, there may be other causes for your sister''s poisoning.It might not have been the products of


    ourpany," Annabel replied coldly.


    "Of course it has something to do with you!" the middle-aged woman snapped angrily.


    "My sister went through a lot of tests, and the doctor said she was exposed to something radioactive.It


    was your Ice and Fire ne that poisoned her.I have the test results, which proves that your


    ne contains some radioactive material!"


    The man next to the middle-aged woman held up a stack of papers in his hand.


    "Everyone,e and have a look.This is a copy of the test results.It says clearly that Benton Group''s


    ne is radioactive, which can be fatal to those who wear it. We spent so much money on the


    jewelry, only to be poisoned.They''re greedy monsters.I hope they all die miserable deaths."


    "We demandpensation!"


    The middle-aged woman echoed the man''s sentiments.


    Annabel went to look at the so-called test results.It was hard to tell whether it was true or not at a


    nce.Now, the most important thing was to find out what exactly was going on.


    She looked up and said clearly, "We will investigate this matter right away.I hope you can cooperate


    with us.I''ll send someone to check on you to see whether there''s something wrong with the ne


    you bought.If it''s our fault, we''llpensate you ordingly."


    "Of course it''s your fault!" The middle-aged woman pointed at Annabel.


    "Don''t try to stall for time.If you don''t give us a solution today, we won''t leave!"


    Frowning, Annabel opened her mouth to retort when a cold voice sounded from behind her.


    "We will get to the bottom this."


    Annabel turned around and saw Rupert walking over with steady steps.As soon as the reporters saw


    Rupert, they swarmed around him like flies and asked, "What do you think of this matter? Did you use


    subpar raw materials to produce the Ice and Fire series?"


    With knitted brows, Rupert said, "I can only say that we always prioritize the customers.We do


    everything in our power to bring the best products to our customers, so we never use anything that''s


    subpar.As for the allegations against ourpany, I''ll have someone investigate it thoroughly.If it is


    indeed a result of our negligence, we are duty-bound to be transparent with our customers."


    After a pause, he continued in a colder and harsher tone, "But if we find out that someone is framing


    us, we will make them pay!"


    Flinching under Rupert''s powerful aura, the middle-aged woman couldn''t help but take a step back.


    "Fine.We''ll wait for the investigation results."


    Then Annabel and Rupert went back inside the building.


    The security guards stopped the reporters from following them.


    "What do you think is going on?"


    Rupert sat down and tapped his fingers on his desk.Annabel answered without missing a beat.


    "Every step of the production process is strictly monitored.It''s impossible our products have any


    radioactive material, unless someone secretly tampered with it."


    "It''s not easy to do such a thing," Rupert said tly.


    Indeed, Benton Group''s factories had always been run very methodically and strictly.It was very difficult


    for outsiders to get in and meddle.


    Annabel nodded in agreement.


    "I think someone''s trying to frame us."


    "Who?" Rupert asked, furrowing his eyebrows tightly.


    Annabel cracked a faint smile.


    "Who has the most to gain if the Ice and Fire collection is ruined?"


    Rupert slightly leaned back in his chair and mused, "Indeed.It¡¯s very likely that Love Jewelry is behind


    this matter."


    "We can''t rule them out.Well, whatever happens, as long as we investigate it thoroughly, the truth will


    be revealed soon."


    Annabel''s smile widened.It was not difficult to find out the truth.


    All they had to do was trace where the woman''s so-called sister bought the ne, determine


    whether it contained any radioactive material, and find out whether the ne had been tampered


    with.


    Indeed, at this stage, Love Jewelry was their biggest suspect.


    After all, news of the giarism incident had spread like wildfire, bringing victory to Benton Group and


    humiliating defeat to Love Jewelry.


    It seemed highly likely that Love Jewelry would resort to dirty tricks to destroy Benton Group.


    Rupert called Finley in.


    "Get to the bottom of this matter by today."


    "Yes, sir," Finley replied briskly.


    However, before Finley was able to find any substantial results, a few more cases of poisoning from the


    Ice and Fire jewelry cropped up.

 Chapter 116 Something Fishy

    Chapter 116 Something Fishy


    The expose about Benton Group''s jewelry containing some radioactive material became one of the top


    five hottest news online.It caused a huge sensation.


    "sir, should I order someone to water down the negative news?" Finley asked for Rupert''s permission.


    "No need."


    Rupert rubbed his temples, feeling a headache.


    "That will be a wrong move since the matter has already spread.People will use us of gagging the


    media, saying we''re guilty."


    "You are right, sir." Finley nodded in understanding.


    "Our top priority now is to find out the truth." Rupert frowned, clenching his fists.


    Many allegations of the Ice and Fire jewelry had popped up.


    The allegations were putting Benton Group in a negative light.


    If care wasn''t taken, their jewelry brand would be cklisted by all.


    "I''ll get the best hands to investigate it as soon as possible," Finley said seriously and then left.


    Meanwhile, Annabel ced a hold on the sale of the Ice and Fire series.


    The distributed ones were brought back, and she asked theb to test all of them.


    The results of the investigation soon came out.


    In the CEO''s office "I''ve got some preliminary results about the Ice and Fire series."


    Finley handed the documents containing all he had gathered in the past few days to Rupert.


    "What did you find out?" Annabel asked impatiently.


    Finley answered, "We were able to certify that all those who imed to have gotten poisoned by the


    jewelry indeed bought the Ice and Fire products from the authorized distribution channels."


    Finley sighed and continued, "Upon testing the products they bought, we discovered that they do


    contain some harmful radiation material."


    "How can that be?"


    Annabel''s eyes narrowed to slits.


    "Is that to say that they got poisoned from wearing the Ice and Fire jewelry?"


    "Yes.That''s what the investigation andb testing point at," Finley replied with a look of regret.


    Annabel rubbed her temples.


    This unexpected result gave her a splitting headache.


    She had thought theinants were people who got paid to set Benton Group up, but it turned out


    that wasn''t the case.


    "Have you found out why the products had some radioactive material?"


    Rupert piped up, flipping through the document in his hand.


    "No, sir."


    Finley shook his head.


    "But I noticed something strange.All the defective jewelry was produced by the factory in France and


    sold there too."


    Annabel tapped her chin for a while.


    Afterward, she called the person in charge of quality assurance in the French factory.


    "Annabel Hewitt speaking.How is the testinging along?"


    "Hello, Annabel.I have assigned someone to test all the products.The results will be out soon."


    "Inform me as soon as the resultse out," Annabel ordered with all seriousness.


    "Okay, will do!"


    The QA officer agreed without hesitation.


    After hanging up the phone, Annabel looked at Rupert and said, "It seems that there is something


    shady going on in the factory in France.It can''t be a coincidence that all the rejected jewelry came from


    there.The way I see it, someone tampered with the quality just to get us into trouble with the


    authorities."


    Just as Rupert began to speak, the door to the CEO''s office was kicked open from outside.


    Erica and Cathy stormed in with two men on their heels.


    "Mom, why are you here?" Rupert frowned, holding his head.


    Turning a deaf ear to her son''s question, Erica walked straight to Annabel and pped a newspaper in


    front of her.


    "It''s good that you are here, Annabel.Look at what you have done!"


    Annabel lowered her eyes.


    There was a screaming headline on the front page about the harmful radiation allegations.


    "We were discussing the matter before your arrival," Annabel said politely, forcing a smile.


    "You were discussing it?" Erica hissed.


    "What is there to discuss? I have said time and time again that you are a jinx, Annabel.


    Such a big thing happened to Benton Group because of you.Why do you still have the face toe


    here?"


    Annabel retorted, "There''s nothing indicating that I am to me for what''s happening.The matter is still


    under investigation.Don¡¯t you think it''s too early to me me?"


    Erica snorted.


    "Why can''t I me you? Aren''t you in charge of the Ice and Fire project? Since this problem arose, isn''t


    the person in charge to be med for it?"


    "My auntie is right, Annabel! This is all your fault.If you have any conscience, you would take the fall


    and turn in your resignation letter.Don''t remain here shamelessly.Or do you want to be driven away?"


    Cathy chipped in, snarling at Annabel.


    The smile on Annabel¡¯s face was unmoved.


    "It''s true that I''m in charge of the Ice and Fire project.But if we are to judge based on your logic,


    shouldn''t Rupert, the CEO of thispany, be med for what happened? should he resign too?"


    Finley''s jaw dropped when he heard this.How dare Annabel say that? And in front of Rupert too!


    Unable to retort, Erica turned to Rupert and said, "Did you hear her? Fire her right now!"


    Content held by N?velDrama.Org.


    "Mom, that''s my decision to make.Please don''t meddle in thepany''s affairs." Rupert pulled his tie


    irritably.He walked to the door and opened it.


    "I''m very busy.Please leave, and take Cathy and these men with you."


    "Why are you acting like this, Rupert? Auntie came here because she''s worried about you," Cathy


    yelled.


    "You can''t allow Annabel to continue working here.Otherwise, thispany will be brought to the


    ground in no time."


    Rupert cast a cold nce at Cathy.


    "Remember that you aren''t even a real Benton!"


    "How could you?"


    Cathy was heartbroken.


    She was adopted, but that didn''t mean she didn''t have more rights in the Benton family than this


    bumpkin called Annabel! "Rupert, you will regret letting Annabel stay in Benton Group!"


    Erica red at her son and left with her minions the same way they came.


    "Don''t be offended, Annabel.You know how they are."


    Rupert looked at Annabel apologetically.


    "I understand."


    Annabel shrugged with a smile.


    Suddenly, her phone rang.She looked down and saw that it was from the QA officer in the French


    factory.


    "What''s the update? Are the results out?" she inquired as soon as she answered the call.


    "Yes."


    The QA officer''s voice came from the other end of the line.


    "After testing all the products here, it has been ascertained that some of them contain some radiative


    material."


    "Okay, I see," said Annabel coldly.


    After ending the call, she said to Rupert with a serious expression, "The test results indicate that there''s


    indeed something fishy going on in the French factory."

 Chapter 117 Two Elephants In The Room

    Chapter 117 Two Elephants In The Room


    "The French factory?" Rupert asked, raising his eyebrows.


    "Yes." Annabel nodded with certainty.


    "The test results show that some of the products produced in the French factory contain some


    radioactive material. Something is going on there."


    Rubbing his temples, Rupert said in a cold voice, "We haven''t been paying much attention to the


    branch factory in France.It appears someone took the opportunity to start something shady when we


    least expected."


    Annabel put two and two together.She reasoned that Rupert''s words made sense.


    Compared to the attention given to the headquarters, the management of the French factory was much


    more rxed.It must have been much easier to infiltrate.


    Snapping her fingers, Annabel finally said, "We need to find out how the radioactive material was used


    in the production.Even though the French factory is just a branch, I''m sure it wasn''t a piece of cake for


    the culprit to start something shady there.The way I see it, this is an insider''s handwork.One of our


    employees betrayed us."


    "I''ll have someone look into it right away."


    Rupert agreed, narrowing his eyes.


    After pursing her lips for a while, Annabel piped up, "You know what? I want to go to France."


    This was a matter of urgency and importance.She felt that if they were to get answers soon enough,


    she had to go there.


    Anyone that could go against Benton Group in such a big way was definitely not a small person.


    As the person in charge of the Ice and Fire project, it was Annabel''s duty to find out the truth as soon


    as possible.


    "T''ll go with you,"


    Rupert said without hesitation.


    "Isn''t your presence needed here?"


    Annabel asked, looking at him suspiciously.


    N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner.


    "Yes, but not as much as it is needed over in France.I have to be there.Not only will my presence


    communicate to the public that Benton Group attaches great importance to the matter, but it will also


    send a warning to whosoever is behind this."


    Rupert didn''t blink for once as he stared at Annabel.


    "Finley can hold the reins for me while I''m away."


    All that he mentioned was important, but not as important as his need to protect Annabel.He didn''t want


    her to go there alone.


    France was so far away.He felt that Annabel wouldn''t be safe alone there since she wasn''t even


    familiar with the ce.


    Annabel didn''t bother dissuading him since he already made up his mind.


    Besides, she could do with some help over there; the whole issue might get sorted out faster.


    "Now, let''s address the other elephant in the room."


    Annabel took a seat and said, "We have to recall all the Ice and Fire jewelry produced by the French


    factory and negotiate with the affected parties forpensation.


    We must satisfy their requests so theirinants won''t cause any more damage to Benton Group."


    The recent scandal resulted in the fall of Benton Group''s stock price for several days in a row.


    It was best to count and recoup the losses before it was toote.


    Rupert already had that in mind.


    "I''ll assign someone to do that."


    After a pause, he looked at Finley and ordered, "Organize a press conference for this afternoon."


    "Yes, sir."


    Finley left to do as he was told.


    "Since we are done here, I''ll return to my desk."


    Halfway to the door, Annabel halted.


    "Should I book flight tickets for tomorrow?"


    "There will be no need for that.We''ll fly there in my private jet," Rupert responded, shaking his head.


    A private jet? Fine.


    With a shrug, Annabel turned around and walked out.


    Outside, she bumped into someone who had been walking in a haste.


    It was Cody.


    "Good day, Mr.Wagner."


    Annabel nodded and greeted him.


    Cody didn''t respond.


    Rather, he gave her a cold nce and walked straight into the CEO''s office.


    Hearing the footsteps, Rupert looked up.


    "What''s the matter?" he asked, seeing that Cody had worry written all over his face.


    "Rupert."


    Cody whipped out his phone and put it in front of Rupert.


    "The stock price has fallen by ten points within just a few days.Are you aware of that?"


    "Yes, I''m aware.I''ll handle it," Rupert replied calmly.


    "How do you intend to go about it?" Cody looked at him with a frown.


    "We all know why thepany got into this mess in the first ce.It¡¯s pretty easy to solve the


    problem."


    "Oh? Do you have any suggestions?"


    Rupert leaned back, keen to hear what this man had in mind.


    Cody was Bruce''s adopted son.He was two years younger than Jarrett.


    They grew up together and had a good rtionship.


    When they became adults, Cody was of great help to Jarrett in the running of thepany.He even


    became the acting CEO after Jarrett died.His reign didn''tst for long because Bruce handed the


    company over to Rupert and made Cody the vice president.


    In the past few years, Rupert was respected by all because of how he ran thepany.But Cody was


    relegated to the background.


    "It''s simple.Just fire Annabel," Cody said, tapping the desk with his index finger.


    "This happened because of Annabel¡¯s negligence as the project director.Once you fire her, everything


    will die down and ourpany can return to its former glory."


    "You don''t say!"


    Rupert folded his arms, his eyes turning cold and his face fierce.


    Cody intended to make Annabel the scapegoat.It was the only solution he could think of.However, he


    didn''t realize that her sack wouldn''t solve the fundamental problem.


    Rupert wouldn''t bother firing the person in charge even if it wasn''t Annabel.He knew better than that.


    Seeing that Rupert was hesitant, Cody held out a document and said, "Dismiss Annabel


    immediately.This contains the agreement signed by the members of the board."


    Rupert took it and skimmed through it.


    There were several signatures from the shareholders of thepany.The first one was that of his


    mother, Erica.


    "This was my mother¡¯s idea, wasn''t it?" Rupert asked, frowning deeply.


    "Yes, hers and ours, too!"


    When he saw the fire brewing in Rupert''s eyes, Cody wiped the sweat on his forehead.


    "I and the other shareholders want what''s best for thepany.We want this matter to be solved


    before thepany goes under."


    Rupert tapped the table with his knuckles.His long legs were crossed casually.


    Although he was sitting, he gave off a towering sense of oppression.He looked at Cody with a frown


    and uttered in a sharp and cold tone, "I agree that we have to solve this problem before things be


    worse than this.However, I''d like to make it clear that firing Annabel won''t calm the storm.Even if it


    would, I would never fire her.So, forget about it!"


    "Rupert, how¡ª"


    Cody was embarrassed by Rupert''s straightforward refusal.


    Just as he was about to get short with him, Rupert uttered authoritatively, "Leave everything to me.Your


    help isn''t needed here, so use the door!"

 Chapter 118 Feed Me

    Chapter 118 Feed Me


    Rupert didn''t show respect to Cody at all, and thetter couldn''t help but feel a little annoyed.


    But he couldn''t let Rupert know that he was annoyed, so he forced a smile and said, "Rupert, please


    understand that your mother and I are doing this for Benton Group.We hope you won''t regret this."


    Robert snorted and said nothing more on the matter.


    Cody stood there awkwardly for a bit before finally excusing himself.


    After he left, Rupert pursed his lips and fell into deep thought.He had always respected Cody, but now,


    he was getting more and more confused about this man.


    As soon as Annabel returned to her desk, she urged the person in charge of the jewelry factory in


    Douburgh to send the test results to her as soon as possible.


    Half an hourter, the results were emailed to her.


    As expected, there was no problem with the Ice and Fire jewelry produced by their factory in Douburgh.


    Annabel breathed a sigh of relief.


    It seemed that the problemy solely in the French factory.


    She sorted out the documents as quickly as she could and then printed them out for Rupert.


    The press conference this afternoon was critical, and these documents were paramount.


    Just as she reached the door to the CEO''s office, Annabel ran into Cody again.


    He was walking out of the CEO''s office with an angry look.


    When he saw Annabel, his expression darkened further.Content held by N?velDrama.Org.


    "Mr.Wagner,"


    Annabel greeted Cody with a polite smile.


    Cody forced a smile in return and then left quickly.


    Shrugging it off, Annabel knocked on the door.


    "May Ie in?"


    Rupert looked up and smiled.


    "Of course."


    Annabel stepped inside the CEO''s office, only to find Rupert holding the bottle of cold medicine she


    had given him.


    His clear eyes were staring at the medicine bottle in his hand, and there was a faint smile that tugged


    at the corners of his thin lips.


    Rupert looked at Annabel and put the medicine down.


    "Annabel, perfect timing.I was just looking for you."


    Annabel briskly handed the documents over to Rupert, saying, "The test results prove that the Ice and


    Fire jewelry produced here are fine.It seems that the problem lies in the factory in France."


    Rupert took the documents, but instead of reading them, he tossed them on the desk.


    Annabel was surprised.


    At a moment as critical as this, this afternoon''s press conference was of utmost importance.


    They were going to rify the matter of the Ice and Fire incident.


    These materials were key to the press conference, but Rupert didn''t even nce at them.


    Frowning, Annabel asked anxiously, "Don''t you need to read those? They will help with the press


    conference this afternoon."


    "I know that."


    Rupert chuckled mischievously.


    "But we must take care of something else first."


    "What?"


    Annabel blurted, unable to contain her mounting anxiety.


    Rupert pointed at the medicine on the table and answered, "Feed me the medicine."


    Annabel was dumbfounded.


    How could he still think about that at a time like this? Smiling cheekily, Rupert continued, "You wouldn''t


    want me to go to the press conference with a cold, would you?"


    Annabel rolled her eyes and snapped, "Fine! Just don''t bite me again!"


    Albeit huffily, she picked up the bottle of medicine from the table, unscrewed the lid, and poured two


    pills out.


    Then, holding her breath, she carefully ced them into Rupert¡¯s mouth.


    Perhaps it was because the medicine was bitter, but Rupert suddenly frowned and said, "I want some


    water."


    "Your ss is right there."


    Annabel pursed her lips vigntly.


    What did this man want this time? "Help me out, will you?"


    Rupert spoke as if his request was obvious.


    Annabel was once again rendered speechless.


    But now wasn''t the time to squabble.


    Annabel briskly picked up Rupert''s ss and poured water into it.


    Then, she brought the ss to his lips and snapped, "Here!"


    Rupert leaned back to avoid her advance, looking at her with his mischievous eyes.


    "Check the water''s temperature to see if it''s just right."


    Despite the man''s unreasonable request, Annabel kept her cool and took a sip of water.


    Indeed, it was just right.But this was Rupert''s ss.She had just drunk from it.


    Was this an indirect kiss? Her cheeks turned red at the thought.


    Annabel took a deep breath to dismiss this ridiculous idea.


    "It''s okay.Here, drink it."


    Annabel handed the ss to Rupert, trying to keep her voice calm.But Rupert didn''t take it.He was


    staring intently at the woman''s blushing face.


    "What''re you looking at?"


    Annabel frowned, feeling unnerved under his gaze.


    All of a sudden, Rupert burst intoughter.


    "Annabel, why are you blushing?"


    Was her blush so obvious? Did he see right through her? Feeling embarrassed, Annabel bit her lip and


    denied it.


    "I''m not blushing!"


    Raising his eyebrows, Rupert continued to tease her.


    "Really? Look at yourself in the mirror."


    At this point, Annabel was a little annoyed.


    She pressed the ss against Rupert''s lips and said, "Rupert, do you want water or not?"


    Seeing that Annabel was pissed off, Rupert''s expression softened.He was about to ept the ss of


    water when a woman''s voice suddenly interrupted them.


    "Annabel, what do you think you''re doing?"


    The sudden, sharp voice startled Annabel.She nearly lost her grip on the ss, sshing a bit of water


    on Rupert.She turned around slowly, only to find Heather ring at her viciously.


    The scene of Rupert and Heather dancing resurfaced in her mind.


    Annabel''s expression darkened, and she immediately mmed the ss on the table.


    "I''m leaving now."


    "Don''t leave,"Rupert said.


    Annabel turned a deaf ear to him.However, before she could take a single step, a big hand suddenly


    held her waist.


    The sudden pull made her slip and fall down on Rupert.


    Annabel''s face fell between his legs.


    This position looked extremely ambiguous from Heather''s point of view.


    Heather stared at the scene in front of her, utterly dumbfounded.


    A few secondster, she came to her senses.


    What a shameless slut! How dare Annabel seduce Rupert right in front of her? High heels clicking


    against the floor, Heather strode up to her, yanked her away from Rupert, and scolded, "What are you


    doing, Annabel? How dare you do such a thing in broad daylight?"


    Sensing Heather''s jealousy, Annatel deliberately sat on Rupert''sp and wrapped her arms around his


    neck.


    "Don''t you know how to knock? I:''s so rude to barge in on me and my fiance."


    "Why, you¡ª!"


    Heather didn¡¯t know what to say.Her eyes were full of hostility, as if she wanted to pounce on Annabel


    on the spot.


    With Annzbel''s soft and warm body leaning against him, Rupert felt a spark of desire.


    He wrapped his arm around her waist tightly and red at Heather.


    "What are you doing here?"

 Chapter 119 Press Conference

    Chapter 119 Press Conference


    Heather walked up to Rupert and red at Annabel jealously.


    With her eyes gleaming with obsession, she looked at Rupert''s handsome face and said, "I saw in the


    news that Benton Group is currently going through some difficulties.If you want, Norman Group can


    step in to help¡ª"


    "That won''t be necessary!" Rupert cut her off rudely.


    Heather¡¯s smile froze for a second.She then continued, "But I saw that Benton Group''s stock price is


    falling at a fast pace due to the Ice and Fire issue.A cooperation with a strongpany like Norman


    Group will help turn the tide for yourpany.The stock price is sure to get back up if that happens."


    "What? Are you trying to say Benton Group''s stocks won''t rise back without the help of Norman


    Group?"


    Rupert sneered and looked at her coldly.


    A chill knifed through Heather''s back when she saw the ice in his expression.She replied in an


    aggrieved tone, "No, that''s not what I meant.I was just trying to help, Rupert."


    "Save your help!" Rupert''s voice was as cold as ice.


    "I have something important to do.Please leave."


    Heather stamped her feet in anger and red at Annabel before she turned around and left.


    "You hurt her feelings.Aren''t you going to run after her?"


    Annabel tilted her head and took a nce at Rupert, pouting her lips in the direction where Heather


    went.


    "Are you kidding me?"


    "What''s the big deal? After all, she came here to help you out of the goodness of her heart.Aren''t you


    afraid that she would be heartbroken?"Although Annabel thought she was just being sarcastic, her


    words dripped with jealousy.She still couldn''t forget the image of Rupert dancing with Heather at the


    party.


    It annoyed her for some weird reason.


    "You think so?"


    Rupert rubbed his chin and pretended to think about it.


    Then he uttered, "You are right! I had better go after her!"


    He sprang to his feet.


    "How dare you?"


    Annabel blurted out without thinking when she saw that he was really going out.


    This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org.


    It became pretty obvious that she was jealous.


    Rupert chuckled and quipped, "Look who''s jealous!"


    Shame made Annabel''s cheeks turn red when she came to her senses.


    What was wrong with her? Why did his actions always get to her? It was so weird! "Again, I''m not


    jealous!" yelled Annabel, ring at him.


    The corners of Rupert''s mouth curled into a smile.


    He leaned close to Annabel and said in a maic voice, "Annabel, I danced with Heather that day


    because I was angry that you were with Rory."


    His gentle breath sprayed on her neck, tingling all her senses.


    Subconsciously, Annabel pushed him away.She wavered.


    Did he just say that he had nothing to do with Heather? A touch of warmth inexplicably swirled in her


    heart.


    She took a deep breath and said lightly, "You can dance with whomever you like.It''s none of my


    business."


    His eyes were as deep as the sea that could drown her.


    When he spoke again, his voice was like the music from a cello.


    "I promise to dance with only you from now on."


    Those words increased the warmth in Annabel''s heart.She almost lost herself.


    However, she quickly snapped out of it.She sneered, "What about Candy? What if shees back one


    day? Won''t you dance with her?"


    Candy...


    Rupert fell silent.


    Annabel was disappointed to see how his face fell.


    His silence was loud enough.


    Annabel smiled bitterly.


    Why did she set herself up to be heartbroken? After all, she already knew the answer.


    Candy was the love of Rupert''s life.


    How could he pick her, a temporal substitute, over Candy? As the pain in her heart intensified, Annabel


    pointed at the table and said coldly, "You''d better hurry up and read these materials.We can''t afford the


    failure of this afternoon''s press conference.That said, I''ll go back to my desk."


    She turned around and left in a haste.


    The press conference began at exactly two o''clock in the afternoon as earlier scheduled.


    In the conference hall, the reporters were already present with their cameras and recording devices.


    They fought to get good positions near the stage so they wouldn''t miss any word that would be said


    today.


    Sitting in the corner, Annabel quietly stared at the dazzling man sitting on the stage.


    Under everyone''s expectant gaze, Rupert stood up and cleared his throat.


    "Good day, everyone.Thanks foring to today''s press conference."


    After a pause, he continued, "As you may have guessed, the main purpose of this press conference is


    to address the ongoing troubles involving a new jewelry collection released by ourpany.It''s no


    news that severalints have been made that people got poisoned by the radioactive material


    allegedly present in the Ice and Fire jewelry series.We are very concerned about theseints and


    aremitted to getting to the root of this.After investigating for several days, we found that all the


    pieces of jewelry with this problem were produced in our branch factory in France.In contrast, the ones


    produced here have been certified perfect.Here is the test report."


    Rupert signaled to his assistant.


    Taking the hint, Finley clicked the Enter key on hisptop.


    The test report was projected on the wide screen a secondter.


    "This is the test report gotten from a reputable authority in the quality assurance field.It shows that the


    jewelry pieces produced here are perfect.You can wear them without worrying."


    "Mr.Benton, now that it has been confirmed that the issue ising from the branch factory in France,


    what do you n to do about that?"


    A reporter fired the first question.


    Rupert adjusted the microphone and replied coldly, "We have recalled all the defective products and


    destroyed them.I''ll personally investigate the root cause of counterfeits.I will leave no stones


    unturned.Those behind this will be brought to book.As for the victims, we have already begun


    negotiating with them and reached agreements forpensation.I sincerely apologize to them!"


    Rupert''s speech won warm apuse.


    An overzealous reporter further queried, "Mr.Benton, do you have any idea who is behind this?"


    "Not yet, but I''m confident I will find that out once I travel down there.If it turns out that the issue came


    from within, I''ll deal with it ordingly," Rupert said firmly.


    "Could there be a traitor in yourpany, Mr.Benton?" another reporter asked.


    Rupert answered calmly, "I can¡¯t rule out the possibility, or say yes for sure.I can only give you an


    honest answer after the investigation."


    The press conference ended on a good note.


    Once Rupert''s speech was televised, Benton Group''s stock price stopped dropping and began to rise.


    Annabel breathed a sigh of relief.


    Nheless, the press conference was just one step in the direction of clearing thepany''s name.


    The trip to France was key.

 Chapter 120 No.1 Factory

    Chapter 120 No.1 Factory


    It was gettingte.


    Annabel was busy packing in her room when she suddenly heard a cough by the door.


    Raising her head, she found Rupert standing at the doorway.


    Leaning against the door frame, he was wearing a casual, white robe, which made him look less


    indifferent and alienating.


    Seeing this, Annabel was stunned for a second.


    Noticing that she was staring at him wordlessly, Rupert cracked a smile.


    "Am I that good-looking?"


    "Rupert, how long have you been standing there?"


    Blushing slightly, Annabel came to her senses and ignored his question.


    This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org.


    Rupert straightened up and walked in.


    "Are you done packing?"


    "Almost."


    Annabel nodded, gesturing at her luggage.


    Truth be told, there wasn''t much that she needed to pack.She just needed to bring a few daily


    necessities.


    "Remember to get up early tomorrow," Rupert said.


    "Okay."


    Just then, Rupert''s phone rang.


    ncing at the caller ID, he found that it was Judson calling, the director of the branch factory in


    France.


    Rupert answered the phone briskly.


    "Judson, what''s up?"


    "Mr.Benton, we''ve found out that the defective jewelry was produced in No.1 factory,"


    Judson¡¯s voice came from the other end of the line.Rupert''s expression darkened.


    "So, the problem is within No.1 factory?"


    "Yes.I''ve already sent someone to look into it.The results should be avable by tomorrow."


    "Okay," Rupert said in a dangerously low voice.


    After he hung up, Annabel asked, "What was that about?"


    "It was the French branch that called." Rupert narrowed his eyes and frowned.


    "There''s something wrong with No.1 factory."


    "Well, now that we know which factory it was exactly, it should be easy to investigate," Annabel mused.


    "I disagree."


    Rupert''s expression darkened.


    "Whoever is behind this is by no means simple."


    "That''s true."


    Annabel nodded in agreement.


    Indeed, what had happened recently was strange.It was as if there was an invisible hand controlling


    everything.


    At present, they still didn''t know who their enemies were.


    The situation was very disadvantageous to Benton Group.


    "Anyway, let''s talk about it when we arrive in France tomorrow." Rupert''s expression softened.


    Seeing that Annabel was still frowning, he patted her on the shoulder and said gently, "Get some rest."


    "Okay.Good night!"


    Annabel finally cracked a small smile.


    However, that night, she tossed and turned in bed restlessly.


    The following morning, Annabel got up early and washed up quickly.


    As soon as she stepped out of her room, she heard the doorbell ringing.


    Who woulde here so early in the morning? When Rupert opened the door, he found Erica and


    Cathy standing outside.


    "Mom, what''re you doing here?" Rupert frowned in confusion.


    "What''s wrong? You don''t want to see me?" Erica asked coldly. She was wearing a vibrant orange


    dress, which made her look youthful.


    Without waiting for Rupert''s answer, Erica walked past him and walked straight to the living room.


    Cathy followed her.


    "Rupert, don''t you take me seriously?" Erica looked at Rupert with dissatisfaction.


    "Did you even read the joint letter from the board of directors?"


    Joint letter? As Annabel was making her way down the stairs, she overheard Erica''s disgruntled words.


    Immediately, her curiosity was piqued.


    "I''m dealing with it," Rupert answered tly.


    "Dealing with it''? How? We asked you to fire Annabel.Why haven''t you fired her?" Erica raised her


    voice.


    "Do you want Benton Group to go bankrupt?"


    The corner of Annabel''s mouth twitched.


    The board of directors wanted to fire her? But why? Rupert looked at his mother gloomily.


    Then, ncing at his watch, he said coldly, "This has nothing to do with Annabel.I''m going to France in


    a while.I don''t have the time for this."


    Once again, he was driving his own mother out.


    Erica''s expression darkened.


    As soon as she saw Annabeling downstairs with her luggage, she asked coldly, "Is she going with


    you?"


    "Yes, I am."


    With her luggage in tow, Annabel walked up to Rupert and held his arm.


    "Why can''t I go with Rupert?"


    Seeing the unpleasant scene in front of her, Cathy bit her lip and said, "Rupert, let me go with you."


    "No!" Rupert refused without hesitation.


    "Rupert, I''m not joking! I also want to help, you know?" Cathy said anxiously.


    Erica agreed.


    "Cathy''s right.She''ll go with you."


    Cathy wanted to help? Annabel highly doubted that.


    Thinking about what Cathy had done to Rupert that night he got drunk, Annabel smiled sarcastically.


    "I''m afraid she''ll be more of an obstacle.What can she do to help?"


    "What''s that supposed to mean, Annabel?" Cathy asked sourly, though she secretly felt embarrassed.


    When she was about to say something more, she was silenced by Rupert''s cold voice.


    "Enough! Impatient, Rupert pushed Cathy away.


    "You just need to focus on your studies.You don''t need to worry about Benton Group."


    Unconvinced, Cathy retorted, "Howe Annabel gets to go with you but I can''t?"


    "It was Grandpa''s idea.Ask him why you can''t go."


    Rupert didn''t want to argue with them anymore, so he mentioned Bruce.


    Biting her lower lip, Cathy looked to Erica for help.


    "Aunt..."


    Erica suddenly stood up and shot Rupert an angry look.


    "Fine.Since this is your grandfather''s idea, I won''t say anything more.But know this: if thepany


    continues to suffer losses because of Annabel, I won''t let her go!"


    "Mom, just take Cathy home." Rupert asked them to leave tly.


    Exasperated, Erica left with Cathy in a huff.


    "Auntie, Rupert doesn''t respect you at all.He wasn¡¯t like this before.It''s all Annabel''s fault!"


    Cathy grumbled, adding more fuel to the fire.


    "I don''t know what Rupert sees in her.He''s so obsessed with her that he doesn''t care for his family


    anymore.If he marries her, what''ll happen to us?" Erica sneered unhappily.


    "Cathy, don''t worry.I won''t let Rupert marry that woman."


    While watching them leave, Annabel felt a little uneasy.


    Over the past month, she had worked hard for the interests of Benton Group, but Erica and the rest of


    the board of directors wanted to fire her.It was so disappointing! With a cold look in her eyes, Annabel


    nced at Rupert and said calmly, "Don''t worry.I''ll be leaving in two months.Then your mom will stop


    making things so difficult for you."

 Chapter 121 Traumatic Flight

    Chapter 121 Traumatic Flight


    At the mention of Annabel''s leaving, Rupert''s expression darkened.


    Did she want to leave because of what his mother said just now? Or was it because...? "Annabel, my


    mother''s just like that.Please don''t take her words seriously."


    As he spoke, Rupert took a step forward and ced his hand on Annabel''s shoulder.His eyes were


    bore unfathomable emotion.


    In a hoarse voice, he added, "Trust me.I''ll deal with my mother, and I won''t let her make things difficult


    for you."


    When Annabel''s eyes met Rupert''s, her heart skipped a beat.She took a step back, forced a smile, and


    changed the topic.


    "Let''s stop talking about this.We should get going."


    Hearing this, Rupert returned to his usual cold and indifferent self.He nodded and said, "Let''s go."


    The two arrived at the airport.


    Annabel followed Rupert until they stopped in front of a jet.


    "Is this yours?"


    Annabel surveyed the luxury jet in front of her.Her grandfather wanted to buy a jet for her as a birthday


    gift before, but she refused because she was afraid of heights.


    "Mr.Benton, Miss Hewitt."


    The captain and the flight attendant stood at the door and respectfully weed Rupert and Annabel.


    "Go on."


    Rupert held Annabel''s hand and helped her up the stairs to the jet.


    Soon, the jet took off and headed into the clouds.


    In the blink of an eye, they were a hundred thousand feet high.


    Annabel sat beside Rupert, staring at the clouds from the window.


    "What''s on your mind?"


    Rupert''s deep, maic voice suddenly sounded in Annabel''s ears.


    "Nothing."


    Annabel turned around and met Rupert''s inquisitive gaze.She cleared her throat and said quickly, "I


    was just wondering who our enemy is."


    "We will know when we arrive in France." Rupert smiled.


    "Don''t think too much.Help yourself to some drinks.What would you like?"


    "Orange juice," Annabel said after thinking for a while.


    Rupert called the stewardess over and said, "A ss of orange juice please."


    "Okay, one moment."


    The stewardess smiled at them and then headed to the back.


    Five minutester, the stewardess returned with a ss of orange juice and handed it to Annabel.


    "Here you go, Miss Hewitt."


    "Thank you."


    Annabel took the ss of orange juice and was about to drink it when the jet suddenly lurched and


    dropped rapidly.


    "Ah! Ah!"


    Annabel screamed in fear.


    The lights in the jet went out, shrouding them in darkness.


    The feeling of weightlessness made Annabel''s stomach churn, and the pitch darkness surrounding her


    made her deathly pale.


    Traumatic memories shed in her mind.It was as though she had fallen into an abyss.It was dark all


    around, and she kept falling...


    This feeling was so real that Annabel was convinced it was really happening.


    Annabel tried to grab onto something, but there was nothing around her.


    The overwhelming despair seemed to drown her.


    "Help! Help me!"


    Annabel screamed in panic, her face pale and covered in sweat.


    Rupert threw his arms around her tightly.


    "Annabel, what''s wrong? Are you okay?"


    Rupert''s warm embrace gave Annabel some sense of relief.


    She hugged Rupert back and whimpered, "I''m so scared."


    "Don''t be afraid.It''s just turbulence."


    Having Annabel''s arms wrapped around him, Rupert couldn''t help but smile.


    Soon, the jet stabilized and the lights went back on.


    Only then did Annabel realize that she was hugging Rupert for dear life.


    Blushing furiously, she let go of him hurriedly, mumbling, "I''m sorry.I wasn''t myself just now."


    "Don''t worry about it," Rupert said casually, but his eyes were still filled with concern.


    "I was really scared..."


    Patting her chest, Annabel took a deep breath to gather her bearings.


    "I thought I was going to die."


    "I didn''t know you were such a scaredy-cat."


    Rupert smiled faintly.


    Most of the time, Annabel was calm, independent, and level-headed.It was rare to see her so scared.


    "I''m seared of the dark and I''m scared of heights.It was pitch ck just now, and I could feel us


    plummeting to the ground.Of course I was scared out of my wits!"


    Rupert reached for Annabel''s hand, his expression softening.


    "Don''t be afraid.I''m right here."


    The warmth emanating from Rupert''s fingertips seemed to spread all the way to Annabel''s heart.


    Truth be told, this man wasn''t so bad.


    N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner.


    If it weren''t for the fact that he was in love with Candy, she might be willing to ept him.


    But there was no if.


    With a sigh, Annabel withdrew her hand and said indifferently, "Thank you."


    The woman''s obvious refusal made Rupert feel a little sad.He couldn''t help but ask in a low voice,


    "Annabel, are you unwilling to ept me?"


    Annabel was stunned for a moment.


    "Rupert, now is not the time to discuss this.Have you forgotten why we''re going to France? Benton


    Group is in trouble now.How could you still think about this?"


    "In trouble?" Smiling confidently, Rupert waved his hand dismissively.


    "It''s not a big deal."


    He was right.


    Annabel also didn''t think it was that big a deal, but it would still take time and effort to find out the evil


    mastermind behind this.


    Fortunately, the rest of the flight was smooth.


    When the jetnded, Annabel breathed a sigh of relief, as though a weight had been lifted off her


    shoulders.


    Judson and Brett were already at the airport, waiting for them.


    As soon as Annabel and Rupert dened, Brett walked up to them and greeted them politely.


    "Hi, Rupert, Annabel."


    "It''s been a while."


    Smiling, Annabel hugged Brett.


    "Mr.Benton, we''ve found out that in one of No.1 factory''s warehouses, there are traces of subpar raw


    materials containing radioactive elements."


    Judson went straight to the point.


    "So there is something wrong with the raw materials,"


    Rupert mused, narrowed his eyes.


    "I''m sorry.I feel responsible for this."


    There was a trace of guilt in Brett''s tone.


    After all, it happened in France, and the products produced by the branch factory were distributed by


    Lady Fashion.


    "Brett, let''s get to the bottom of this once and for all," Rupert said coldly.


    "Mr.Benton, why don''t you and Miss Hewitt go to the hotel and get some rest first? You two just came


    from a long flight..." Judson suggested, seeing the tired look on Annabel''s face.


    "No, thanks.Let''s go to No.1 factory now," Annabel said with a shake of her head.


    She couldn''t wait to find out the truth.

 Chapter 122 A Sudden Explosion

    Chapter 122 A Sudden Explosion


    "Alright, then.Let''s go."


    Rupert cast a cold nce at Judson, motioning for him to lead the way.Soon, their car pulled to a stop


    in front of No.1 factory.


    "who''s in charge of purchasing raw materials?"


    Rupert suddenly asked, leafing through the documents Judson had handed to him.


    Judson replied, "Sadie.She purchased all the materials for the French branch."


    "All the raw materials were purchased by her?"


    Raising her head to look at Judson, Annabel frowned.


    "If this was a problem with purchasing, why is it that only No.1 factory has a problem?"


    "True.Sadie has been working with us for ages, and she has been in charge of purchasing for a long


    time now.I don''t think this is her fault."


    Judson pursed his lips and shrugged.


    Annabel asked, "Where is Sadie? I want to see her."


    Judson promptly summoned Sadie to his office.


    A few minutester, a stocky, middle-aged woman with curly hair came in.


    "Sadie, this is Mr.Benton and Miss Hewitt," Judson said to Sadie with a faint smile.


    "They want to know all about the purchasing of the raw materials for the Ice and Fire collection."


    Judson then introduced Sadie to Rupert and Annabel.


    "This is Sadie.You can ask her anything about the purchasing process."


    Sadie looked at Rupert apologetically.


    "I''m sorry, Mr.Benton.I''m the one responsible for purchasing the raw materials.But I can guarantee that


    there wasn''t a problem with any of the material I purchased, and all the procedures were done in


    ordance with thepany''s standards."


    Rupert nodded and then asked, "Where did you buy these raw materials?"


    Sadie brought over the purchase contracts and exined everything to Rupert in detail.


    "All the raw materials in France are purchased from these threepanies.We''ve been in cooperation


    with thesepanies for over three years now, and there has never been any problem before."


    "Did you routinely quality check the raw materials when they were purchased?" Annabel asked, leafing


    through the purchase contracts.


    "Yes, all the procedures were done in ordance with thepany''s standards," Sadie reiterated


    firmly.


    "Okay.Sadie, you can go back to work now."


    Rupert looked over all the documents and then dismissed Sadie.


    Sadie nodded respectfully.


    "Okay, Mr.Benton.Call me if you need anything."


    After Sadie left, Annabel looked at the file in Rupert''s hand and asked, "Find anything out of the


    ordinary?"


    Rupert turned to Judson and said in a cold voice, "I need a list of all the people who have ess to the


    raw materials."


    "Okay, I''ll have someone make the list right away."


    Judson quickly made arrangements.


    Soon, the list was sent to them.It turned out that in addition to the employees in charge of the


    warehouse, the workers in transportation and production also had the chance to tamper with the raw


    materials.


    Staring at the list of people, Rupert fell into deep thought.


    "Where are the suspicious raw materials now?"


    Judson pointed out the window and said, "They''re all in the warehouse over there."


    "Just that one warehouse?"


    Following Judson''s gaze, Annabel saw that there were a dozen warehouses in a row.


    Judson nodded affirmatively.


    "Yes."


    "Take us to the warehouse,"


    Rupert ordered coldly.


    The warehouse where the raw materials were stored was a few dozen meters away from the factory.


    Normally, there would be employees dedicated solely to the transportation of the raw materials from the


    warehouse to the factory.


    In other words, the materials could''ve been tampered with during its transportation.


    "The warehouse is right over there."


    Judson pointed at the warehouse ahead of them while leading the way.


    Annabel and Rupert walked closely behind Judson.


    Just as they were about to reach the warehouse, Judson''s phone suddenly rang.


    He looked at the caller ID and turned to Rupert apologetically.


    "I''m sorry, Mr.Benton.I have to take this."


    "Okay."


    Robert waved his hand dismissively and walked on with Annabel.


    The closer Annabel got to the warehouse, the more uneasy she became.


    She couldn''t shake off the feeling that something bad was about to happen.


    Suddenly, there was thick smokeing out of the warehouse in front of them.


    A burning hot air wave rushed out, and bright orange mes shed before Annabel''s eyes.


    "Jesus! It''s going to explode!"


    Stunned, Annabel stopped and urgently started pulling Rupert back.Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org.


    There was a deafening bang, followed by tremors in the ground.


    Thick smoke soared into the sky, forming a mushroom cloud, and the red mes roared to life.


    "Annabel, watch out!"


    Amidst the chaos, Rupert''s nervous and anxious voice sounded.


    When Annabel raised her head, she saw that a sheet of metal broke off from the roof because of the air


    waves.It was flying straight toward her.


    It all happened so fast.


    In the blink of an eye, Annabel was grabbed and shielded by Rupert.


    The sheet of metal rammed into him with a bang, but he still held her tightly in his arms.


    The two fell to the ground together, with Annabel''s back mming into the hard concrete.


    She gasped in pain.


    Before Annabel passed out, she vaguely heard Rupert saying, "Don''t be afraid, Annabel.I''m here with


    you..."


    When Annabel woke up again, she was already in the hospital.


    "Rupert?"


    Herst memory made Annabel shout subconsciously.


    But she was met with silence.


    Annabel struggled desperately to peel her heavy eyelids open, only to see the bare, white walls of the


    hospital ward.


    Where was she? And why did her back hurt so much? Annabel rubbed her temples, trying to gather her


    bearings.


    Thest thing she remembered was that she and Rupert went to the warehouse to check the


    suspicious raw materials, but then the warehouse suddenly exploded.


    In that critical moment, it was Rupert who shielded her from harm.


    Rupert...


    Enduring the pain, Annabel struggled to sit up.


    Just as she was about to get out of bed, the door to the ward opened and a young woman in a nurse''s


    uniform came in.


    "Where is Rupert?"


    Annabel grabbed her and asked anxiously.


    "Huh?"


    The nurse looked visibly confused.


    Annabel asked again, "Where is Rupert? Who brought me here? Is the man I was with okay?"


    "I don''t know," the nurse replied with a shrug.


    Annabel was getting anxious.


    Was Rupert okay? She wanted to get out of bed to look for Rupert, but the nurse stopped her.


    "Miss, you''re injured.You need to stay in bed."


    "I''m fine!"


    Frowning, Annabel became more and more agitated.She needed to make sure Rupert was fine.


    However, a strong sense of uneasiness took hold of her.


    If Rupert was fine, he would be with her now.So where was he? Rupert...He must''ve gotten badly hurt!

 Chapter 123 In A Coma

    Chapter 123 In A Coma


    "Rupert, you have to be okay..."


    Annabel gritted her teeth and forced herself out of bed, enduring the searing pain in her back.She


    needed to find Rupert.She needed to confirm that he was fine with her own eyes.


    "Miss Hewitt?"


    Just then, Judson''s voice sounded from outside the door.


    "Judson, thank God you''re here!"


    When Annabel saw Judsone in, she felt a small sense of relief.


    "Where''s Rupert? Have you seen him?"


    Judson averted his gaze and stammered, "Mr.Benton..."


    ¡® "Yes? How is he?"


    Seeing that Judson seemed hesitant to answer her, Annabel pressed him anxiously.


    "He''s currently receiving emergency medical treatment."


    Judson sighed and decided to be honest.


    "He was seriously injured."


    Emergency medical treatment...


    Seriously injured...


    Annabel''s mind wentpletely nk all of a sudden.


    Rupert had gotten hurt because of her.


    The memories of the warehouse suddenly exploding flooded her mind.


    If Rupert hadn''t saved her, he wouldn''t have gotten badly hurt.


    "Where is the emergency room?" Annabel suddenly asked.


    Judson seemed to be startled.


    The next second, he came to his senses and answered, "The eighteenth floor."


    As soon as Judson said this, Annabel rushed out of the ward and went straight to the elevator, jabbing


    the button anxiously.But the elevator stopped at the top floor.


    Annabel''s ward was on the fifth floor.


    Gritting her teeth, she turned around and headed for the stairs.


    Ignoring the pain, she climbed thirteen flights of steps and finally made it to the eighteenth floor.


    "Where is Rupert Benton?"


    Annabel grabbed a doctor like a madwoman.


    "Are you talking about the Mr.Benton of Benton Group?"


    Startled, the doctor looked at Annabel up and down.


    Finally, he pointed at a room at the end of the hall.


    "He¡¯s in the emergency room over there."


    "How is he? Is he okay?"


    Annabel asked, wringing the doctor''s coat anxiously.


    The doctor shook his head with a sigh.


    "Sorry, I don''t know."


    Annabel let go of him and rushed to the door of the emergency room in a hurry, but a nurse at the door


    stopped her.


    "I''m sorry, miss.The doctor is in the middle of treating the patient.You can''t go in."


    "Is the patient okay?"


    Looking at the closed door of the emergency room, Annabel felt powerless.


    The nurse smiled politely.


    "Please rest assured that the doctor will do his best."


    Rest assured? How could she rest assured? If something bad happened to Rupert, she would never be


    able to live with herself.


    Annabel''s heart was hanging in the air.She fell to her knees and sped her hands in front her chest,


    praying desperately for Rupert''s safety.


    "Annabel?"


    A familiar voice came into Annabel''s ears, pulling her back to reality.


    Following the direction of the voice, Annabel found that Brett and several managers of Benton Group¡¯s


    branch in France were sitting next to the emergency room.


    Everyone looked worried sick.


    Annabel walked over in a daze.


    "How is Rupert?"


    Brett shook his head and sighed.


    "I just got here.I came as soon as I got the news.How did this happen?"


    "I don''t know.The warehouse exploded out of the blue,"


    Annabel replied, rubbing her aching temples.


    Only then did it ur to her how strange this matter truly was.


    The warehouse didn''t explode until she and Rupert got there...


    How could that be a coincidence? Just then, the door to the emergency room swung open, and the


    doctor wheeled Rupert out on a gurney.


    "Oh, my God! Rupert, are you okay?"


    Annabel rushed over immediately and looked at Rupert with concern.


    But Rupert didn''t answer her.He was unconscious, lying quietly on the gurney.His handsome face was


    extremely pale, and his eyes were tightly closed.


    His head and legs were wrapped in bandages, and there were faint blood stains on the white gauze.


    A lump formed in Annabel''s throat and she almost burst into tears on the spot.She swallowed and


    forced herself to calm down.She couldn''t break down at a moment as critical as this.


    "Doctor, is he going to be okay?" Annabel asked in a trembling voice.


    Despite asking this, she was afraid to hear the answer.


    The doctor said gravely, "He was hit by a sheet of metal, and the injury on his head was


    serious.Although we''ve treated him as best as we could, his situation is still not optimistic."


    Not optimistic? What was that supposed to mean? The doctor''s words were like a knife to Annabel¡¯s


    heart.


    Why was Rupert so stupid? Why did he have to risk his life to save her? "When will he wake up?"


    Annabel asked in a small voice, biting her lip hard to prevent herself from crying.


    The doctor sighed.


    "It''s hard to tell.It could be today, it could be tomorrow, or..."


    The doctor didn''t go on, but his meaning was clear.


    Worry, anxiety, regret...


    Mixed feelings gued her heart.


    Annabel lowered her head to look at the pale, unconscious Rupert.


    "He''ll be fine!" she said firmly, although her voice was a bit shaky.


    Brett ced his hand on her shoulder and said, "Yes, he''ll be fine.You''re injured, too.Go back to your


    ward and get some rest.We''ll make sure Rupert is taken care of."


    "I''m fine.I need to stay with Rupert." Annabel shook her head stubbornly.


    The doctor wheeled Rupert into the VIP ward.


    Sitting next to the bed, Annabel looked down at the familiar handsome face and said remorsefully, "I''m


    sorry, Rupert.This is all my fault.If I hadn''t insisted oning to France, this wouldn''t have


    happened..."


    After a pause, Annabel''s voice broke.She held Rupert''s hand and said, "Rupert, you have to wake up!"


    Just then, there was a gentle knock on the door.


    Annabel wiped away her tears and went to open the door.


    Judson was standing outside.


    "Judson..." Annabel said softly.


    Judson looked inside the ward and asked, "Mr.Benton...Is he okay?"


    Annabel pursed her lips and shook her head.


    "He''s still unconscious."


    Judson sighed heavily.


    "Such a tragedy was so unexpected.But Mr.Benton is a lucky man.He''ll be fine.I''m sure of it."


    Raising her eyes to look at Judson, Annabel clicked her tongue.


    "As soon as we arrived, the warehouse exploded.What a coincidence! Judson, have you found


    anything yet?"


    "It happened out of the blue."


    Judson''s expression darkened.


    "At the scene, the firefighters found two dead bodies."


    Annabel was shocked.


    "Two dead bodies? Who were they?"


    Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org.


    "We suspect that they were the warehouse managers, but we''ll need to test their DNA to confirm their


    identities."


    Judson shook his head.


    "There is something deeply wrong going on.Perhaps those two people were the ones who tampered


    with the raw materials."


    Annabel nodded thoughtfully.


    "Yes, it¡¯s possible.This is really troubling, Judson.Please find out whether those two people had


    something to do with the defective raw materials and the explosion."

 Chapter 124 Suspicion

    Chapter 124 Suspicion


    "Okay."


    Judson agreed without hesitation.


    The moment Annabel saw him leave, she returned to the ward.


    Sadness filled her heart as she stared at the unconscious Rupert in the bed.


    Tucking him in, she sat by his bedside, held his hand, and prayed for his recovery.


    The clock was ticking.


    Every tick was like a knock on Annabel''s heart.


    It ached more and more.


    Every second was like a century for her.


    Annabel sat there with her eyes glued to his handsome face.


    It was gettingte, but she didn''t move an inch or sleep a wink.


    Never had she been this worried in her entire life.


    At midnight, someone suddenly knocked on the door.


    Annabel thought it was the attending doctor.


    But when she opened the door, she saw Finley standing on the other side.


    He came with several fierce bodyguards to guard the ward.


    "Finley, why are you here at this time?"


    Annabel was taken aback by his sudden appearance.


    Shouldn''t he be at home at this time? Finley walked in, looked at his still boss, and said, "I flew here as


    soon as I got the news.How is Mr.Benton?"


    Sadness crept to Annabel''s face.


    "As you can see, he''s still in aa."


    "Don''t worry.He wille around soon," Finley assured herfortingly.


    "Let''s hope so." Annabel nodded.


    Suddenly, something urred to her.


    "By the way, how is thepany?"


    Finley was supposed to be holding the reins in Douburgh, and thepany was yet to return to its


    former glory.It had skipped her mind to check on how things were going over there.


    Finley said in a somewhat cold tone, "The press conference kind of won some support for the


    company.The stock price began rising again.But the explosion changed the tide for the worse.There


    have been countless negativements online, and the stock price is plummeting again."


    No surprise there!


    "Is the current situation that bad?" Annabel asked.


    "Yes, it is," Finley said seriously, his shoulders slouching.


    After thinking for a while, Annabel said, "The first thing we need to do now is to find out the truth.We


    must capture the culprit and expose everything to the public before things get any worse."


    "I will try my best," Finley said firmly.


    "You must be tired.How about you back to rest? [ can stay here with him through the night."


    "No, I want to be by his side."


    Annabel shook her head.She wanted to be here when he regained consciousness.Her mind wouldn''t


    be at rest if she left him in the care of someone else.


    Finley smiled.


    "I understand, but you are injured too.You need to rest.Do you want to copse before Mr.Benton


    wakes up? You can rest assured.I and the bodyguards will protect him.He''s in safe hands."


    Apart from the tiredness on Annabel¡¯s face, her entire body was aching badly.She also had something


    important to attend to.She looked at Finley and the bodyguards at the door before nodding reluctantly.


    "Fine, I''ll go to rest ande back tomorrow morning."


    Finley walked her to her ward and returned.


    With his hands in his pockets, he instructed the bodyguards, "Be alert.Let no one in, okay?"


    "Yes, sir!" the bodyguards responded, standing at attention.


    Finley closed the door and walked to the bed.


    He moved close to Rupert and whispered respectfully, "Sir, I have sent Annabel back to her ward.We


    are alone now."


    The next second, Rupert''s eyes peeled open.He sat up and leaned against the headboard.He then


    asked, "Does anyone doubt my state?"


    Finley shook his head with a smile.


    "No.Even Annabel believes that you are unconscious."


    "That''s good."


    "Sir, if you don''t mind me asking, why don''t you tell her? You should have seen the look on her face just


    now.She''s truly worried about you," Finley quipped.


    Rupert cast an indifferent nce at him.


    "The fewer people know, the better."


    Rupert had only gotten a minor injury after he was hit by the sheet of metal.


    However, the explosion was strange.


    It seemed like it was specifically targeted at him and Annabel.


    Rupert decided to pretend to be in aa.


    In this way, the person behind the attack would think their n worked.


    He was waiting for the culprit to let down their guard and make a wrong move, so he could catch them


    unawares.


    Thinking of this, Rupert asked in a low voice, "How''s it going?"


    "As expected, there is a lot of negative news about thepany," Finley reported.


    "Look into Judson," Rupert ordered with a frown.


    Finley was stunned for a moment.


    "Do you suspect that he has a hand in this?" Rupert nodded.


    "Check to see if he has any affiliation with Love Jewelry."


    "Okay." Finley''s face darkened.


    After Rupert finished giving the orders, hey back on the bed and closed his eyes.


    Back in Annabel''s ward, she couldn''t sleep a wink.She sat on the bed and turned on her phone.She


    saw that the news about the explosion was all over the inte.


    Intensements were still pouring in.


    "Benton Group is more corrupt than we thought.It appears that they deceived consumers and produced


    the goods with substandard materials that unfortunately caused the explosion."


    "Something tells me that the explosion was intentional.The management must have done that to get rid


    of all traces of their illicit affairs.The dead can''t speak, so no one can testify to what they saw in there!"


    "How can you say that? You seem to forget that even the CEO was injured in the explosion.Rupert is


    not that kind of man!"


    Staring at the phone screen for a while, Annabel rubbed between her eyebrows and carefully recalled


    what happened before the explosion.She and Rupert got injured.However, Judson received a call and


    left before the explosion urred.


    What a coincidence? Annabel couldn''t shake the suspicious feeling brewing inside her, so she called


    Anthony.


    "Hello, Ada!"


    Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org.


    Anthony''s concerned voice came through.


    "I saw the news.Are you okay?"


    "I''m fine," Annabel said.


    "I need you to look into someone for me."


    "Who is it? I will look into anyone as long as it¡¯s not Candy." Anthony agreed on one condition.


    "Look into Judson,"


    Annabel uttered, rubbing her eyebrows.


    The moment she ended the call, Rupert''s pale face appeared in her mind.She couldn''t stop thinking


    about him.She had no choice but to go back to his ward.


    Before she got to the door of the ward, the bodyguards stopped her.


    "Miss Hewitt, you can''t go in."


    Annabel seemed to hear a familiar voiceing from the ward.It sounded like Rupert''s voice.She was


    abuzz with excitement at once.


    Did Rupert wake up?

 Chapter 125 Will You Marry Me

    Chapter 125 Will You Marry Me


    "Let me go inside and meet Rupert," Annabel said eagerly.


    "But Finley has instructed us that no one is allowed to enter the room without his permission," one of


    the bodyguards replied with an embarrassed expression.


    The bodyguards knew that Annabel was Rupert''s fiancee, but since Finley had given them an order,


    they could only do their duty and stop Annabel at the door.


    After pondering for a while, Annabel took out her phone and called Finley.


    Finley heard his phone ring and looked at the screen.


    He saw that Annabel was calling and pressed the speaker button.


    "Miss Hewitt, what can I do for you?" he asked.


    Annabel''s anxious and concerned voice filtered out from the phone''s speaker as she asked, "Is Rupert


    awake?"


    "No," Finley said lightly as he looked at Rupert, who was leisurely lounging in the bed.He hadn''t woken


    up? Annabel bit her lower lip in disappointment and said,"I''m very worried about him.Can Ie inside


    and see him?"


    Her voice clearly reached Rupert''s ear and he didn''t miss a word.His sexy lips automatically curved up


    into an enigmatic smile.She cared about him.


    Finley looked at Rupert for direction.


    Noting his slight nod, Finley said, "Please wait a moment."


    Finley opened the room''s door and spotted Annabel standing just outside.


    "Come in, please." He smiled.


    "Miss Hewitt can enter and leave the ward freely from now on," Finley told the bodyguards.


    "Is Rupert okay?"


    Annabel''s gaze instantly focused on the man lying in the bed, who looked gorgeous even when he was


    "unconscious."


    Rupert''s eyes remained closed as he heard Annabel''s caring voice.


    The softest part of his heart seemed to be scratched by a feather.


    "His condition is quite stable," Finley said, pursing his lips.


    "I heard him talking just now." Annabel''s attention remained fixed on Rupert.She seemed to have heard


    his voice just now.


    "You heard me talking on the phone," Finley replied with a shake of his head.


    "I see." Annabel looked disappointed.


    Finley looked at Annabel, then at Rupert.


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    "Since you''re here with him, I''ll leave now.If you require anything, you can ask the bodyguards at the


    door.They are all Mr.Benton''s confidants."


    Since Annabel was here, it was wiser for him to leave.


    "Thank you." Annabel smiled at him.


    Finley turned around, walked out of the room, and closed the door.


    Was Rupert pretending to be unconscious just to flush out the maniptor? Finley didn''t think so.


    He guessed Rupert wanted to see Annabel care about him.


    Taking a seat at the head of the bed, Annabel silently studied the man lying in it, feeling mncholic.


    She was tired and finally gave in to her exhaustion.


    She fell asleep at the head of the bed.


    The room was very quiet, faint breathing the only audible sound.


    The unconscious man slowly peeled his eyes open.


    When his cool eyes fell on the sleeping woman, his face softened a little and he smiled faintly.


    He stood up gently and used a thin nket to cover Annabel.


    In her sleep, she mumbled, "Rupert, you will be fine."


    Warmth coursed through Rupert''s veins, and his tender eyes fell on Annabels face.


    Her delicate face looked tired, and her thin lips had no color.


    These past few days must have exhausted her.


    Leaning down slightly, Rupert nted a soft kiss on her smooth forehead and said, "Everything will


    soon be over."


    The next morning, sunshine streamed in through the ss window and fell on Annabel''s face.She


    woke up after a while.She was surprised to notice that a nket covered her.She recalled that she had


    fallen asleep from fatiguest night.


    Why did she have a nket over her? Had Rupert covered her with it? Did he regain consciousness?


    With anticipation and excitement, Annabel turned her attention to the bed.


    But Rupert remained unconscious with his eyes closed.


    Annabel''s spirits plunged.


    Every memory she had of Rupert shed through her mind.He protected her, cared about her, and


    saved her.


    Several thoughts were running through her mind.


    "Rupert, you have to be fine.Wake up quickly.If you wake up, I''m willing to do anything for you."


    Tears welled up in Annabel''s eyes.


    "Are you truly willing to do anything for me? Are you willing to marry me?"


    A familiar clear voice reached her ears just as she got lost in her sorrowful thoughts.


    Rupert! It was Rupert''s voice! Annabel couldn''t stop the ecstasy that lit her up.She looked at the bed


    and saw that theatose patient suddenly opened his eyes.


    "Rupert, are you awake?"


    A bright smile split Annabel''s face.


    Relief finally coursed through her at this moment.


    Rupert was awake! He had finally woken up! This was great! Rupert grinned and raised his eyebrows.


    "Does what you said just now still count?"


    "What I just said?"


    Annabel was nonplussed for a moment, and then her words came back to her.


    Gazing into Rupert''s smiling eyes, Annabel was suddenly struck with something.She shot him an angry


    re and pounded his chest with her fists.


    "Rupert, you were pretending!"


    Rupert grabbed Annabel''s hands and pressed one of them against his chest.


    "Annabel, can you feel my heart beating for you?"


    When Annabel''s hand made contact with his powerful muscles, her face turned beet-red.


    This man was so flirtatious! Inhaling a deep breath to get her emotions under control, she looked at him


    coldly and asked, "Rupert, why were you pretending to be unconscious?"


    "You can take a guess," Rupert said.


    After considering it for a few moments, Annabel replied, "I think you''ve already figured out the person


    who nned the explosion, haven''t you?"


    Rupert nodded and said, "I suspect Judson, but I don''t have any evidence."


    "So, you pretended to be unconscious to lure Judson into thinking that his n seeded.You want


    him to make his next move and reveal his true intention." Rupert didn''t reply.


    Instead, he gazed at her intensely and asked, "Is what you said true?"

 Chapter 126 Im Pursuing You

    Chapter 126 I''m Pursuing You


    Rupert''s eyes were fixed on Annabel''s face.His maic voice echoed in her ears, startling her.


    Annabel''s heart skipped a beat.She looked up and met his deep-set eyes.


    "I don''t know what you''re talking about."


    A faint smile tugged at the corners of Rupert''s thin lips.


    "I heard every single word you said just now."


    "And what exactly did I say? I don''t remember."


    Embarrassed and annoyed, Annabel red at him helplessly.How dare he pretend to be in aa in


    front of her! If she had known sooner, she wouldn''t have been so worried about him.


    Rupert took her hand in his, rubbing it gently.


    "You said that as long as I wake up, you''d be willing to do anything for me.Well, now I''m awake.Will you


    marry me?"


    Once again, Annabel''s heart skipped a beat.


    "Is that supposed to be a proposal?"


    She rolled her eyes, although her heart was racing in her chest.


    "I''m pursuing you," Rupert answered simply.His eyes were full of affection as he looked at her.


    Pursue her? Annabel¡¯s heart beat faster.


    They were in a ward.It was inappropriate to talk about this matter here.


    Annabel withdrew her hand, muttering, "What I said just now doesn''t count.You were just pretending to


    be unconscious."


    "Hey, no take-backs." Rupert pursed his lips unhappily.


    Annabel didn''t say anything more.


    A hush fell over the ward, and the atmosphere grew a little awkward.


    After a few seconds, Rupert cleared his throat and broke the silence.


    "I''ll give you two months.Can you give me the answer I want by then?"


    Annabel mulled over it for a while and then nodded seriously.


    "I''ll give you an answer then.I don''t know if it''ll be the answer you want."


    Rupert nodded and leaned back in bed,cence written all over his face.He was confident he


    would get the answer he wanted.


    "Aren''t you supposed to be unconscious? Close your eyes.What if someonees in and sees you''re


    awake?"


    Annabel changed the topic.


    "Don''t worry.My bodyguards are stationed outside," Rupert replied calmly.


    As soon as he finished speaking, Annabel''s phone rang.


    ncing at the caller ID, she saw that it was her grandfather calling.


    "Grandpa,"


    Annabel greeted in a sweet voice.


    "Anna! Are you okay?"


    Leonard''s concerned voice sounded from the other end of the phone.


    "Of course I''m okay," Annabel said with a smile.


    "Well? Is the news true?"


    "Half true.Don''t worry, Grandpa.Just do whatever you usually do¡ª go fishing or water the flowers or


    something.I''ll take care of things from here."


    "Don''t worry¡¯? I''m not worried, my dear."


    Leonard chuckled heartily.


    "Rupert isn''t really in aa, am I right?"


    "Grandpa, how did you know?"


    Pursing her lips, Annabel had to admit that her grandfather was really impressive.


    "I wasn''t sure at first, but when I heard your voice, I knew I was right.After all, if your fiance was in a


    coma, you wouldn''t sound this calm,"


    Leonard exined with a knowing smile, smoothing his beard idly.


    "Grandpa, what''re you talking about? He''s not my fiance¡ªnot for long, anyway.I''m going to break off


    the engagement to him as soon as the three-month agreement is over," Annabel said shyly, rolling her


    eyes at her grandfather''s silliness.


    "Well, alright then.I''m going to water the flowers."


    After exchanging goodbyes, he hung up the phone.


    Putting her phone away, Annabel turned around and met Rupert''s icy cold face.


    "Is what you said just now true?" he asked with a frown.


    Rupert was dissatisfied because Annabel always said she was going to break off the engagement.


    "You''ll know when the timees," Annabel said lightheartedly, ignoring the look of displeasure on


    Rupert''s face.


    "I already said I''ll give you an answer in two months." Before Rupert could retort, they heard a knock on


    the door.


    "Quick! Lie down," Annabel hissed in a low voice.


    Rupert obedientlyy down and closed his eyes.


    Annabel tucked him in.


    Then she went to open the door.


    Judson was standing outside.


    "Oh, it''s you, Judson.What''s up?" Annabel asked calmly.


    Judson looked inside the ward and asked with concern, "How''s Mr.Benton?"


    Annabel lowered her eyes and sighed heavily.


    "He''s still unconscious."


    "Oh, no.What did the doctor say? When will he wake up?" Judson asked anxiously.


    Annabel shook her head and feigned a distressed expression.


    "The doctor said the chance that he''ll wake up is very slim."


    The corners of Judson¡¯s mouth lifted imperceptibly.He patted on Annabel''s shoulder andforted her.


    "Don''t worry too much.Mr.Benton will be fine.I''m sure he''ll wake up soon."


    "I hope so, too," Annabel said softly.


    After a pause, a thought urred to her.


    "By the way, have you found out who those two dead people were?"


    "Actually, that''s exactly why I came."


    Judson cleared his throat.


    "We know the identities of the two bodies at the warehouse.They were the warehouse keepers.They


    tampered with the raw materials, too."


    "Huh? Why''d they do it?"


    Annabel pretended to be shocked and widened her eyes.


    "Here''s the thing.They have always been negligent workers.The managers kept criticizing them.They


    couldn''t handle being told off, so they wanted to take revenge on thepany." Judson shrugged.


    "As for the explosion, it turns out it was a total ident.One of the warehouse keepers was smoking,


    which is a safety vition.The cigarette buttnded on the radioactive raw materials, causing an


    explosion."


    "Oh, my goodness..." Annabel frowned.


    "It was something so trivial, but it has caused such a huge problem for thepany."


    "Now, the news about the explosion spread like wildfire on the Inte.I want to hold a press


    conference as soon as possible to rify the matter to the public.Perhaps we can still salvage the


    company''s reputation.Annabel, what do you think?" Judson suggested.


    Annabel nodded in agreement.


    "Good idea, Judson.I''ll leave it to you then."


    "Should I run it by Finley first?" Judson asked, pretending to be hesitant.


    "Finley doesn''t know what''s going on here, and Rupert''s in aa.It''s best if you go ahead with the


    press conference and rify things there," Annabel said seriously.


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    "Okay, I''ll start preparing right now."


    As he spoke, Judson stole another nce at Rupert, who was lying in bed motionlessly.


    Then he turned around and left.


    "So? What do you think? Should I be an actress instead?"


    As soon as Judson left, Annabel went back to the bed and looked at Rupert expectantly.


    Rupert''s eyes turned cold.


    Since Judson couldn''t wait, Rupert decided to expose him at the press conference.

 Chapter 127 What Is the Truth

    Chapter 127 What Is the Truth


    "Has Finley found anything?"


    Seeing the confident look on Rupert''s face, Annabel squinted at him curiously.


    Rupert adjusted his position in the bed and answered, "It''s still under investigation, but I believe the


    truth wille to light soon."


    "We have to find solid evidence before Judson holds the press conference.Otherwise, we''ll be in


    trouble."


    Rupert gave Annabel a reassuring smile.


    "Don''t worry.I''ll take care of everything.Judson won''t keep this up for long."


    Annabel sighed in relief.


    Rupert''s smile inexplicably made her feel safe.


    Anyway, she had already sent Anthony to investigate the matter.


    They would get to the bottom of this soon enough.


    By then, Judson would have a taste of his own medicine.


    The press conference was scheduled to take ce in two days.


    Everyone had their own theory about the explosion at Benton Group''s branch factory.


    They were looking forward to the press conference, eager to find out the truth behind the so-called


    "ident" and the radiation material found in the Ice and Fire series.


    The press conference was held in the function room of a luxury hotel in France.


    Annabel arrived early and sat in an inconspicuous corner.She texted Anthony, "Have you found


    anything out yet?"


    Soon, Anthony replied, "Yes.I''ve sent it to your e-mail."


    Reading this, Annabel cracked a small smile.


    "Thanks."


    It seemed that today''s press conference was going to be very interesting.


    Judson was sitting onstage.He was wearing a smart-looking suit.


    A lot of reporters surrounded the stage, and all cameras were pointed at Judson, bombarding him with


    shing lights.


    At ten o''clock sharp, the press conference began.


    The emcee climbed onstage and greeted everyone.


    "Wee to Benton Group''s press conference.I will now hand the floor over to Mr.Judson Finch."


    Amidst the apuse, Judson stood up and held up his hand to silence the crowd.


    "I believe that everyone here has heard about the explosion of Benton Group''s branch factory in


    France.The reason why we called for a press conference is to rify this matter."


    "Was the ¡®Ice and Fire¡¯ collection really made with radioactive materials? How did these materials get


    into the factory?"


    "Was the explosion really an ident?"


    The reporters bombarded Judson with questions, one after another.


    "Please be quiet first!"


    Judson raised his voice and looked at the crowd firmly, holding up a piece of paper.


    "In my hand is Benton Group''s official statement on the matter."


    After a pause, he turned to the paper and read it in a mechanical voice.


    "The investigation into the allegations that Benton Group used radioactive materials in the Ice and Fire


    jewelry series has revealed that some of the raw materials in the French branch''s warehouse do


    contain radioactive elements.


    It turned out that two warehouse keepers were dissatisfied with thepany for personal reasons.


    They wanted to take revenge on thepany, so they tampered with the raw materials, introducing


    some materials that were indeed radioactive.


    This affected the quality of the manufactured jewelry, consequently poisoning the customers who


    purchased them.


    In addition, ording to our investigation into the explosion, it turns out that one of the warehouse


    keepers were smoking, which was a direct vition of the rules.


    The cigarette butt came in contact with the explosive raw materials, causing the explosion.


    The two people who were killed in the explosion were proven to be the warehouse keepers who


    tampered with the raw materials before."


    After hearing what Judson said, the crowd broke into discussion.


    "Seriously?"


    "The victims of the explosion were the two warehouse keepers who tampered with the raw materials?


    That can''t be a coincidence!"


    "It¡¯s a cover-up! Benton Group is just trying to cover up the truth!"


    Chaos broke loose as the people drew their own conclusions on the matter.


    Reporters swarmed around the stage, firing countless questions at Judson.


    "Is that the truth?"


    "How could the people behind the radioactive materials conveniently die in the explosion? Is it really


    just an ident?"


    Judson suddenly broke into a grin.


    "Of course it wasn''t an ident."


    Everyone gasped in shock.


    Judson''s words attracted the attention of everyone in the room.


    The reporters were all excited by his controversial statement.


    "What do you mean by that?"


    "If it wasn''t an ident, then what was it?"


    This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org.


    "What secrets are Benton Group hiding?"


    Judson''s eyes turned cold.


    "What I said just now was Benton Group''s official statement, but I never said it was the truth."


    "Are you implying that the Benton Group is lying? So what''s the truth?"


    "As the person in charge of Benton Group''s branch factory in France, I shouldn''t be saying this.But as


    a man of integrity, my conscience has been weighing on me, so I''ve decided to tell you all the truth


    today!"


    Judson winced, as though it was difficult for him to make up his mind.


    Watching Judson''s performance on the stage, Annabel''s expression darkened.


    As expected, the real reason why Judson wanted to hold a press conference was to throw Benton


    Group under the bus.


    However, he had underestimated both Rupert and Annabel.


    Judson was nothing but a contemptible scoundrel.


    Annabel sneered inwardly.He could becent for a few more minutes.


    Judson held the attention of every person in the room.He spoke slowly, but clearly.


    "Actually, the real reason why the jewelry contain radioactive materials is because Benton Group


    intentionally used inferior raw materials to cut costs.To cover the truth, they pinned all the me on the


    two innocent warehouse keepers.As for the explosion, it was no ident; it was also deliberately set-


    up by Benton Group.Obviously, they wanted to destroy the evidence.After all, the dead could not


    expose the truth!"


    AS soon as Judson said this, all chaos broke loose in the conference room.


    After all, Benton Group was one of the leading enterprises in the business world.


    How could it do such a cruel thing for the sake of profits? It was simply unheard of.


    But considering Judson''s identity, it was unlikely he was lying.


    After all, Judson was in charge of Benton Group''s branch factory in France.He had no reason to


    discredit his ownpany.


    Was Benton Group so evil? Judson seemed to be satisfied with the reporters¡¯ reaction.He looked


    around and finally fixed his eyes on Annabel, who was sitting inconspicuously in the corner.


    "And the people who started this was none other than Rupert Benton, the CEO of Benton Group, and


    Annabel Hewitt, the person in charge of the Ice and Fire project!"


    The reporters immediately turned to stare at Annabel.


    All eyes were on her.


    Annabel took this as her cue to stand up.


    She walked to the stage and asked, "Judson, are you willing to own up to every word you said just


    now?"

 Chapter 128 Telephone Recording

    Chapter 128 Telephone Recording


    "Of course."


    A hint of provocation shed across Judson''s eyes.


    In serious tone, he said, "I should''ve ended today''s press conference after reading Benton Group''s


    statement.But I don''t want anything on my conscience, so I''m revealing the truth at today''s press


    conference."


    N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner.


    "Conscience? I think you''ve lost yours!"


    A mocking smile appeared on Annabel''s face.


    Hearing her words, the reporters swiftly surrounded her and began to hound her with their questions.


    "Is what Judson said true?"


    "Is it true that Benton Group chooses to use low-grade raw materials for profits, resulting in customers


    being poisoned?"


    "Were the two warehouse keepers made scapegoat?"


    "Did you stage the explosion yourselves to cover up the truth?"


    A faint smile dance on Annabel¡¯s lips before she answered calmly, "Of course not.Every word Judson


    said was a lie.He lied and ndered Benton Group."


    "Do you have any evidence proving what Judson said was false?"


    A reporter pointed the microphone at Annabel.


    "Why would he do that? That wouldn''t benefit him at all."


    Annabel sneered, "If Judson was right and Benton Group nned the explosion, why were Rupert and


    I hurt?"


    She rolled up her sleeves.


    A dark red wound was visible on her delicate skin.She gave Judson a frigid look.


    "If Rupert and I had known that the explosion would happen, we wouldn''t have gone to the


    warehouse.Now, Rupert is lying in aa at the hospital.Why would he risk his own life?"


    Hearing what Annabel said, the reporters whispered to each other.


    If the news from the hospital was true, Rupert''s injuries from a sheet of metal that fell on him in the


    explosion were severe.


    These days, he was stuck in aa.


    It was likely he would degrade into a vegetable.


    A vicious glint shed in Judson¡¯s eyes.


    "That was all a trick you plotted.But an unexpected ident happened, resulting in Rupert getting


    injured."


    "An ident? I think someone plotted it!"


    Annabel''s face appeared indifferent while sarcasm began to seep into her words.


    "The explosion happened when I and Rupert went to the warehouse.But Judson, you answered a


    phone and left before the explosion.Was it a coincidence?"


    "What do you mean?" Judson frowned.


    Annabel looked at him coldly.


    "I mean, Judson, you are the one behind the explosion.You''re the one who started all of this, including


    the radioactive materials of Ice and Fire!"


    "Nonsense!" Judson retorted.


    "I told the truth and exposed you.That is why you''re so desperate to push all the me on me."


    "I''m afraid you''re the desperate one." Annabel grinned slightly.


    "You mixed the raw materials with the radioactive ones, causing some of the Ice and Fire products


    produced in France to poison our customers.You then led me and Rupert to the warehouse where you


    nted a bomb that would be detonated once you sent themand on your phone.Why did you set


    up such a trap?"


    "That''s quite a convincing story.Unfortunately, you''ve made it all up."


    Judson waved his hand and told the reporters, "Don''t believe her."


    Another frigid smile emerged on Annabel''s face.


    "We''ll see who''s lying soon."


    She couldn''t help but look at the door.She narrowed her gaze and wondered why Rupert hadn''t arrived


    yet.


    Finley should''ve gotten his hands on the evidence by now and Rupert should''ve been here.


    Was there an emergency? She decided to use what Anthony sent her to buy some time.


    Annabel cleared her throat before throwing another sharp gaze in Judson''s direction.


    "Judson, I''ve got a recording of the phone call here.Would you want to listen to it?"


    Judson was stunned.


    "What recording?"


    Waving the phone in her hand, Annabel said coldly, "You know what this is."


    Under the watchful eyes of the public, Annabel found the file Anthony sent her.She ced the phone in


    front of the microphone and pressed the y button.


    Soon, a conversation between two people on the phone could be heard.


    "Are you ready?"


    It was Judson''s voice.


    The other voice was a woman''s.


    "Yes.I''m ready to detonate the bomb at any time."


    "Good.Set off the bomb in a minute,"


    Judson said in a sinister tone.


    "No problem!"


    The woman''s voice sounded.


    The sound of rushing footsteps could be heard.


    It appeared Judson was hurrying to a safe ce.


    A minuteter, the woman asked, "Do I detonate it now?"


    "Yes!"


    Then, there was a deafening bang.


    Despite hearing just the audio on the phone, everyone in the room could feel the powerful aftershock of


    the explosion.


    "Well done!"


    Judson said with satisfaction.


    The phone recording was over and everyone present was shocked.


    Was the explosion at the warehouse not an ident but a deliberate attempt? And ording to this


    recording, Judson was the most likely suspect behind this.


    Judson clenched his fists and raised his voice.


    "It''s a fake recording.What does it prove? Do you have any valid evidence that I was the one talking on


    the phone? Can you prove the bomb in warehouse had something to do with me?"


    Judson retorted with a few aggressive questions.


    Annabel put her phone away.


    She then looked around the room before exining calmly, "This conversation began at 3:20 pm on


    June 30th.A minuteter, the warehouse exploded at exactly 3:21.We can prove if you''re the one


    speaking in the recording by conducting a voiceprint identification.I''ve invited the voiceprint


    examiner.Are you ready for it, Judson?"


    Annabel sneered, her razor sharp gaze aimed at Judson.


    Judson''s face fell.He didn''t expect Annabel to get her hands on such a recording.


    How? When Annabel and Rupert were walking to the warehouse, it was impossible for either of them to


    hear his phone call.


    Where did Annabel get that recording?

 Chapter 129 Marilyn

    Chapter 129Marilyn


    Judson suddenly clenched his fists.


    Taking a deep breath, he said steadily, "Why should I do what you say?"


    "Well, why not?" Annabel smiled knowingly.She had already expected such a reaction from Judson.


    "Ha-ha..." Judson chuckled awkwardly.


    "This so-called recording doesn''t mean anything!"


    "Is that so? If it doesn''t mean anything, why won''t you let us do a simple voiceprint recognition test? If


    the voice in the recording is not yours, why should you be worried?" Annabel mocked.


    "Is it because you know that you''re guilty?"


    Faced with a series of damning questions from Annabel, Judson didn''t answer her.


    "What you''re saying is pure nder! As the person in charge of Benton Group''s branch in France, why


    would I do such a thing? How on earth would I benefit from tampering with the raw materials? Why


    would I nt a bomb in the warehouse?"


    "Good question.As the person in charge of the Benton Group''s French branch, why would you do such


    a thing?" Annabel frowned.


    "You did it for¡ª"


    At this moment, a maic male voice boomed from afar, which ovepped with Annabel''s voice.


    "You did it for Marilyn! You did it for Love Jewelry!"


    Annabel looked in the direction of the voice in surprise.


    Standing by the door was a familiar figure.


    Seeing him here, she felt relieved.


    It was Rupert! He was finally here! To everyone''s surprise, Rupert strode inside the conference


    room.He exuded a domineering aura as he walked, making those around him feel small and


    insignificant.


    "Rupert Benton''s here!" someone shouted in shock.


    "Isn''t he supposed to be in aa? Why is he here?"


    "Oh, my God! It''s really Mr.Benton! He''s fine!"


    All of a sudden, the crowd burst into an uproar, and everyone stared at Rupert in utter disbelief.


    Suddenly, a thought urred to someone in the crowd.


    What did Rupert mean by saying that? "Marilyn? Love Jewelry? She giarized Benton Group''s


    design, didn''t she?"


    "But what does Judson have to do with Love Jewelry?"


    "Is Love Jewelry behind this?"


    Everyone looked to Rupert for answers.


    What was the truth behind the scandal surrounding the Ice and Fire collection? As Rupert walked


    through the crowd, the people automatically made way for him.


    With steady steps, he didn''t stop until he was by Annabel''s side.He turned his head to look at Annabel.


    In a soft voice, he said, "I''m here, Annabel."


    Annabel gave him a small smile.


    There seemed to be a tacit understanding between the two.


    As for Judson, he was staring at Rupert in disbelief.


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    Wasn''t Rupert supposed to be in aa from being knocked out in the explosion? Why was he here,


    safe and sound?


    "What''re you doing here?" Judson eximed.


    "Aren''t you supposed to be in the hospital?"


    "It sounds like you don''t want to see me."


    Raising his eyebrows, Rupert cast a cold nce at Judson.


    "Judson, there''s a short video I want to show you.Would you like to watch it?"


    "Video? What video?"


    All the color drained from Judson¡¯s face.


    Things were not going ording to n at all.


    Never in his wildest dreams would he have expected that Rupert would wake up from hisa.


    Looking at Rupert, the truth suddenly dawned on Judson.


    Did Rupert just pretend to be in aa? By pretending to be incapacitated, Rupert made him rx his


    vignce.


    All the while, Rupert and Annabel were secretly collecting evidence against him.


    Now, they were about to turn the tables in today''s press conference! It was all a trap, and Judson had


    fallen for it.


    As reality dawned on him, Judson broke out in cold sweat.


    He had severely underestimated his opponents! They fooled him! Rupert nodded to Finley, who then


    pressed a button on the remote control.


    The next second, a video started to y on the big screen in the conference room.


    The setting of the video seemed to be in some fancy hotel.


    A man and a woman were lying in a bed in the center of the room.


    The man was undoubtedly Judson, while the woman was none other than Marilyn, the chief designer of


    Love Jewelry.


    The two of them were cuddling in bed.


    After a while, Marilyn asked, "Honey, do you love me?"


    "Of course." Judson¡¯s eyes were zed over with lust.


    "Why don''t you prove it?" Marilyn pouted, wrapping her arms around Judson''s neck.


    "How? I''ll do anything for you!"


    "Really? Are you willing to do anything for me?" Marilyn asked in a low, sensual tone.


    "Yes!" Judson squeezed Marilyn''s ass.


    "I''ll do anything as long as you are willing to marry me."


    "Okay, I''ll marry you on one condition."


    Suddenly, Marilyn''s eyes turned cold.


    "Do you know about the giarism thing?"


    Judson was stunned for a moment.


    "You mean Ice and Fire?" Marilyn nodded.


    "Yes! That bitch, Annabel, humiliated me! Everything I worked for¡ªmy hard-earned career and


    reputation¡ª was ruined because of her! She and Rupert have to pay!"


    Marilyn''s anger red up at the thought of how she went from famous designer to giarist in the blink


    of an eye.


    Things wouldn''t have turned out like this if it weren''t for Annabel and Rupert.


    She had to take revenge! She wanted Annabel and Rupert to get a taste of their own medicine and


    more.She wanted to destroy them! Judson fell silent for a moment.


    Then, he made up his mind and said firmly, "Marilyn, I love you.Tell me, what do you need me to do?"


    A hint of viciousness shed through Marilyn''s eyes as she said, "Annabel''s Ice and Fire project¡ªit


    has to fail! Her reputation has to be destroyed!"


    "Oh, that? A piece of cake!"


    Judson pulled Marilyn close.


    "I''ll make sure the Ice and Fire jewelry will have a fatal w.At that time, Annabel and Rupert will be in


    big trouble!"


    "Honey, as long as you destroy the both of them, I promise I''ll marry you!"


    Marilyn climbed on top of Judson and started kissing him.


    What happened next was strictly rated R.


    Seeing this, Finley immediately picked up the remote control and turned off the video.


    Rupert then turned his icy cold gaze to Judson.


    "So, how do you exin that video?"

 Chapter 130 Tips On How To Flirt With Girls

    Chapter 130 Tips On How To Flirt With Girls


    Faced with Rupert''s evidence, all the color drained from Judson''s face, and he couldn''t make eye


    contact.


    Where did Rupert get this video? He could find a reason to deny the recording, but he couldn''t exin


    the video at all.


    Because it was indeed him and Marilyn in the video.


    After watching the video, the reporters roughly understood what was really going on.


    "Wow, I never thought Judson was a traitor."


    "I can''t believe he was willing to jeopardize the safety of the customers for his own selfish gain.He even


    set up a bomb.What a fucking jerk!"


    "Marilyn is also an asshole! Not only did she giarize, but she also made Judson do such a horrible


    thing just to frame Benton Group."


    The growing hostility toward Judson overwhelming.He wiped the cold sweat on his forehead and tried


    to defend himself.


    "It''s not true! The video''s fake! You framed me!"


    "Fake?"


    Annabel''s eyes shed dangerously.


    "Are you trying to say that both the recording and the video are fake? Unfortunately, our evidence


    against you is solid.I believe everyone here can tell whether it''s fake or not."


    "Oh, and there''s one more thing.We also have a witness."


    Rupert smiled at Judson, but his eyes were devoid of warmth.


    Finley took this as his cue.He said in a booming voice, "Bring her in!"


    Soon, the door opened and several bodyguards came in with a short woman, Judson''s face turned


    ghastly pale when he saw the woman.He was doomed! One of the reporters recognized that this


    woman was a wanted criminal.


    Her name was Hester Ramirez.She was known for fabricating bombs and was implicated in several


    terrorist attacks.


    Rupert''s expression was cold and indifferent.


    He looked at Hester and asked, "Do you have anything to do with the explosion at the warehouse of


    Benton Group?"


    Hester was keen on making explosions.


    After participating in a few terrorist attacks, she decided to lie low and had been hiding in the woods.


    Judson had specifically sought Hester out and bribed her with money, asking her to nt a bomb in the


    warehouse.


    It had taken Finley a great deal of effort to track down Hester.


    But in the end, he found her hiding in the mountain and made the bodyguards bring her here.


    Knowing that she was powerless against Rupert, Hester admitted to the crime bluntly.


    "Yes.I made and detonated the bomb in the warehouse."


    "And why did you do that?"


    Rupert narrowed his eyes at her.


    Hester shrugged nonchntly.


    "Someone gave me ten million dors to do it."


    "Who?" Rupert asked in a bone-chilling voice.


    Hester couldn''t help but tremble.She pointed at Judson and shouted, "He did it! He''s the one who hired


    me!"


    "What the hell are you talking about? I don''t even know you!"


    Judson''s palms were sweating profusely.


    Given the circumstances, there was nothing he could do but deny it.


    "Is that so? I already asked someone to look into it, and it turns out that a week ago, you withdrew ten


    million dors from your ount.That''s the ten million you gave to Hester!"


    Rupert cast a cold, harsh nce at Judson.


    Annabel nodded.


    "We have all the evidence against you, Judson.There''s nothing you can do.We''ll turn over the evidence


    to the police.They''ll decide what to do with you."


    As if on cue, Rupert raised his hand, and police officers swarmed into the room and put Hester and


    Judson in handcuffs.


    After the two were taken away by the police, Rupert''s cold gaze swept across the crowd.


    "Now, you all know that the incident regarding the Ice and Fire project was all part of Love Jewelry''s


    malicious scheme and that Judson was the mastermind behind it all.Benton Group will take this as a


    sign to do better, and such an incident will never happen again!"


    Thunderous apuse broke out.


    Annabel turned to look at Rupert.


    Their eyes met for a split second.


    The storm was finally over.


    Annabel felt as though a weight had been lifted off her shoulders.


    All the negative press about Benton Group soon disappeared.


    Now, it was Love Jewelry that was under fire, whereas Rupert and Annabel were worshipped on the


    Inte.


    "Love Jewelry has no morals! Benton Group deserves our support, not them!"


    "Judson got what wasing.


    But Marilyn still needs to be taught a lesson!"


    "Oh, my God! Rupert is so handsome and Annabel is so beautiful.


    They''re a perfect match!"


    "I support Rupert and Annabel as a couple! I hope they stay together forever!"


    Lying in the hotel bed, Annabel was scrolling through the overwhelming amount of positivements.


    She couldn''t help but smile.


    She and Rupert...


    Were they really a perfect match? "What''re you looking at?"


    A low, maic voice interrupted her thoughts.


    Why was Rupert here? "Nothing!"


    Annabel said quickly, shoving her phone under the pillow.


    "Is that so?"


    Rupert had nced at the screen of Annabel¡¯s phone before he even spoke, so he knew the truth.


    "Shall we give our fans some reward?"


    Annabel was stunned.


    "What?"


    "Do you want to disappoint them?"


    Rupert looked at Annabel with a sly smile.


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    Annabel pursed her lips unhappily.


    This man was so shameless! "I told you I''d think about it and give you an answer in two months,"


    she said, rolling her eyes.


    Rupert suddenly leaned closer and whispered in Annabel''s ear, "Don''t make me wait too long."


    His warm breath tickled Annabel.


    Flustered, Annabel quickly changed the topic.


    "When are we leaving?"


    "A few days from now,"


    Rupert replied calmly.


    "Don''t you have work to do back home?"


    Annabel asked in surprise.


    Rupert smiled and waved his hand dismissively.


    "Finley will take care of things while I''m away.


    I haven''t recovered fully yet.


    I''ll leave after resting for a few more days."


    "Well, okay..."


    Annabel was a little taken aback.


    She didn''t expect that a workaholic like Rupert would be willing to rest.


    After a while, Annabel nced at her watch deliberately.


    It waste, but Rupert showed no intention of leaving.


    She cleared her throat and said frankly, "Rupert, I need to go to bed soon.


    Go back to your own room."


    Rupert''s expression darkened.


    This woman was always eager to drive him away.


    Sure enough, Annabel stood up and started dragging Rupert to the door.


    In the end, Rupert sighed helplessly and said, "See you tomorrow."


    Finley, who was standing by the door, watched with amusement as Annabel pushed Rupert out of the


    room.


    Rupert begrudgingly retreated to his room.


    Seeing that Finley had a teasing smile on his face, he frowned and asked, "What''s the matter?"


    Finley smiled and handed a book to Rupert.


    "Mr.Benton, I think this suits you."


    "What''s this?"


    Rupert''s gazended on the cover.


    The title read, "Tips on How to Flirt With Girls."

 Chapter 131 Was This Feeling Love Tips on How to Flirt With Girls?

    Chapter 131 Was This Feeling Love Tips on How to Flirt With Girls?


    What the hell was this? Rupert cast an icy nce at Finley and said in a disdainful voice, "Boring!"


    But he took the book from Finley anyway.


    Walking behind Rupert, Finley said respectfully, "Mr.Benton, I''ll be returning to Douburgh tomorrow."


    "Okay."


    Rupert gave a slight nod.


    "Call me if you need anything."


    Rupert hadplete trust in Finley''s ability.


    Finley managed the day-to-day operations of thepany these days.


    Rupert only needed to give instructions remotely.


    After Finley left, Rupert took a seat on the sofa.


    Leaning back against the cushions, he casually crossed his legs and read the book that Finley had


    given him.


    Annabel slept soundly that night.


    When her eyes opened the next day, it was already noon.


    After washing her face and brushing her teeth, Annabel got ready to go shopping with Anika.She had


    been in Paris for the past several days but was busy with issues rted to Ice and Fire, so she hadn''t


    got a chance to catch up with Anika.


    This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org.


    Since she had a rare day off today, she had invited Anika to go shopping with her.


    The second she opened the door, she was greeted with Rupert''s tall and slender figure.


    "Rupert, why are you here?"


    Annabel was caught a little off guard.


    With a smile, Rupert replied, "I''m waiting for you."


    "waiting for "me? Why are you waiting for me?"


    Annabel was confused.


    What did Rupert want to do? "Let''s go shopping today."


    Rupert''s tone was a little overbearing and left no space for anyone to refuse him.


    Annabel frowned as she retorted, "Didn''t you just injure yourself and now need to rest?"


    Rupert had protected her in the explosion the other day.


    Although he had only pretended to be unconscious and seriously injured, the sheet of metal had still


    hurt his shoulder.


    "It¡¯s just a minor injury," Rupert replied with a grin.


    He grabbed her hand and urged, "Let''s go."


    Annabel was at a loss for words when she sat in the car.She had no choice but to text Anika.


    "Something urgent hase up.I will have to cancel."


    A few secondster, Anika asked, "What''s the matter? Are you with Rupert?"


    Annabel replied, "Yes."


    Anika teased, "You let love take priority over friendship."


    Annabel''s lips twitched and she was just about to shoot back a reply when Rupert leaned in and


    whispered in her ear, "Here we are."


    Annabel looked out of the window.


    The Eiffel Tower was just a little distance away.


    "Let''s go," Rupert said as he opened her door for Annabel.


    They strolled along the Seine River.


    Green trees and gorgeous views were present on both banks of the river.


    The park had several green spaces.


    From the distance, one could see dozens of iron bridges cross the river, adding to the exotic charm of


    the Seine River.


    ; Annabel had visited Paris before, but she had never felt the view was as beautiful as it was today.


    "Sir, please buy a rose for your girlfriend," a girl carrying arge basket of roses said to Rupert just


    then.


    The word "girlfriend" made Rupert''s heart soar.


    "I''ll take them all."


    With raised eyebrows, he removed a stack of notes from his wallet and handed it to the little girl.


    "Keep the change."


    The little girl was ecstatic and looked at Annabel with admiration.


    "Your boyfriend is so nice to you.You''re so lucky!"


    Annabel was nonplussed and exined, "He''s not my boyfriend."


    Rupert frowned at this and said, "Yes, I''m not her boyfriend but her fiance."


    Annabel was rendered speechless.


    "Seeing you have a fiance who treats you so well makes me so envious!"


    After saying that, the little girl pocketed the money and cheerfully went on her way.


    Rupert held the roses in his hands and looked at Annabel with his intense gaze.


    "These are for you."


    "No, I don''t want them," Annabel said, shaking her head.


    "You don''t like them?"


    Rupert asked in a dejected voice.


    "Isn''t it true that all girls like roses?"


    That was what he had read in the book yesterday.


    The first step in pursuing a woman was to present her with flowers.


    However, this didn''t seem to work on Annabel.


    With a frown, Annabel exined, "It''s not appropriate for you to give me roses."


    She hadn''t figured out her answer yet.She didn''t want to ept roses from Rupert before she did.


    Rupert gave a slight nod and brought his thin lips close to her ear.His deep voice was as captivating as


    a cello.


    "Annabel, didn''t I tell you that I was wooing you?"


    Annabel''s heart was racing.She inhaled deeply and met Rupert''s eyes.


    "Rupert, let''s y a game."


    Rupert was stunned and asked instinctively, "What game?"


    "A game to test our fate," Annabel replied with pursed lips.


    Rupert''s interest was piqued.


    "How?"


    "You walk that way and I walk in the opposite direction.If we end up bumping into each other, that


    means we are destined to be together,"


    Annabel borated.


    After considering it for a moment, Rupert nodded and said, "Okay."


    "You go first."


    Worried that he might cheat, Annabel pointed him in the right direction.


    Rupert gazed deeply at her and said, "I will prove that we''re destined to be together."


    Seeing Rupert''s tall figure bing smaller as he walked away, Annabel felt a little upset.She couldn''t


    figure out her feelings for him.


    Was her mind rattled? That seemed to be the case.Did she like him? A little bit.But was this feeling


    love? Annabel couldn''t tell for certain.She only knew she had never had this feeling for anyone before


    meeting Rupert.


    However, she also knew that another woman resided in his heart¡ª Candy.She was afraid.She was


    afraid that Rupert would only think of her as a stand-in for Candy.She was worried that he was also


    only pursuing her because of Candy.


    Should she ept his pursuit? After a few deep breaths, Annabel pushed away the baffling emotions


    and aimlessly wandered the streets of Paris.


    At dusk, Annabel hadn''t met Rupert yet.


    Did fate not want them to meet? Her lips quirked up in a bitter smile.


    Just as she was about to hail a taxi to go back to the hotel, an amusement park a little distance away


    snagged her attention.


    This amusement park...


    Why did this ce seem so familiar? She felt like she had been here before.


    Some vague memory fragments shed through her mind, making her think that perhaps her parents


    had brought her here.


    Annabel kneaded her temples, willing herself to recall something, but came up empty-handed.


    From the time she started forming memories, she had been living with her grandfather.


    Her childhood memories were very obscure.


    It seemed that something very important had been wiped out from her memory.


    What was it? Annabel didn''t know.

 Chapter 132 Who Will You Choose

    Chapter 132 Who Will You Choose


    When she was just twelve, Annabel almost died from a serious illness.She recovered, but she forgot


    many things about her life before.


    Her grandfather told her that her parents died when she was a small child.


    For years, she had no memories of her parents.


    Each time Annabel tried to remember her childhood, a splitting headache would strike, so most of the


    time, she avoided thinking about it.


    Why was she suddenly gripped by thoughts of a family of three enjoying a day at the amusement park?


    It was so real.She couldn''t help but feel drawn to that park.


    Standing its gates, Annabel looked inside, attempting to clear the haze around her memory.


    Before long, her head began to ache and her mood dampened.


    "Why can''t I remember?"


    Even her parents'' faces avoided her recollection.She clutched her aching head, feeling depressed.It


    was getting dark.She watched the neon lights change colors that spilled onto the street.


    It had been a sunny day, but now it was beginning to drizzle.


    A gust of cold wind buffeted Annabel and she began to shiver.


    Suddenly, a big ck umbre appeared above her head, protecting her from the rain.


    Surprised, Annabel turned to see who it was.


    "Rupert, what are you doing here?"


    Her heart rate doubled when she recognized him.


    Dressed in a gray suit that vividly ttered his perfect figure, Rupert looked extra handsome in the


    evening light.


    His tender gaze was fixed on her beautiful face.


    A smile to match his gaze appeared on his lips, further increasing his attractiveness.


    "You wanted to test our fate.Meeting here, like this.Can you deny that it¡¯s the work of fate?"


    Annabel''s heart skipped a beat.It was an enormous city, and the odds of meeting Rupert again were


    low, but she did.


    Was she destined to be with him? Rupert took off his suit jacket and carefully put it on her instead.


    "Why are you standing here alone?" he asked.


    His jacket was still warm from his body heat, and she was touched.


    "I''m thinking about my parents."


    "Your parents? Are they in your hometown now?" Rupert asked, reasoning that it was also possible


    they were still in the countryside where Annabel had grown up.


    "They passed away a long time ago,"


    Annabel responded with deep sadness.


    "I''m sorry." Rupert apologized in a hurry. His heart ached for her.


    "Actually, I can''t remember what my parents looked like.My grandfather told me they died in an


    ident when I was very young."


    Annabel sighed.


    "My father passed away when I was fifteen."


    Rupert feltpelled to share more of his past with her, since she was opening up to him.


    Annabel gave a sympathetic nod.


    "I miss them very much."


    An idea suddenly grabbed Rupert, and he led Annabel into the park.


    "I''ll take you to see them."


    "See who?"


    Annabel was confused, but she allowed herself to be led nheless.


    The drizzling rain stopped.


    Rupert kept walking until they reached the Ferris wheel.


    This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org.


    "I''m afraid of heights."


    Annabel considered the immensity of the Ferris wheel towering above her.


    "Don''t be afraid.I''m here," Rupert said with a gentle smile.


    Then, he literally swept her off her feet.


    "Ah!"


    Before she could protest, Rupert carried her into the next waiting car.


    "What are you doing?"


    Annabel was confused.


    What on earth did this man want to do? "Look over there."


    Rupert pointed at the sky.


    "Have you ever noticed that pair of bright stars?"


    Caught in a state of wonder, Annabel looked for them.


    In the vast night sky, there were indeed two that shone more brightly than the others.


    "Your parents never really left.They''re watching over you as stars now.They may be far away, but they


    still love you,"


    Rupert whispered in her ear.


    "Really?"


    Annabel knew it was merely a fantasy that Rupert had created tofort her, but it moved her


    nheless.


    Smiling, she turned to him and almost bumped into his handsome face.He was very close, and his


    eyes gripped hers with a burning stare.His features must have received special attention from the gods,


    she marveled.She could feel his quickening breath, and doubtless he could feel hers as well.The car


    was a very narrow space.She looked out the window to distract her racing heart.


    When their car reached the pinnacle, would she be closer to her parents? The Ferris wheel continued


    to slowly turn, and their car continued to slowly rise.


    Rupert was afortable presence.


    In the moment, Annabel forgot her fear of heights and everything else save the night sky.


    When they were at the highest point, Rupert tenderly kissed her cheek.


    The heat of his kiss spread through her entire body like an electric shock.


    "Annabel, did you know? The top of a Ferris wheel is the closest ce to happiness.If lovers kiss here,


    they will never be separated," Rupert said with a charming smile that Annabel found very sexy.


    "Like I did just now." She flushed.


    "But we aren''t lovers."


    She needed a moment to calm herself before she could protest his im.


    "I''ll be waiting for your answer.I hope you won''t make me wait too long," Rupert said quietly.


    When he took her small hand in his, it seemed like a delicate bird disappearing into a weing grove.


    Annabel''s heart was beating so fast that she worried it might leap out of her throat.She closed her eyes


    to stop her world from reeling, and after a few moments, opened them again.She held his gaze as she


    asked, "If Candyes back one day, who will you choose?"


    Annabel knew she was killing the mood, but she just couldn''t help it.


    Candy''s existence bothered her, and she couldn''t get over it.

 Chapter 133 Promise

    Chapter 133 Promise


    Rupert didn''t say a word.


    Without an expression on his face, he yed with the umbre in his hand.


    Though he remained silent, Annabel knew what the answer was, her heart filled with bitterness.


    The space between them was quite narrow.


    As a result, the situation was pretty awkward.


    Just then, the Ferris wheel began to rotate and their car descended slowly.


    Before it stopped, Rupert looked up all of a sudden.


    He stared at Annabel and said seriously, "I used to like Candy.But that''s in the past.Now, I want to


    spend the rest of my life with you."


    There was something about his voice that made it so soothing.


    ¡® Annabel couldn''t help being charmed by what he just said.Her heart raced uncontrobly.


    "Do you really mean that?" she asked, pursing her lips.


    "Yes," Rupert replied, nodding faintly.


    "So, do you mind telling me the answer in advance?"


    "I do," Annabel answered, raising the corners of her lips smugly.


    "You have to wait for two months, and that¡¯s final."


    She was still a little surprised by his answer a few seconds ago.


    This was what she wanted to hear.


    But did he mean what he said? Did he really not like Candy anymore? She had been his obsession for


    many years.


    Although Annabel felt a surge of excitement in her heart, she couldn''t shake off her suspicion.


    Perhaps, if they gave each other more time, she would understand him better.


    That way, she might find out whether or not he was still yearning for Candy.


    "Very well then."


    Rupert grinned helplessly.


    They soon got off the Ferris wheel and walked side by side in the amusement park.


    It was a very peaceful night.


    Streetmps shone on them, casting long shadows of the two.


    What kind of rtionship did they share? Annabel asked herself, tilting her head subconsciously.


    They were more than friends, but neither of them saw the other as their lover.


    "It¡¯ste," Annabel said in a hushed tone.She was exhausted from walking all day.


    "Let''s go back." They returned to the hotel.


    As soon as they entered the hall, a woman in a rose red dress suddenly walked to them.


    "Rupert, are you okay?"


    On seeing who the person in question was, Annabel furrowed her brow.


    What was Heather doing here? 1 When did shee to Paris? I Rupert was just as shocked.


    "Why are you here?" he asked coldly.


    "I''ve been very worried about you ofte," Heather replied.


    "It''s such a relief to know you are fine."


    From the look in her eyes, it was obvious that she was drawn to Rupert.She couldn''t even hide her


    admiration for him. But this didn''t sit well with Annabel, who stepped forward and smiled sarcastically.


    "Why does it bother you if my fiance is fine or not?"


    "I care about him."


    Heather fixed her gaze on Annabel.She was green with envy upon seeing how close Annabel and


    Rupert were.


    "Let''s go, Rupert."


    Annabel pulled Rupert''s hand and both of them headed to the elevator.


    Following them, Heather noticed that they entered different rooms.


    Immediately, a thought rushed through her mind.


    If Rupert loved Annabel, why then did they live in two different rooms? Could it be that he wasn''t that


    into her? Heather guessed that Annabel was pestering Rupert.


    "What''s so good about that country bumpkin? Why can''t he see that she''s just a woman who goes


    about seducing men?"


    Heather murmured to herself.


    When Annabel returned to her room, she decided to take a hot shower.


    While at it, the bathroom was covered in mist.Her mind couldn''t stop pondering on Rupert''s words.


    "I want to spend the rest of my life with you."


    Annabel''s lips raised slightly.She reached out for her pajamas and put them on.


    Then she saw Rupert''s suit.She decided to return it.


    The moment she opened the door of her room, she heard Heather''s flirtatious voice.


    "I''m here to discuss the cooperation n between Norman Group and Benton Group."


    Heather had been doing everything possible to convince her brother to let her work in Benton Group.


    But he hadn''t given her a response.


    In her desperation, Heather stole Hooper''s cooperation n and came to Paris to look for Rupert, with


    the excuse of wanting to discuss the negotiation with him.


    Annabel could see that Heather was wearing a slinky rose-colored skirt with suspenders, which


    revealed so much cleavage.Her hair was loose and draped on her shoulders, and she had very


    delicate make-up on.


    "Is that so?" Rupert grinned faintly.


    "Sure it is.I brought the n along.We can discuss it if you have time on your hands."


    Heather cast a charming nce at him.


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    From where Rupert was standing, he could see the crack of the door to Annabel''s room.


    Out of the corner of his eye, he caught a glimpse of her unhappy look.


    This made him smile from ear to ear.


    Unaware of what was going on, Heather mistook the reason behind the sudden change in his


    expression.She thought Rupert was smiling at her.


    His breathtaking appearance almost made her knees give way.Her heart began to beat wildly.She


    knew that Rupert would fall for her since she dressed so sexy tonight.


    All she needed to do was put in more effort.He would be hers eventually.It was only a matter of


    time.


    "Why don''t we go to your room and have a word?"


    Heather stepped forward and leaned against Rupert.


    The joy in her heart made her somewhat confident.


    Just then, Rupert moved aside and Heather lost her bnce.


    In a wink of an eye, she was on the floor.


    It was such a funny incident that Annabel burst intoughter.She walked over with Rupert''s suit in her


    hand.


    "Heather, who would have guessed that you like lying on the floor?"


    "How dare you!"


    Heather raised her head as soon as she sensed the mockery in Annabel''s question.It was such an


    embarrassing moment for her.She got up without further dy.


    Anger was written all over her.


    "Here is your suit.You left it in my room just now."


    Annabel turned to Rupert and spoke in a coquettish tone.


    Heather couldn''t believe what she just heard.


    What did the both of them do? Did Annabel strip off his clothes? The mere thought of this made


    Heather jealous.


    Why wasn''t Rupert looking at her? His eyes were always on Annabel.


    To worsen the situation, Rupert held Annabel''s hand gently and they walked into his room.


    "Rupert, how about the n?"


    Heather didn''t want to give up, but he couldn''t care less.


    He shut the door in her face! With both of her fists tightly clenched, a sinister look shed through


    Heather''s eyes.


    "Annabel! You are going to pay for this," she whispered.

 Chapter 134 I Dont Want to See You Again

    Chapter 134 I Don''t Want to See You Again


    As soon as Annabel entered the room, she shook off Rupert''s hand and asked, "Why did Heather


    come to visit you at thiste hour?"


    "Didn''t you see everything?" Rupert asked with a chuckle.


    "She wanted to discuss the cooperation n with you in the middle of the night?" Her voice dripped


    with jealousy for some reason.


    Everyone knew that Heather adored Rupert.


    Although Rupert hadn''t paid any attention to Heather just now, Annabel still felt a little uneasy when


    she saw how Heather spared no effort to flirt with him.


    "Annabel, are you jealous?" Rupert elegantly took a seat on the sofa and pierced her with his gaze, a


    small smile ying on his lips.


    "why should I be jealous?" Annabel angrily tossed the suit she was holding at him.


    "Here you go."


    Then she began walking out without sparing a backward nce.


    Arge arm wrapped around her waist the next second.


    Rupert applied a little force to his arm.


    Annabel was caught off guard and lost her bnce, falling into his arms.Her head bounced off his


    chest and she scoffed, "Let go of me."


    As Annabel''s familiar subtle fragrance tickled Rupert''s nose, he inhaled deeply.It was the greatest


    aphrodisiac for him.He tightened his arms around her waist and pressed her body to his.


    Surrounded by his pheromones, Annabel suddenly stiffened.She took a deep breath, frowned, and


    muttered, "Rupert, what are you doing? Ah!"His kiss swallowed her words before she could finish


    voicing her protest.


    Rupert''s eyes were aze with desire.He kissed Annabel without hesitation.


    Annabel squirmed, but her movements seemed to further arouse his desire to conquer.He kissed her


    passionately and affectionately.


    Gradually, his affection overwhelmed her and she stopped struggling.


    The participation of the woman in his arms surprised him, making him want more.


    A manic sensation gradually grew with the all-consuming kiss.


    The temperature in the room rose steadily.


    This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org.


    The woman in his arms was so soft and attractive and gradually morphed into the girl in his memory.


    In a gruff voice, Rupert gasped, "Candy..."


    Candy? Annabel instantly came to her senses when she heard this name.She shoved him away and


    pped him hard across the face.


    The temperature in the room abruptly plunged.Her cheerful mood from the day vanished.Her chest


    heaved violently, and her gorgeous face bore an icy expression.


    "Rupert, don''t cross your limit!"


    The pain radiating on Rupert''s face made him scowl.


    "Right from the start, you have only viewed me as a substitute for Candy."


    Annabel got to her feet, cold fury clear on her face.


    "Everything you said on the Ferris wheel today was fake.Candy is the person you love, and she is the


    woman you want to spend the rest of your life with.But you can''t find her right now, so you''ve


    substituted her with me.Rupert, I don''t want to be a recement.You wanted my answer, right? Let me


    give it to you now.My answer is..."


    Before she could say the word "no,"


    Rupert hurriedly interrupted, "Annabel, it''s not like that."


    "Not like that? Then how is it?"


    Her lips quirked up into a sarcastic smile.She was not a fool.


    Rupert blurted out Candy''s name in the romantic moment just now, which proved everything.


    Rupert''s Adam''s apple bobbed.He didn''t know how to exin it.


    Annabel reminded him so much of Candy that he felt Candy was the one present, which was why he


    said her name.But Annabel''s impression was that he thought of her as Candy''s substitute.It was not the


    truth.


    "You don''t have anything to say, do you? Rupert, I don''t want to see you again!"


    After saying this frostily, Annabel turned on her heel and left.Her heart burned with so much pain, it was


    if sulfuric acid had been poured over it.She was so stupid that she almost believed everything Rupert


    said on the Ferris wheel.


    Fortunately, she wasn''t deeply in love with him.It was not toote for her to leave this rtionship and


    correct her mistake.


    Heather watched Annabel and Rupert enter his room and imagined them having sex.She was so


    furious that her face looked contorted.


    "I must get rid of Annabel.Rupert is mine!"


    Heather murmured.


    After standing outside their room in a trance for a while, she reluctantly made her way back to her


    room.


    Just as she reached the elevator, she spotted a familiar figure leaving the innermost room.


    Annie? It seemed she had returned to France.


    Heather stopped and observed her curiously.


    Annie was wearing a white dress, which was almost transparent.She was flirtatiously hanging on to an


    old man''s arm.


    Heather recognized the old man.He was Joseph, a famous director.


    Annie was almost glued to the old man.


    "Honey, I love you.You have to make me the leading actress in your y."


    Joseph squeezed Annie''s buttock.


    "You did a good job tonight.But several actresses want to get the lead role.You know that your


    reputation has recently taken a beating..."


    "I was framed!"


    Annie bit her lower lip, looking wronged.It was all Annabel¡¯s fault! Annie was caught cheating by the


    media, and her private life was exposed to the public.


    Because of this, her image as a pure woman, which she had worked hard to cultivate with Brett''s help,


    was destroyed.


    Manypanies terminated their contracts with her.


    Now she was unable to bag any job.She could only trade sexual favors and sleep with the director to


    fight for a role.She had tried her best to please Joseph, but he was not willing to give her the part of the


    female lead.


    "I believe you were framed.But it''s pointless.The audience doesn''t buy it."


    Joseph threw his arms out.


    "How about this? I''ll call you tomorrow night and we can talk."


    "Okay."


    Annie felt slightly helpless.


    Of course, she knew the meaning behind this old goat''s suggestion.But right now, he was her only life-


    saving straw, so she could only firmly grasp it.


    "I''ll wait for you tomorrow night," Joseph said as he leered at Annie and closed the door.


    Her face darkened.


    She rubbed the spot where Joseph had hurt her just now, whirled around, and was about to leave.


    At this moment, she heard a woman''s voice call out, "Annie, hi."


    Annie looked up and saw Heather standing in front of her "Heather?"


    Annie called out in surprise.


    Heather''s eyes swept over Annie''s body and she spotted bruises on her body under her thin dress.


    Heather had heard that Joseph was a freak in bed, but she didn''t expect Annie to drop to this level.It


    seemed that she had been left with no other choice.


    And Annie''s current situation was rted to Annabel.


    Heather smiled inwardly.She had been thinking about how to deal with Annabel.Now, she had an idea.

 Chapter 135 You Care About Him

    Chapter 135 You Care About Him


    "What''s the matter, Annie?" Heather asked, pretending to be worried.


    Annie was embarrassed and tried to pull her dress lower, but she couldn''t hide anything.So she just


    smiled awkwardly.


    "I fell by ident."


    "Oh, really?"


    Heather did not reveal her lies.She pretended to be nice and said, "Come with me to my room.I have


    an ointment.It''s not good if your bruises leave scars."


    "Thank you so much." Annie nodded.


    Joseph had tortured her, and now her entire body hurt like it was falling apart.She just wanted to rest.


    Heather led Annie into her room and handed her the ointment.


    "I appreciate it." Annie was moved.


    "How are things between you and Brett?"


    Heather questioned although she knew the answer.


    Annie became sad when she heard Heather mention Brett.


    "Brett broke up with me." Annie spoke in a sad and hesitant tone.


    "Why did he break up with you? Is it because of what took ce at the banquet that day?" Heather


    asked in a casual tone.


    Annie bit her lower lip and said, "It''s because of Annabel! It''s all her fault!"


    The ss of red wine at the feast was intended for Annabel, but Annabel feigned to sip it to deceive


    her and then poured the wine all into her mouth, humiliating her in front of everyone.


    Brett couldn''t have broken up with her if it hadn''t been for Annabel.


    And she wouldn''t have been reduced to the point where she needed to make love with Joseph to get a


    role.


    Heather became enlightened all of a sudden.


    "It turns out that Annabel was responsible for what transpired that day."


    "Yes, she was!"


    Annie gritted her teeth in hatred at the thought of Annabel.


    "What''s can possibly be good about Annabel? What else can she do other than seducing men?"


    Heather narrowed her eyes.


    "But it''s easy to make Brett change his mind about you."


    "What can you do to make Brett change his mind?" Annie asked eagerly.She was ready to do anything


    to make Brett change his mind.


    Heather smiled and said, "Brett broke up with you.And it was mainly because of Annabel.If Brett finds


    out what type of a person Annabel is and we make her admit that she framed you that day, he will


    change his mind."


    "How could Annabel confess?" Annie became furious.


    Heather moved closer and whispered something in Annie''s ear.


    Annie cracked a grin.


    "I will see to it that Annabel dies this time."


    It waste in the evening.


    Annabel tossed and turned in the bed.She suddenly remembered what Rupert had said to her on the


    Ferris wheel and what he had blurted out in his room when she aroused his sexual desires¡ª


    Candy.She was confused and couldn''t figure out what Rupert meant.


    Suddenly, Annabel sat up and called Anika.


    "Come drink with me at the bar."


    Anika was asleep when she received a phone call from Annabel.She answered, irritated, "Look at the


    time.It''s midnight.What''s the matter with you?"


    "I''m not in a good mood," Annabel grumbled.


    Anika awoke and asked, "What''s wrong?"


    "Let''s talk when we meet," Annabel stated indifferently.


    Anika stood up and grabbed the car keys.


    "Send me your location, and I''ll pick you up."


    Annabel got dressed and went to wait for Anika at the gate.


    Annie left Heather''s room.She was about to leave when she noticed Annabel standing at the gate.She


    swiftly hid in a corner.She had just learned from Heather that Annabel and Rupert also resided in this


    hotel.


    Annie wondered why Annabel was standing at the gate alone at that time of the night.She red at


    Annabel.


    Was she secretly seeing another mante at night? Anika''s car pulled up beside Annabel.She rolled


    down the window and stated, "Annabel, get in the car."


    Annabel then opened the door and sat in the passenger seat.


    Annie only saw Annabel enter a white Maserati, but she didn''t catch a glimpse of the driver.


    Annabel, she reasoned, was seeing another man behind Rupert''s back.


    Annie hastily stopped a cab.


    "Follow the vehicle in front."


    Anika looked at Annabel and asked, "What''s wrong with you? Did Rupert anger you again?"


    "Don''t bring him up!"


    Annabel became angry when she heard his name.


    At this, Anika cracked a grin.It looked like her hunch was right once again.


    Only Rupert could infuriate Annabel to this degree.


    Anika walked Annabel to the bar, sat her in a corner, and poured her a ss of red wine.


    "Tell me.What did Rupert do this time?"


    Annabel drank the wine all at once.


    "I don''t know what to say."


    "What do you mean?"


    Anika couldn''t be more puzzled.


    Annabel poured herself another ss of wine and gently shook it.


    "Rupert is in love with another girl."


    Annabel then gave Anika a quick summary of the story of Rupert and Candy.


    Anika nodded.


    "Do you think Rupert treats you as a substitute for Candy?"


    "Isn''t that the case?"


    Annabel scowled and seemed to be thinking deeply about something.


    "I don''t think that is true."


    Anika shook his head.


    "Since Rupert is pursuing you, why are you still hesitating?"


    "When ites to romantic rtionships, I''m a neat freak," Annabel dered.


    "I can''t allow partner to be constantly missing someone else."


    "Alright.And what about Rory? He loves you deeply, but you still reject him."


    Anika pursed her lips disapprovingly.


    "Would you mind if Rory had someone else in his mind?"


    Annabel''s concern over Rupert''s first love suggested that she had feelings for him.


    "Rory?"


    This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org.


    Annabel was shocked.


    "We are just friends.It doesn''t matter whether he has someone else in his mind or not."


    "See? That''s the point!"


    Anika smiled.


    "Annabel, you have fallen in love with Rupert.Otherwise, why would you be bothered by Candy?"


    "Is that so?"


    Annabel stroked her forehead irritably.


    "Can you just stop talking about Rupert?"


    When Anika saw Annabel''s face get red, she grinned and quickly changed the subject.


    "will you be attending tomorrow night''s auction for charity?"


    "Of course." Annabel nodded slightly.


    The charity auction was sponsored by Leo Studio.


    At first, Annabel had no intention of attending, but she suddenly changed her mind.


    Annie arrived at the bar.She wore a hat to cover her face and looked around for Annabel.It would be


    great if she saw the man Annabel was having an affair with.


    Annabel had caused her so much pain.She had to repay her thousands of times!

 Chapter 136 Charity Auction

    Chapter 136 Charity Auction


    Annie scanned the bar and discovered Annabel sitting in the corner.


    However, herpanion wasn''t a man but a rather familiar woman.


    After staring at the woman for a while, Annie finally remembered that the woman was Anika¡ªthe


    person in charge of Leo Studio.


    Back when Benton Group was involved in a giarism scandal, Anika stepped forward to testify for


    Annabel and proved Marilyn was guilty of the act.


    What was the rtionship between Anika and Annabel? Didn''t they say Annabel was merely a


    bumpkin from the countryside? Why was she with Anika? The two of them conversed and giggled, as if


    they were always on good terms.


    Annie was slightly confused.


    She quietly sat somewhere not too far away from them both and heard that Annabel would be


    attending tomorrow''s charity auction.


    Charity auction? Annie shed a devious smile before quickly sending Heather a message.


    "Annabel will be attending Leo Studio''s charity auction tomorrow."


    Heather soon replied, "You get ready."


    After a few sses of wine, Annabel began to feel slightly tipsy.


    Anika stopped Annabel from taking another sip of her wine and said, "Don''t drink.Come over to my


    ce for a nap."


    "Okay."


    Exhausted, Annabel rubbed her temples.


    Feeling slightly drunk, she stood up and walked to the door with Anika.


    Out of the corner of her eye, she suddenly spotted a familiar figure.


    Annie? Annabel frowned, wondering whether or not it was a coincidence bumping into Annie at the bar.


    After a night''s rest at Anika¡¯s ce, Annabel woke up at noon the next day.


    As she massaged the space between her eyebrows, she saw Anika''s message.


    "I''m going to prepare for the charity dinner.There''s breakfast in the kitchen that you could heat up.I''ve


    also sent you Leo Studio''s new productunch for the next season.See you tonight."


    Good friends were always considerate.


    A sense of warmth welled up in Annabel''s heart.


    After breakfast, Annabel carefully went over the n Anika forwarded her and added a fewments.


    Tonight''s charity dinner would be held at a five-star hotel.


    As the person in charge of the charity dinner, Anika went to the hotel early in the morning to ensure


    they were fully prepared.


    After greeting Anika, Annabel took her seat in an inconspicuous corner.


    This charity auction would be held by Leo Studio with many celebrities invited.


    Heather asked Hooper for an invitation and entered the auction hall.


    She looked around the venue and saw Annabel sitting in the corner.


    However, Rupert wasn''t there.


    It seemed he wasn''t too fond of Annabel.


    Otherwise, she would not have been out the previous night ande to the charity auction alone.


    Heather''s eyes glimmered with undeniable mischief.


    "I''m going to teach you an unforgettable lesson tonight, Annabel."


    At eight o''clock in the evening, the auction officially began.


    The emcee announced, "Wee to Leo Studio''s charity auction! All proceeds will be donated by the


    studio to charity.Thank you all for the support.Tonight, a total of ten items donated by Leo Studio will be


    up for sale in the hope that they will find their new owners.Now, the auction officially begins.The first


    item up for auction is a porcin bowl.It is an antique from the Tang Dynasty!"


    The female assistant gracefully walked to the center of the stage carrying a delicate tray.


    The emcee removed the red cloth and I revealed the cyan porcin bowl.


    "The starting bid price of this item is five hundred thousand dors.Each bid increase will be no less


    than fifty thousand.Those interested may start bidding!"


    Annabel raised her head to take a look at the porcin bowl and realized it was her grandpa''s previous


    gift to her.


    There were so many antiques in her house, and she decided to auction some of them.


    Eventually, the porcin bow] was sold at two million dors.


    The second item up for auction was a fluffy, lifelike cat.


    "Isn''t this plush cat adorable? Don''t underestimate it, though.This was made by Leo.Its eyes were


    made of diamonds, making it a highly valuable collectible."


    Someone whispered, "It turns out Leo made it."


    "That must be very expensive.I wonder who will get it."


    The cat was tailor-made by Annabel.She was quite fond of it, which was why she decided to buy it


    back.


    "This cat is up for auction starting at one million dors.Each bid should be no less than one hundred


    thousand.The bidding is now open."


    As soon as the emcee finished speaking, someone raised a paddle and eximed, "One million and


    two hundred thousand!"


    "One million and five hundred thousand!"


    "Two million!"


    The bids increased and soon reached five million.


    "The current bidding price is five million dors.Anyone willing to ce a bigger offer?"


    Content held by N?velDrama.Org.


    Annabel opened her lips and dered, "Ten million."


    "Thisdy bid ten million.Is there anyone else..."


    Before the emcee could finish his words, Heather swiftly raised her paddle.


    "Twelve million!"


    Heather shot Annabel a venomous re.


    In fact, she never intended to bid to get the cat.


    All she wanted was to steal whatever Annabel wanted.


    Receiving Heather''s defiant gaze, Annabel fired back with a subtle smile and raised her paddle again.


    "Fifteen million."


    Fifteen million? Heather glowered at Annabel with even more disdain.


    "How could a country bumpkin like her have so much money? She''s probably bidding with Rupert''s


    money!"


    But as Heather looked around the room, there was no sign of Rupert.


    Rupert stood up, strode toward Annabel, looked at her up and down, and asked sarcastically, "Annabel,


    is Rupert aware that you''re spending so much money on a cat?"


    Annabel stared at Heather as if she was an idiot.


    "Whether he knows or not is none of your business."


    "So he doesn''t know?"


    Heather sneered.


    "Wouldn''t it be embarrassing if you got the cat but didn''t have enough money to purchase it?"


    "That''s none of your business."


    Annabel grinned slightly before she took out a ck card and waved it in front of Heather''s face.


    Annabel found it funny that Heather thought she couldn''t afford the cat.


    It suddenly urred to Heather that Annabel had used this ck card at RD Boutique to purchase the


    Elsa dress.


    Heather couldn''t help but grow furious.


    This time, she had to get that cat! Once more, she raised her paddle and screamed, "Twenty million!"

 Chapter 137 The Woman I Love

    Chapter 137 The Woman I Love


    Annabel wondered if Heather wouldpete with her for anything she liked.


    Annabel looked at Heather and was about to raise her paddle again when a man''s voice sounded from


    the door.


    "Thirty million!"


    Thirty million! The crowd was in an uproar when the price increased by ten million dors.


    Annabel scowled and looked toward the door when she heard the familiar voice.She saw Rupert''s tall


    and slim figure.


    Rupert entered the banquet hail with his noble, elegant stride, his well-tailored suit paired with a dark


    green tie.


    Annabel¡¯s heart began to race.


    She couldn''t believe Rupert woulde here.


    A reporter quickly approached Rupert and asked, "Mr.Benton, why would you attend the charity auction


    tonight?"


    Rupert replied indifferently, "I just wanted to do something for charity."


    "Mr.Benton..."


    The reporter intended to ask more questions, but Rupert refused the interview by waving his hand


    expressionlessly.


    The emcee stated excitedly, "Mr.Benton has raised the price to thirty million dors.Is anyone else


    interested in raising the price?"


    "Thirty million dors for the first time."


    "Thirty million dors for the second time."


    "Thirty million for the third time.No one is interested to increase I the price, right? Deal!"


    "I The emcee gave the final word, and Rupert won the plush cat made by Annabel for thirty million


    dors.


    "Congrattions, Mr.Benton.You bid thirty million dors for this plush cat."


    The emcee made the announcement.


    To the sound of the thunderous apuse, Rupert slowly made his way onto the stage.


    The hall''s lighting was radiant on his tall, muscr frame.


    "Thank you very much, Mr.Benton, for your kindness.You''ve I donated thirty million dors to charity."


    The emcee signaled the i staff member to give Rupert the plush cat.


    Rupert epted the plush cat with a grin.


    Annabel and Heather were fighting over the plush cat just now.


    So Rupert thought that Annabel liked it very much.


    ¡®I Curious, the emcee asked, "Mr.Benton, who are you going to give : the plush cat?"


    Smiling faintly, Rupert stared at Annabel, who was sitting in the 4 corner.


    He cleared his voice and said, "I will give it to the woman I''m ¡® in love with."


    He was going to give it to his beloved woman.


    When Annabel heard Rupert''s answer, her eyelids moved inexplicably.


    Bitterness washed over her.


    Rupert''s beloved woman...


    Was it Candy? Rupert had spent thirty million dors on this cat.


    Did he intend to give it Candy when he found her in the future? I That was such a twist of irony.


    Annabel made the cat herself.


    "Wow, who is that luckydy?"


    There was a hint of jealousy in the , emcee''s voice.


    "Is she present?"


    Rupert''s features softened into a smile.He didn''t say anything.


    Under the envious gazes of the audience, Rupert stepped off the stage and walked to the corner.


    Heather couldn''t help but get excited when she saw Rupert approaching.


    Was it possible that Rupert bought the cat for her?


    Heather prayed silently, telling herself over and over that Rupert would give it to her.Her heart skipped


    a beat as Rupert approached.


    She smiled lovely and said shyly, "Rupert..."


    However, Rupert ignored Heather.


    He went straight to Annabel, who was sitting next to Heather.


    Rupert neared Annabel and nodded gently.


    He stared at her and handed her the cat.


    "Annabel, here you are."


    People immediately started talking about it when the mystery was revealed.


    "So, Mr.Benton handed it to his fiancee."


    "He loves his fiancee dearly.I''m very jealous of her."


    Annabel held her breath as she watched Rupert approach her slowly.


    It turned out that Rupert bought the kitten she made for her.


    A moment ago, he announced that he intended to give it to the woman he was in love with.


    Now he gave it to her.


    Did it mean that she was the woman he was in love with? Annabel had mixed feelings.


    "Annabel?"


    Noticing that Annabel didn''t react, Rupert frowned slightly.


    Annabel collected herself and stated icily, "Sorry, I don''t like it."


    Rupert got upset after being publicly rejected by Annabel.


    "Weren''t you biding for it just now?"


    "Well, I don''t like it anymore," Annabel said firmly.


    "I won''t ept anything that doesn''t belong to me."


    Annabel then rose to her feet and added, "Please excuse me.I''m going to the restroom."


    She then turned around and headed for thedies¡¯ room.


    Rupert narrowed his eyes as he watched Annabel walk away.He knew Annabel was still angry over


    what had happened the night before.He was upset too.


    It was clear to Rupert that Annabel had feelings for him.


    It hit himst night on the Ferris wheel that Annabel loved him.


    But then he identally mentioned Candy, which made Annabel distance herself from him.


    All night long, Rupert had been smoking on the couch.


    He went to Annabel''s room this morning so that he could exin, but she wasn''t in her room.


    He checked with the hotel''s receptionist and learned that Annabel had left in the middle of the night.


    Rupert spent a lot of effort to find out that Annabel would attend the charity auction tonight.


    He dashed over.


    But as soon as he walked into the auctioning hall, he saw Annabel fighting over the plush cat with


    Heather, so he bought it right away.This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org.


    He intended to use the cat to express his love for Annabel in front of everyone, but she rejected it and


    walked away without looking back.


    The unexpected frustration made Rupert unhappy.


    "Rupert, Annabel has crossed the line."


    Heather said glumly as she looked at Rupert''s long face.


    Heather was envious that Rupert had bought the cat for Annabel.


    Rupert had also proimed in front of so many people that Annabel was the woman he was in love


    with, which made Heather even more envious.


    But Heather was taken aback when Annabel rejected Rupert.


    She was unsure if Annabel was ying hard to get.


    However, this was a good opportunity for her.


    Heather continued, "I guess you don''t know that Annabel secretly went to the bar with another manst


    night."


    Rupert''s attractive face became icy.

 Chapter 138 Today Is Your Last Day

    Chapter 138 Today Is Your Last Day


    "Trust me.Annabel is a shameless slut.It''s like a game to her, seeing how many men she can


    seduce.She doesn''t deserve your affection," Heather said to Rupert.


    "She used to date Rory and Marcel.Here in France, she went to a bar in the middle of the night to pick


    up men.She cheated on you."


    "Enough!"


    Rupert snapped.


    Heather was incredibly irritating.He tugged at his tie and checked his watch.


    Annabel had been in the bathroom for a long time.


    What could be keeping her so long? Had she left out of anger? Rupert tried calling Annabel, but her


    phone was switched off.


    Concerned, he headed for thedies'' room.


    "Rupert, where are you going?" Heather called after him.Rupert ignored her.


    Heather stood up and followed him.


    A fierce look shed across her eyes.


    She guessed that Annie must have seeded.


    "Annabel, you''re doomed!"


    Heather murmured.


    Standing in front of the sink, Annabel patted her face with cold water and looked up at herself in the


    mirror.She hadn''t had a good sleepst night, and it showed.


    The dark circles around her eyes were noticeable.


    Content held by N?velDrama.Org.


    She couldn''t deny that Rupert had moved her just now.


    Despite his usual manner of restrained dignity, he''d confessed his love for her in front of everyone.


    Anyone would be moved.


    What confused her was the fact that he had called her Candyst night.


    With Candy still in his life, she didn¡¯t know if she could trust Rupert.


    Annabel closed her eyes, massaged her temples, and took some deep, measured breaths in an


    attempt to quell the storm of emotions that raged in her heart.


    Suddenly, she felt something hard and cold pressed against her neck.


    It was a sharp knife! Her eyes opened wide with shock.


    In the mirror, Annabel saw that it was Annie who held the knife.


    "Annie, what are you doing?"


    Annabel asked, forcing herself to speak calmly.


    She had been so absorbed in her thoughts that she hadn''t even noticed when Annie hade in.


    It was all Rupert''s fault.


    If it weren''t for him, she wouldn''t have been so distracted.


    "Annabel, today is yourst day!"


    Annie said as she pressed the knife against Annabel''s neck.


    Things were going more smoothly than she had hoped.


    Annabel''s suffering would be a thousand times greater than her own.


    Annabel frowned at Annie''s words.


    Hadn''t she learned her lesson? After what had happenedst time, why was she attempting another


    attack? If Annie needed another lesson, it would be harsher this time.


    "Annie, isn''t Brett in the banquet hall? Aren''t you worried what he might be up to when you''re not there


    to watch him?" Annabel asked casually.


    Annie''s expression got even darker when she heard Annabel mention Brett.


    "You bitch! You''re the reason Brett broke up with me!"


    After Brett dumped her, she had to sleep with Joseph, whom everyone regarded as a freak, to get a


    role.


    "If you hadn''t set me up and publicly embarrassed me that day, none of this would be happening."


    "Oh, yes.That day."


    Even with a knife pressed against her throat, Annabel kept her calm.


    "Didn''t you set me up first?"


    Annie was infuriated now and pressed the de deeper into Annabel''s neck.


    "You''re pretty, aren''t you? What if I ruin your face? Do you think you''ll still be able to seduce men?"


    "Try it, then!"


    Annabel seized the opportunity to hit Annie, rapidly striking her twice in a vulnerable spot and disabling


    her.


    Annie wasn''t expecting a counterattack, especially not one so expertly executed.She was caught off


    guard, and the knife was knocked out of her hand.


    With a ng, it hit the floor.


    When Annabel turned around, she saw two burly men standing in the bathroom.


    And the door to the bathroom had been locked by Annie.


    "What are you waiting for?"


    Annie shouted at the men.


    "Get her!"


    Heather had hired the men as a precaution against Annie''s failure.


    It seemed she had been right to worry that Annie might not be a match for Annabel.


    Annabel would not escape death.


    Annie was so jealous of Annabel''s beauty that she felt a madpulsion to destroy it.


    In her mind, the ruin of Annabel''s beauty would be the ruin of the woman herself.


    "Don''t you have any new tricks, Annie?"


    Annabel asked in a mocking tone.


    Last time, Annie had tried to drug her but failed.


    Did she want to try a more direct approach this time? If so, Annie underestimated her.


    Just two men? The men advanced, attempting to nk Annabel.


    Annabel carefully watched their movements and calcted the perfect moment to strike.


    Now! Just as one of the men reached out to grab her, Annabel broke his arm with a beautifully graceful


    deflection.


    The break was audible, and Annabel''s attacker gasped with pain as he fell to the floor in shock.


    Annabel aimed another kick at the other man''s chest.


    "Ah!"


    With a shout of pain, the second man joined hispanion on the floor.


    Annabel looked weak, but she was actually a fiercely capable fighter.


    Annie took in the scene before her for a few stunned moments, trying to process what had just


    happened.


    "You''re useless! Restrain her already!" she shouted at the men on the floor.


    "Save it, Annie.They can''t help you now,"


    Annabel informed her with an ice-cold smile.She had hit the men with all her strength.


    They might need a few months of bed rest to recover from their injuries.


    "It''s your turn now, Annie." Annabel smiled.


    "What are you doing, Annabel?"


    Annie''s shock was inly written in her expression.


    How was Annabel so good at fighting? Even two strong men were no match for her.


    Annabel looked at the knife on the floor and asked, "Didn''t you say you were going to ruin my face?


    Should I do the same to you? Or would you rather do it yourself?"


    "Annabel, you bitch! Stay away from me!"


    Annie backed away from Annabel, trying to escape the bathroom.


    But Annabel didn''t give her the chance.


    Just as Annie reached the door, Annabel grabbed her arm and flung her back.


    Annie hit the floor hard.


    Rupert heard the noise from outside the bathroom and panicked.


    "Annabel, are you okay?" he shouted anxiously.

 Chapter 139 Im Fine As Long As You Are

    Chapter 139 I''m Fine As Long As You Are


    Rupert tried to enter thedies'' room, but the door was locked.


    "Annabel? Are you in there? What happened?"


    Rupert''s voice was deep with emotion.


    No one answered.


    Worried about Annabel''s safety, Rupert threw himself against the door until it opened.


    The moment he was through, Rupert noticed the two injured men on the floor.


    With her arms crossed over her chest, Annabel was looking down at Annie, who was lying on the floor.


    "Annabel, what happened?" Rupert asked, baffled, as he strode to her.


    He thought Annabel was hurt, but it seemed she managed to defend herself just fine.


    "Oh, nothing."


    Annabel lightly dismissed his question as she turned to face him.


    "What happened to your neck?"


    Rupert asked, looking at the red mark that Annie''s knife had made.


    The mark was thin.


    Only someone looking very carefully would notice it.


    Annabel hadn''t even noticed until Rupert mentioned it.


    Once she knew it was there, it stung.


    She touched her neck to check the damage and shrugged.


    "It''s nothing."


    "Let me take you to the hospital,"


    Rupert offered, feeling sorry for her.


    "No, it''s just a little scrape.It''ll be healed in a few days."


    Annabel rubbed her forehead, attempting to clear her thoughts.


    Wasn''t Rupert at the auction? Why was he suddenly here? "Best to be safe.Let me take you,"


    Rupert said, staring at Annabel''s neck.


    Despite her assurances, he was still worried.


    Heather entered thedies¡¯ room and took in the scene.


    Knowing that Annabel would attend tonight''s charity auction, she had arranged for Annie to ambush


    her in the bathroom.


    She had also hired two strong men to kidnap Annabel as insurance.


    But all three of them proved to be useless.


    They were on the floor, and Annabel was standing.


    Heather red at Annie, who looked utterly pathetic.


    Even with a huge advantage, she couldn''t get the better of Annabel.


    Annie stared at Annabel, brimming with hate.


    Surprising everyone, she suddenly grabbed the knife, stood and lunged at Annabel, aiming for her


    heart with all her strength.


    "You shameless bitch! Go to hell!"


    Annie screamed in rage.


    Annabel had her back to Annie, so she didn''t immediately register her crazed attack.


    By the time Annabel responded, the knife was alreadying straight for her back.


    "Annabel, watch out!"


    Rupert yelled.


    He noticed Annie¡¯s movements in his peripheral while worrying over Annabel''s wounded neck.


    Annie was too fast.


    Rupert saw that Annabel wouldn''t be able to dodge the de, and he leapt forward with an


    outstretched hand.


    The knife shed through his clothing and cut his arm, but Annabel was unhurt.


    Rupert''s action took Annie by surprise, and she was momentarily stunned.


    The dagger was dropped once again.


    "Rupert, are you okay?" Annabel asked in a mild panic.


    "It''s nothing."


    Rupert was still more worried about Annabel than himself.


    "I''m fine as long as you are."


    Annabel blushed.


    This man...


    Even freshly wounded, Rupert was incredibly seductive.


    "Your arm is bleeding.Let me bind it up for you," Annabel said, turning her face away before things got


    more heated.


    Some of the hotel staff had heard themotion, and now they filed in, one after another.


    They were shocked to see the scene.


    "I''m very sorry, Mr.Benton.This is the hotel''s fault.We should have been more vignt.I apologize for the


    fright you must have suffered."


    The staff lifted the two brawny men off the floor and carried them out.


    Annie took the opportunity to run.


    "Your arm is still bleeding.Let me dress your wound," Annabel told Rupert.


    She asked a staff member for a first-aid kit and led Rupert to a morefortable ce.


    Heather tried to follow, but Annabel prevented her.


    "My fiance is injured.It''s not a convenient time to entertain you.Please leave us alone."


    Heather looked at Rupert and suppressed jealousy before speaking to him.


    "That cut looks bad, Rupert.I shoulde, too."


    Rupert''s response was stern and ice cold.


    "Annabel is with me.This is none of your business."


    "Did you hear him? He doesn''t want you here.I feel the same."


    Annabel mmed the door.


    Heather just barely saved her hand from being crushed in the doorframe.Her heart burned with jealous


    rage.


    "Annabel, you were lucky this time! But you won''t be lucky forever.Next time, I''ll make sure you die


    miserably."


    Rupert and Annabel were alone in the lounge.


    After closing the door in Heather''s face, Annabel turned to see Rupert removing his shirt.He was


    attractively thin and well-muscled, the delicate ridge of his corbone creating an alluring contrast with


    his sculpted torso.His sex appeal was undeniable.


    "Rupert! What are you doing?"


    Annabel demanded, feeling very hot in the face.


    "If I didn''t take off my shirt, how could you treat my wound?" Rupert asked innocently.


    "Well..."


    Annabel conceded helplessly.He had been hurt saving her, after all.


    Trying not to stare at his abs, Annabel took the iodine from the first -aid kit and tried to clean Rupert''s


    wound.


    Rupert saw that Annabel''s face was flushed, and he couldn''t stop the smile that spread across his own.


    After a lot of awkwardness and effort, she managed to bind his wound.


    "Now put your shirt back on!"


    Annabel snapped in a sour tone as she sorted and repacked the first-aid kit.


    Rupert did as he was told with elegance.


    Once he was finished, he presented Annabel with the plush toy.


    "Annabel, this is for you.Don''t say no, okay?"


    Rupert''s tone was firm and irresistible.


    Annabel was caught up in the romance, and her heart beat faster.


    The memory of him throwing himself in front of a knife to save her shed through her mind.


    It wasn''t the first time he had saved her.


    Content held by N?velDrama.Org.


    When the warehouse exploded, Rupert protected her with his body without hesitation.


    When Nina tried to stab her, he rushed forward to protect her.


    Rupert had saved her again and again.


    Was she mistaken in her belief that she was merely Candy''s substitute to him?

 Chapter 140 The Plane Went Out of Control

    Chapter 140 The ne Went Out of Control


    Annabel''s emotions were a little out of control at this time.She stared up at Rupert.


    Their eyes locked.Her heart was beating with an unexinable emotion.


    "Thank you, Rupert."


    Annabel stretched out and took the plush cat.


    Rupert''s blood had stained the plush cat.


    Part of its white fur had changed to dark red.


    As soon as Annabel took the cat, Rupert chuckled.


    "Are you no longer angry?" Rupert said lovingly, taking Annabel in his arms.


    "What I told you the day before was from the bottom of my heart.Put your faith in me, okay?"


    Annabel smiled slightly and said nothing.She gently pushed Rupert away.


    "Let go of me."


    "You smiled.Does this imply that you are no longer angry with me?" Rupert asked in a low, husky voice.


    "Does it matter if I''m angry or not?"


    Annabel patted the fluff cat in her hand tenderly.


    "Yes, it is very important to me,"


    Rupert responded in a serious tone while staring at Annabel.


    Annabel pursed her lips and remained silent.


    Rupert also remained silent for a moment before asking, "What urred in the restroom just now?"


    "Nothing.It''s just that Annie hates me, so she hired two goons to abduct me,"


    Annabel stated indifferently.


    Rupert scowled as he recalled what happened.


    "So you beat those two men up?"


    "Or what should I have done?"


    Annabel questioned, shrugging her shoulders.


    Rupert narrowed his eyes and looked at Annabel curiously.


    His fiancee surprisingly proved to be an excellent fighter.


    Annabel, terrified by his intense stare, sprang to her feet.


    "Okay, let''s get going.The auction isn¡¯t over yet, right?"


    Now that Rupert had already bought the plush cat, Annabel needed to find something else to buy.


    As the owner of Leo Studio, she needed to buy something to promote her studio.


    But Rupert grasped her arm before she could take a step forward.


    He then drew her into his arms.


    Annabel lost her bnce andnded on hisp.


    In this position, they seemed so intimate.


    Annabel tried to get up, but Rupert''srge hands gripped her shoulders tightly.


    His deep, raspy voice rang in her ear.


    "Annabel, you''ve fallen in love with me.Why can¡¯t you admit it?"


    "Stop talking nonsense."


    Annabel''s heart skipped a beat.


    Rupert asked, "Why don''t you face your feelings?"


    Annabel''s body froze when she heard that.


    She frowned and shouted, "I don''t..."


    Rupert lowered his head and began kissing her passionately before she could finish her sentence.


    Even though his lips were cold, the kiss was warm, and it set Annabel''s heart racing.


    The temperature in the lounge began to increase.


    The mood shifted to romantic.


    "Annabel, please don¡¯t turn me down again, okay?"


    Rupert''s deep eyes were filled with passion.He breathed quickly and pleaded with her.


    Annabel didn''t realize she hadn''t pushed him away until now.She inhaled deeply to calm herself, then


    red at Rupert.


    "Rupert, don''t go too far! Don''t ever do that to me again before I give you my answer!"


    Looking at Annabel''s pretty yet angry face, Rupert asked, "Don''t do what?"


    "Like what you did just now."


    Rupert chuckled.


    "What did I do?"


    The intimate scene lingered in Annabel''s mind.


    Embarrassed and enraged, she punched Rupert in the chest and yelled, "How dare you ask me?"


    Rupert took her hand in his and pressed it against his lips.


    "I''ll wait for your answer, Annabel."


    He spent a couple more days in France resting.


    He prepared to return home when the wound on his arm had almost healed.


    The day was bright and warm.


    The sky was boundless.


    Annabel stopped in front of Rupert''s jet.


    "What''s the matter?"


    Rupert shifted his gaze to Annabel, who was standing next to him.


    His eyes were filled with concern.


    "Nothing,"


    Annabel answered, shaking her head.


    But she was uneasy.


    The sense of unease was so strong as if something terrible was imminent.


    "Are you still afraid of heights? Don''t be afraid.I''m right here with you,"


    Rupert stated this while holding her hand.


    His gentle voice eased her greatly.She followed him into the jet, smiling.


    The ne took off and quickly soared into the sky.


    Annabel was lost in thought as she stared at the clouds through the window.


    : The benefit of this journey to France was finding who was responsible for the Ice and Fire incident,


    which helped Benton Group go back on track and even go higher.


    "By the way, have Judson and Marilyn admitted to their crimes?"


    Annabel asked, looking at Rupert.


    Rupert scowled.


    "Judson pleaded all guilty, while Marilyn insisted that she was innocent."


    "I see," Annabel replied thoughtfully.


    "It appears that Judson genuinely loves Marilyn."


    Unfortunately, Judson allowed himself to be deceived by the so- called true love andmitted crimes.


    Rupert grinned and made noment.


    "I''m not sure how much Love Jewelry is involved in this matter."


    Annabel massaged her forehead.


    Even though Judson had pleaded guilty to all of the charges, Annabel still felt that things weren''t that


    simple.


    Rupert looked at her gaunt face and said softly, "Don''t overthink the situation.You have been feeling


    exhausted during your time in France.Get some rest now."


    "Alright."


    Annabel nodding.


    She was indeed exhausted, so she closed her eyes and rested.


    Annabel finally nodded off after some time had passed.


    The jet began to tremble slightly, and then was tossed up and down.


    The trembling awakened Annabel.


    She grabbed Rupert''s hand subconsciously.


    "Rupert, what is happening?"


    "We might have run into a strong airflow."


    Rupert gently held Annabel in his arms.


    "Don''t be scared.Just close your eyes.It will be over soon."


    Annabel felt relieved by Rupert''s warm embrace.


    However, the ne continued to tremble more and more violently.


    This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org.


    Rupert''s expression changed a few secondster.


    The continual shaking was not caused by normal airflow.


    Something awful was about to happen.


    Sure enough, a stewardess hurried over to him.


    "Bad news, Mr.Benton! The ne has lost control!"

 Chapter 141 Ill Tell You My Answer Now What?

    Chapter 141 I''ll Tell You My Answer Now What?


    The jet was out of control? How could this be? How could the pilot suddenly lose control of the jet?


    Annabel was scared out of her wits.


    After all, she was deathly afraid of heights.


    Rupert patted her on the shoulder and stood up.


    His handsome face was unusually cold.


    "I''ll go and have a look."


    Then he started to walk to the cockpit.


    "I''ll go with you,"


    Annabel said feebly, her face a ghastly pale.She was terribly afraid of heights, and as the jet shuddered


    violently, she felt like she was about to die.


    "Okay," Rupert answered lightly.


    He stretched out his right hand to hold Annabel, pulling her into his arms.


    "I''m here.Don''t be afraid."


    The jet continued to shake violently.It was extremely difficult for Annabel to bnce, let alone walk.I


    Panic seized her heart, rendering her unable to think straight.


    Luckily, Rupert held onto her tightly, which made her feel inexplicably safe.


    Together, the two headed to the cockpit.


    "What''s going on?" Rupert asked the captain with a frown.


    Sweat trickled down the captain''s forehead.


    He was busy controlling the steering wheel with both hands, but all the color had drained from his face.


    "I can''t control it.We''re going to crash!"


    Crash? Annabel gasped in shock.How could this be? If the jet crashed, then all the people on the jet¡ª


    including her¡ª would die.She told herself that she had to calm down at the moment, but fear


    consumed every fiber of her being.


    Hyperventting, she looked at the man beside her and asked in bewilderment, "Rupert, what''re we


    going to do?"


    "Don''t be afraid." Rupert smoothed her hair gently.


    "We''ll be fine."


    Then, he turned to the captain and said decisively, "Calm down first.Do your best to keep the aircraft


    steady.As soon as we reach a suitable height, we''ll parachute out of the jet immediately."


    Nodding shakily, the captain stuttered, "I-I''ll do my best."


    Fortunately, Rupert''s jet was specially equipped with parachutes.


    They could jump if worse came to worst.


    This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org.


    Rupert then ordered the other two men to ready the parachutes and prepare to jump at any time.


    "Rupert, are we really going to do this?"


    Leaning against him weakly, Annabel looked pale and helpless.She was still afraid.She had always


    been afraid of heights, ever since she was a child.


    If the jet crashed...She didn''t dare to entertain the thought.


    "Annabel, listen to me.The jet is out of control.Jumping is our only chance at survival,"


    Rupert exined seriously.


    "But I''m too scared...I can''t do it..." Annabel protested feebly.


    "Don''t be afraid.I''ll protect you."


    Rupert squeezed her hand reassuringly, his deep-set eyes full of determination.


    The situation was very critical now.


    Everyone tensely waited as Rupert calmly ordered the captain to lower the aircraft.


    "That''s high enough."


    Rupert took a look at the figures on the dashboard.


    The jet was flying at the perfect height and speed, suitable for parachuting.


    And by now, the shaking of the jet became even more violent.


    Time was running out.


    The jet could explode any second now! "Now!"


    The crew opened the cabin¡¯s door.


    Looking out grimly, Rupert calmly directed the crew to jump with their parachutes one by one.


    Soon, there were only the captain, Rupert, and Annabel left.


    "Mr.Benton, Miss Hewitt, jump already!"


    The captain wiped the cold sweat on his forehead and set the jet to autopilot.


    With knitted brows, Rupert grabbed the captain''s arm and said firmly, "You go first.Hurry up!"


    The captain looked at Rupert, his eyes shining with gratitude.


    "Take care!"


    As soon as he said this, the captain leaped out of the jet and disappeared from Annabels sight.


    "Annabel, get ready."


    Rupert tied the parachute to himself and Annabel.


    Then, he wrapped his arms around her tightly, poised to jump.


    "Rupert, I''m scared!"


    Annabel cried hysterically.


    Seeing how the ground was tens of thousands of miles away, her face turned ghastly pale.


    The fear paralyzed her.


    "Close your eyes.I''ll count to three.We''ll jump together,"


    Rupert whispered in her ear.


    Annabel looked into his deep eyes and felt an inexplicable sense of security.


    Finally, she squeezed her eyes shut, wrapped her arms around Rupert''s neck, and jumped into the air


    with him.


    "Ah!"


    The feeling of free-falling made Annabel''s mind gopletely nk.She couldn''t help but scream at


    the top of her lungs.


    "Annabel, just hang on.I''ll activate the parachute soon."


    Secondster, the parachute was opened.


    Soon, the rope went taught and the sense of weightlessness finally disappeared.


    Annabel breathed a sigh of relief.


    "It''s okay.We''re going to be safe."


    Rupert''s deep, reassuring voice was like music to her ears.


    When she opened her eyes, Annabel found herself immersed in a sea of clouds.


    Still, she didn''t feel at ease.


    "Rupert, are we about to die?"


    "No," he said firmly.


    Then he tightened his grip around her, as though he was holding the most precious thing in the world.


    "Are you sure?"


    With her arms wrapped around his neck, Annabel buried her face in his arms.


    Gradually, she calmed down.


    Rupert looked down at her and said firmly, "Trust me! We''re going to survive this."


    "Okay.I trust you."


    Annabel nodded firmly.


    "Are you still scared?"


    Rupert''s voice softened.


    Looking into his affectionate eyes, she smiled.


    "You''re here with me, so I''m not afraid anymore."


    The two slowly descended from the sky.


    Leaning against his chest, Annabel could hear his heartbeat clearly.


    Memories of her past resurfaced in her mind, still clear as day.


    Rupert had saved her life again and again.


    He had said, "Annabel, don''t be afraid.I will protect you."


    He also said, "Annabel, I want to pursue you.You''re the woman I want to spend the rest of my life with."


    Slowly, she looked up at the man who was hugging her tightly.


    His handsome face, wless skin, deep-set eyes, perfect nose, sexy lips¡ªhe was perfect.


    Even amidst such a dangerous situation, he was still calm and collected.


    He exuded an innate dignity, as if he was born to be a king.


    At this moment, an indescribable feeling surged in her heart.


    Annabel closed her beautiful eyes for a while.


    When she opened them again, there was a strange light in them.


    "Rupert, I''ll tell you my answer now," she said softly.

 Chapter 142 A Kiss In The Sky

    Chapter 142 A Kiss In The Sky


    "What is it?"


    With his arms wrapped around Annabel tightly, Rupert fixed his eyes on her beautiful face, full of


    expectation and nervousness.


    "Rupert, my answer is yes,"


    Annabel whispered in his ear.


    "I''m willing to spend the rest of my life with you."


    This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org.


    After a pause, she looked up at the man in front of her with affectionate eyes.


    Her cherry-red lips parted and she added firmly, "In sickness and in health, ''til death do us part."


    "Annabel, I''ve been waiting for you to say this for a long time."


    Rupert''s expression softened.


    He lowered his head and pressed his lips against Annabel''s, kissing her gently.


    A spark was ignited deep inside him, making him feel restless.


    "Anna..."


    Pulling her even closer, Rupert kept whispering her name, deepening the kiss.


    The two hugged each other tightly and kissed passionately.


    Waves of pleasure washed all over Annabel''s body.


    She had never felt like this before.


    It was a strange feeling, but she liked it.


    When staring death in the face, Annabel finally realized what was in her heart.


    She was willing to be with this man.


    Even if he still had Candy in his heart, so what? Now that she understood what she wanted, she


    wouldn''t let anyone get in the way of her rtionship with Rupert, not even Candy.


    She wanted him to love her wholeheartedly, and she was determined to make it happen.


    Even if Candy showed up again, she wouldn''t ept defeat.


    The two kissed each other passionately amidst the sea of clouds.


    All sense of panic and fear was instantly dispelled.


    Annabel forgot where she and Rupert were.


    They were too immersed in the romantic moment that they forgot that they were still falling from the


    sky.


    After a while, the passionate kiss finally ended.


    "Annabel, I''m very happy,"


    Rupert whispered, resting his forehead against hers.


    After waiting for so long, he finally got the answer he wanted.


    Finally, Annabel was willing to be true to her heart.


    The intimacy between them just now made her ears turn a little red.


    She leaned against Rupert''s chest, panting slightly.


    In fact, she would''ve given him her answer sooner, but she couldn''t ignore the fact that he still had


    Candy in his heart.


    Why couldn''t she own up to her feelings sooner? But Rupert didn''t have the time to worry about that


    now.


    At present, their lives were still hanging by a thread.


    They were in the middle of a crisis.


    Holding Rupert tightly, Annabel gulped and looked down.


    The thick clouds made it hard to see what was down below.


    But she guessed that they must''ve been over water.


    "Rupert, what should we do now?"


    Annabel asked worriedly.


    Rupert looked at her reassuringly and answered, "Don''t worry.


    We''ll find a way out of this."


    "Okay..."


    Annabel nodded.


    Now, she just wanted to feel protected.


    As long as she was with Rupert, she wasn''t afraid of anything.


    They slowly descended.


    After a while, they could see the situation below.


    As expected, they were headed towards the sea.


    Looking at the vast sea below, Annabel frowned deeply.


    This was the worst-case scenario.


    Nature was their worst enemy right now.


    "Rupert, we''re going tond in the sea."


    Annabel pursed her lips tightly.


    "Without food and water, we''ll survive for only a day¡ªtwo, at most.


    What''re we going to do?"


    Rupert also frowned as he looked at the vast expanse of water below them.


    "I packed food and water in the bag.


    Hopefully, a boat will pass by soon."


    Before he jumped, he had done the best he could to prepare for the worst.


    He took out his phone from his pocket, but there was no signal.


    "Well?"


    Annabel craned her neck to look at the phone in his hand.


    Rupert shook his head sadly.


    "No signal."


    Rupert tried to send their location to Finley, but it was futile.


    Disappointment shed through Annabel''s eyes.


    Rupert put his phone back and sighed.


    Holding her tightly, he still said, "No matter what, as long as we''re together, we''ll be fine."


    She could feel the warmth of his palm on her skin.


    It was as though he was sending his strength to her.


    Just then, a thought urred to her.


    "Wait!"


    "What is it?"


    Rupert asked in surprise.


    Annabel carefully took off her ne and held it up in front of Rupert.


    The ne was a gift from her grandfather on her sixteenth birthday.


    At the time, Leonard had said to her, "Anna, I had this ne specially made for you.


    Although it looks ordinary, it might be very useful."


    Confused, Annabel took the ne and studied it curiously.


    "What do you mean?"


    With a smile, Leonard pointed at the pendant on the ne.


    "Take a closer look at this flower."


    "Okay..."


    Annabel looked at the little flower on the pendant, but she still didn''t understand what was so special


    about the ne.


    "It''s a tracker, and the flower is the switch.


    If you ever find yourself in danger, press the button and I''lle and save you."


    "Wow! Amazing!"


    Since that day, Annabel wore the ne, but she didn''t take her grandfather''s words seriously.


    After all, there were very few people in this world who could make her in danger.


    She had never tried to use it.


    But now, perhaps it could save their lives.


    Unfortunately, Annabel didn''t know if it would work at sea.


    However, given the circumstances, she had no other choice but to at least try it.


    Annabel exined to Rupert, "My grandfather gave it to me when I turned sixteen.


    He said I could use it to ask him for help if 1 was in danger.


    I hope it works!"


    "It''s worth a shot."


    Rupert looked at the ne in Annabel''s hand.


    At first nce, the ne looked ordinary.


    But when Annabel pressed down on the flower, the ne suddenly began to glow with a green light.


    At first, it was shone bright green, and then it deepened bit by bit, gradually turning dark green.


    "It worked!"


    Annabel eyes lit up at the sight of the glowing pendant.


    At the same time, she couldn''t help but worry a little.


    "I hope Grandpa receives our distress signal..."

 Chapter 143 Falling Into The Sea

    Chapter 143 Falling Into The Sea


    There was no signal in the middle of the sea.


    Annabel wasn''t sure whether the distress signal would reach her grandfather.


    "Of course he''ll receive it," Rupert said reassuringly, as though he read her mind.


    Truth be told, Rupert had never seen such a signal transmitter before.


    Was Annabel''s grandfather really just an old man from the countryside? How could he have given


    Annabel something so high- tech? There was a trace of curiosity in Rupert''s eyes as he looked at the


    woman in front of him.


    It seemed that there was more to his fiancee than met the eye.


    But he decided against asking her about it.


    It was better if Annabel took the initiative to tell him.


    What he liked was her, not her identity or her family background.


    And now wasn''t the time to think about these things.


    They were getting closer and closer to the sea surface.


    Annabel craned her neck to look around, and she found that there were a few small inds in the


    distance.


    Her eyes lit up excitedly.


    Before she could tell Rupert her findings, he spoke first.


    "Anna, look over there! It''s an ind!"


    "Yes!"


    Annabel nodded.


    "I was just about to point it out!"


    Chuckling softly, Rupert whispered in her ear, "It seems we have a connection..."


    As soon as he finished speaking, he nibbled on her earlobe yfully.


    A wave of electricity spread out from her earlobe, making her body go limp.


    Annabel''s cheeks turned as red as tomatoes.


    How could he still flirt with her at a time like this? "Stop it."


    She turned her head to look at the ind in the distance.


    If there was fresh water on the ind, they would have a chance at survival.


    But she didn''t know how long it would take for them to swim to the ind from here.


    Could the food Rupert packed be enough for them? Would her grandfather receive her distress signal


    and save her? Annabel was in deep thought when Rupert''s voice suddenly pulled her back to reality.


    "Can you swim?"


    "Yeah."


    Annabel nodded.


    Rupert took out a life-vest from his backpack and help Annabel put it on carefully.


    "We''ll swim to the ind over there as soon as we hit the water."


    "sounds like a n," Annabel answered lightly.


    Inwardly, she prayed that they would be lucky enough to be spotted by a passing ship.


    The two of them slowly descended.


    Soon, Annabel could see the white peaks of the waves in the sea.


    And the sea looked boundless.


    The breeze blew and stirred up waves, roaring at them ominously.


    Seeing this, Annabel grew nervous again.


    Although she knew how to swim, there were all kinds of danger that lurked underneath the surface.


    "We''re about to hit the water.Hold your breath!"


    Rupert perfectly timed it.


    Before hitting the water, he tied his life-vest to Annabel''s and unfastened the parachute.


    Holding each other tightly, the two plummeted into the sea.


    Instantly, salt water filled Annabel''s mouth, making her cough violently.


    "Anna, are you okay?"


    Rupert turned to look at Annabel worriedly.


    "I''m fine.You?"


    The turbulent waves hit her body, making her struggle to stay afloat.She couldn''t help but grab his arm


    for support.


    Rupert took this as an opportunity to pull her close.


    Pecking her on the forehead, he said gently, "I''m fine.Now, let''s swim to the ind together."


    After saying that, Rupert let go of Annabel and started swimming towards the ind.


    Havinge in contact with salt water, the wound on his arm started to sting.


    A few days ago, in protecting Annabel, he was stabbed in the arm by Annie.


    The wound started to scab.


    But now, the wound cracked open again after being soaked in the sea water.


    With knitted brows, Rupert managed to endure the pain.


    At this critical moment, he was Annabel''s life support.He couldn''t afford to show any weakness.He


    couldn''t let Annabel worry about him.


    She had enough worries on her te at present.


    Sure enough, Annabel was oblivious to his pain and swam behind him as best as she could.


    But the waves seemed to get bigger and more violent.


    The two of them were dragged by the waves.


    It was so difficult to keep on swimming forward.


    Keeping her eyes trained on the little ind in the distance, Annabel was shocked to find that it seemed


    to be getting farther and farther away from them.


    Panicked, she said, "Rupert, I think the waves are pushing us away from the ind..."


    Rupert already knew this.


    He had noticed earlier that they were swimming against the direction of the winds.


    Although he had tried his best, the waves kept pushing them further away from the ind.


    After thinking for a while, he said, "Okay.Stop swimming first.We need to conserve our strength.When


    the wind stops, we can try swimming to the ind again."


    "That''s the only way," Annabel said resignedly.


    The two stopped swimming and leaned against each other for support.


    Fortunately, they had life-vests, so they didn''t have to worry about sinking.


    The waves kept roaring, and the wind whistled past them.


    Annabel gritted her teeth and held onto Rupert''s arm tightly.


    Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org.


    Wave after wave came towards Annabel and Rupert.


    Sensing the fear in Annabel, Rupert hugged her tightly.


    "Anna, don''t be afraid.I''m right here.Just hang on."


    "I''m not afraid," Annabel said quickly.


    When Rupert held her close, she felt somehow at ease.


    No matter the situation they were in, she wasn''t afraid.


    The two floated with the waves.


    After what felt like an eternity, the waves began to subside.


    "Drink some water first."


    Rupert took out a water bottle from his backpack and handed it to Annabel.


    "When the wind stops, we''ll swim to the ind."


    "Okay, thanks."


    After gulping down some water, she handed the bottle to Rupert.


    To her surprise, he slipped the bottle back into his backpack.


    "Why didn''t you drink some?" she asked in confusion.


    Rupert answered indifferently, "I''m not thirsty."


    When stranded at sea, fresh water was the key to survival.


    Even if they managed to reach the ind, there was no guarantee there would be any fresh water on it.


    Therefore, these bottles of water were especially precious now.


    Rupert wanted to leave them to Annabel as much as possible.


    Annabel knew what was on Rupert''s mind.


    Looking at him, she felt warm in her heart.


    As the night fell, a crescent moon climbed into the sky.


    The moonlight shone on the vast sea, making the blue water sparkle beautifully.


    It would''ve been so romantic if their lives weren''t in danger.


    "Annabel, I think the wind has died down.Let''s swim to the ind as quickly as we can,"


    Rupert said with a sense of urgency, interrupting her fantasy.


    The ind was so far away that they could barely see it.


    It would be terrible if they didn''t seize this opportunity to swim there.


    "Let''s go!"


    Because she had drunk some water, Annabel felt refreshed.She turned around abruptly and


    identally hit his wound.


    "Ow!"


    Rupert yelped in pain.

 Chapter 144 I Cant Protect You Anymore

    Chapter 144 I Can''t Protect You Anymore


    "Rupert, what''s wrong?" Annabel asked worriedly upon seeing Rupert wince in pain. His wound stung.


    Rupert took a deep breath and forced a smile.


    "Nothing.I''m fine."


    "But¡ª"


    Annabel wanted to find out what was going on with him, but he abruptly cut her off.


    "Don''t say anything more.Conserve your energy."


    Rupert put his slender finger on her lips and made a gesture of silence.But she couldn''t shake off her


    worry.


    "Are you really okay?"


    "Yes," Rupert answered briefly.


    Then, he pointed at the ind in the distance.


    "Come on.We''re wasting time."


    Together, the two swam towards the ind rhythmically.


    Time seemed to pass by very slowly.


    Rupert kept ncing over his shoulder to see if there were any boats in the area.


    Unfortunately, it seemed that they were the only two life forms in this area of the sea.


    No boats were passing by, perhaps because this area hadn''t been developed yet.


    Looking at the vast open sea, Rupert fell into deep thought.


    His father had gone to sea on a cruise ship, which then encountered a big, fatal wave.


    Ultimately, it was the cause of his demise.


    Rupert refused to suffer the same fate.He and Annabel would make it out of this alive.


    As the two kept paddling, they gradually got closer and closer to the ind.


    The sun started to rise in the east, illuminating the ind in a warm glow.It looked like paradise in


    Annabel¡¯s eyes.


    This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org.


    "We''re almost there!"


    Rupert kept encouraging her.His maic voice seemed to dispel the exhaustion in her body.


    "Just hold on for a little longer.When we make it to the ind, we''ll be able to rest."


    Annabel also encouraged herself silently.


    Seeing that they were a few meters away from the ind, she started to feel hopeful.


    Suddenly, a huge wave came at them.


    Rupert and Annabel were swept back by the wave.


    "Wait a second.There''s no wind.Where did the wavee from?" Annabel asked in confusion.


    Rupert''s voice became dangerously low.


    "Annabel, swim back!"


    "Huhu"


    Upon a closer look, she saw a big ck creature swimming to them.


    Was that what caused the wave just now? Annabel''s heart tightened in her chest.


    What on earth was that creature? A shark? "Shit!"


    Annabel couldn''t help but curse in horror.


    Were they fated to die at sea? Annabel squinted and looked at the ck creature carefully.


    It didn''t look like a shark.


    She had never seen this kind of sea creature before.


    What if it was friendly? "Rupert, what kind of fish is that?"


    Annabel squinted at the big fish, which was closing in on them quickly.


    Rupert pursed his lips tightly.


    "I don''t know."


    He swiftly pulled out a dagger from his backpack and untied his life vest from Annabel''s.


    "Swim as far away from here as you can."


    "No, I''m not leaving you."


    Annabel refused stubbornly.


    Rupert looked at the big fish in front of him nervously, making sure Annabel was behind him.


    Just then, the big fish lurched forward, snapping its jaws at them.


    Rupert acted fast.


    He pushed Annabel behind him with one hand and stabbed at the big fish with his other hand.


    The knife shed at the fish''s head.


    Thinking quickly, Rupert aimed at the fish''s vital organ and stabbed at it.


    Annabel also took action.She swam behind the big fish and grabbed its tail, yanking at it as hard as she


    could.


    After what felt like an eternity, the big fish finally stopped struggling.


    "Rupert, we did it! It''s dead!"


    Annabel heaved a sigh of relief.However, she was met with silence.


    "Rupert?"


    Worried, Annabel swam to him in a hurry.


    Rupert''s face was covered in bright red blood.


    "Oh, my God! Rupert, are you okay?"


    Her heart nearly stopped beating in her chest when she saw him.


    "There''s so much blood! Did you get hurt?"


    A feeling of crippling anxiety swept over her.


    Rupert saved her again regardless of his own life.


    "I''m fine,"


    Rupert suddenly croaked, gasping for breath.


    At that moment, his voice was music to her ears.


    Annabel instantly perked up when she heard him speak.


    "Then, the blood..."


    Annabel''s trembling voice trailed off, and she hugged Rupert tightly.


    He was alive! Rupert smiled.


    "It''s fish blood.It sttered all over my face.Annabel, I''m d that you care about me so much."


    Annabel pulled away to re at him.


    "I don''t care about you that much."


    As she spoke, she helped wash the blood off Rupert''s face with the sea water.


    Only then did she realize that his face was ghastly pale.


    And his arm seemed to be bleeding! "Your arm...Is it bleeding? 1 don''t think it''s fish blood..."


    Immediately, she became nervous again.


    Rupert shook his head to reassure her.


    "I''m fine.Let''s go.It''s not safe here."


    "Let me check your arm,"


    Annabel insisted stubbornly.


    Rupert was too weak to resist.


    She studied the wound on his arm and found that things weren''t looking so good.


    The wound on his arm had cracked open again.


    And the fight with the big fish just now really took a toll on him.


    Even Rupert''s lips had gone pale.


    Worried sick, Annabel stretched out her hand to touch his forehead.It was burning hot.


    "We need to get on the ind," Annabel said urgently.


    Rupert''s wound was inmed.


    If he continued to soak in the salt water, the consequences would be dire.


    She had to take Rupert to the ind as soon as possible.


    There, she could dress his wound.


    "Rupert, hang in there, okay?"


    Annabel could feel that the man in front of her was getting weaker and weaker.


    Cold sweat had broken out on Rupert''s forehead.


    "I''m sorry, Annabel.I''m making you worry..." His voice trailed off.


    The fight with the big fish just now had consumed too much of his strength.


    The wounds he suffered from the fight hurt like hell, as though he was being torn apart on the spot.


    Although he wanted to act strong in front of Annabel, Rupert didn''t even have the strength to raise his


    hand at this moment.


    He had a terrible fever, but the sea water was cold.


    It felt as though he was being burned and frozen simultaneously.


    With one hand supporting Rupert, Annabel quickly tied their life vests together and then swam to the


    ind as fast as she could.


    She could tell that Rupert was getting weaker and weaker.


    At some point, she felt him go limp in her arms.


    "Rupert? Rupert, are you okay?"


    But Rupert didn''t respond.


    Annabel''s heart leaped to her throat.


    She shook Rupert''s uninjured arm and cried, "Rupert, wake up.Don''t fall asleep."


    The man struggled to open his eyes to look at her.


    "Annabel, I''m sorry.I might not be able to protect you anymore..."

 Chapter 145 Is That You

    Chapter 145 Is That You


    "What the hell are you talking about?"


    Upon hearing what Rupert said, Annabel became anxious.


    Rupert looked in the direction of the ind.


    Although they had gotten considerably closer to the ind, there was still a huge gap between them


    andnd.


    At present, he was so weak that he couldn''t even swim.He would only be a burden on Annabel.He


    didn''t want to drag her down, especially when she still had the chance to live.


    Frowning tightly, Rupert struggled to untie his life vest from hers.


    "Annabel, I''m a little tired.I want to rest.Swim to the ind first.I''ll catch up to youter."


    Of course, Annabel knew what he was nning.


    Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org.


    She grabbed his hand and shouted, "No! We''ll swim there together!"


    "I''ll only drag you down..."


    Despite saying so, he couldn''t help but look at Annabel gratefully.He was happy to know that the


    woman he loved refused to leave him.


    Even though he was about to die at sea, he had no regrets.


    Taking a deep breath, Annabel continued, "I don''t mind.Since I''ve already given you my answer, I won''t


    leave you.This time, it''s my turn to protect you! In sickness and in health, remember? We''ll be together


    forever¡ª''til death do us part!"


    Fierce determination lit up Annabel''s eyes.


    After all, Rupert wouldn''t have gotten injured if it weren''t for her.He had saved her life time and time


    again.


    How could she leave him to die at a moment as critical as this? Holding Rupert''s hand with one hand,


    Annabel gritted her teeth and tried her best to swim with the other.


    "Rupert, just hold onto me!"


    Minutes felt like years.


    Finally, they closed the gap between them and the ind.


    The ind grew bigger and bigger in her point of view.


    Panting heavily, Annabel turned to look at Rupert.


    "Rupert, we''re almost there.Hold on!"


    Rupert just grunted.


    He was on the verge of passing out, but hisst ounce of consciousness told him not to give up.


    Annabel was willing to die with him.


    He couldn''t let her down now.


    Atst, they made it to the ind.


    As soon as her feet touched the ground, Annabel breathed a long sigh of relief.


    "Rupert, we made it!"


    She helped him ashore and then slumped onto the ground next to him.


    But now wasn''t the time to rx.She struggled to sit up and looked at Rupert worriedly.


    His handsome face was deathly pale at the moment.His eyes were closed, and his breath was


    unsteady.


    It was clear that he had passed out.


    Annabel''s heart leaped to her throat.She quickly pressed her fingers against his wrist to feel for a


    pulse.


    To her surprise, even Rupert''s hands were burning up.His pulse was there, but it was weak.He was


    likely suffering from a high fever because his wounds got infected from being soaked in salt water for


    so long.


    "Rupert, you''re going to make it.I''ll save you!"


    Annabel brought his hand up to her lips and kissed it gently.


    Then she reached for Rupert''s backpack and pulled out a bottle of water.


    Holding his head up with one hand, she propped him against her chest and made him drink with her


    other hand.


    "Rupert, here.Drink some water first."


    But she was met with silence.


    The man in her arms was out cold.


    "Rupert, wake up! Please!"


    Suppressing her mounting anxiety, Annabel raised her voice and called out his name.


    But no matter how loud she shouted, Rupert didn''t respond.


    "Rupert, please.Drink some water..."


    At a loss, she poured some water into the bottle cap, opened his mouth, and poured the water into his


    mouth.


    However, since Rupert was still unconscious, the water she just fed him spilled out from the corner of


    his mouth.


    With knitted eyebrows, she decided to put some water in her mouth.


    Then she lowered her head and pressed her lips against his.


    His lips were burning hot, which hurt her lips.


    Her face turned a little red.


    But it wasn''t the right time to think about such things.


    Annabel firmly fixed her hands on Rupert''s head and fed him the water in her mouth.


    Rupert wanted to cough out the water, but his lips were sealed by hers.


    In the end, his Adam''s apple bobbed up and down.He finally swallowed the water.


    It worked! Annabel sighed in relief.


    Then she repeated the process and kept feeding him water in this way, regardless of her shyness.


    Next, she found a towel from his backpack, dipped it in water, and put it on his forehead to lower his


    temperature.


    When his condition stabilized somewhat, she started to look around the ind.


    Of course, there was a beach near the sea.


    On the opposite side, there was a lush forest.


    The corners of her mouth lifted into a smile.


    Since there were nts on this ind, it meant that there was fresh water somewhere.


    They were going to survive! But she didn''t know whether there were also wild animals on this ind.


    Thinking of the big fish they had just encountered in the sea, Annabel still had a lingering fear.


    If Rupert hadn''t blocked the fish from reaching her, she would''ve been badly injured.


    Looking at the unconscious man in front of her, Annabel had the urged to shed tears and a lump


    formed in her throat.


    She shook her head and refused to cry.


    Right now, she needed to be calm and strong.


    Rupert needed her.


    Besides, she had sent a distress signal to her grandfather.


    Maybe he was already on his way here.


    Thinking of this, Annabel touched her neck.


    The next second, her eyes went as wide as saucers.


    The ne was gone.


    She must''ve lost it when they encountered the terrible fish.


    Annabel couldn''t help but feel remorseful.


    Now, not even her grandfather would find her.


    She could only pray that Leonard received the signal before she lost the ne.


    Just as she was about to lose hope, Rupert''s faint voice interrupted her thoughts.


    "Water..."


    Her heart skipped a beat and her eyes lit up.


    "Rupert? Are you awake?"


    She lowered her head and looked at the man in her arms excitedly.


    To her disappointment, Rupert was still unconscious.It turned out that he was just talking in his sleep.


    "Rupert, hang in there..."


    After offering up a silent prayer, Annabel took another mouthful of water and delivered it to his mouth.


    When their lips touched, Rupert felt inexplicably at ease.


    The crease between his eyebrows rxed a little, and his breath became steady.He greedily sucked at


    her sweet lips, and the familiar feeling that had been lingering in his heart suddenly sparked something


    in Rupert''s body.He wondered if Candy was with him.


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