Ch. 131..140

Chapter 131

"You're blaming Kendall for humiliating me and hurting my pride, but why haven't you reflected on your own problem, huh? If it weren't for your selfish actions of going to the Parkers on your own accord to seek her hand in marriage, she wouldn't have resorted to slitting her wrists in front of me and thus hurting my pride with her action."

At that point, Tilly was stunned beyond words. After quite a while, she finally came up with the words to say, "Dylan, even if you intended to marry Kendall, you should have informed us. How can you sign the marriage papers without revealing a single word to us? You've also kept it a secret all this while, despite signing the papers ages ago."

It's no wonder Dylan brought her back home! He wasn’t trying to exact revenge, but they were just naturally staying in the same house because they're married.

"I thought that this was a personal matter and that I would let you know if it became necessary." For example, right now, Dylan reckoned that it was necessary for him to show the marriage certificates to his grandma and inform her that he was married to Kendall. As such, it was perfectly normal for Kendall to leap into his arms and kiss him. It was reasonable because they were just an overly affectionate couple, and it wasn't because Kendall shamelessly threw herself at him. I like Kendall behaving so unrestrainedly. What's the big deal? What has that got to do with anyone else?

At that moment, Tilly was enraged.

"Kendall, leave the room. I would like to speak with Dylan Coleman in private."

Tilly was furious with Dylan, and she referred to him by his full name at that moment.

Meanwhile, Kendall turned to look at him as he nodded at her. He then took the two marriage certificates from Tilly's hand before taking Kendall's to give her one copy. Subsequently, he said calmly, "Keep this safely. If you lose this, I'll definitely punish you. You won't be able to get away with that just by a simple ten-thousand-word reflection."

She hastily gripped the certificate tightly in her hands and was about to deliver a rebuke. However, she noticed then that Tilly was glaring at her coldly, so she stifled the words that she was about to say. In her mind, though, she thought, I'll deal with him when we get back home later.

"Dylan, I'll wait for you outside."

She took the marriage certificate and left the room.

After Kendall had left, Tilly clutched at her chest and said to Dylan, "Dylan! Do you intend to give me a heart attack?! This is such a major thing and yet you didn’t even bother to let me know!"

"Grandma, you’re fit and healthy, so it would take a lot more than this to give you a heart attack."

Tilly was at a loss for words at the rebuke.

"Grandma, you do want great-grandchildren, right? You haven't held a great-grandchild in your arms, so I'm sure that you wouldn't bear to leave this planet just yet."

Tilly asked, "Do you mean to say that Kendall's pregnant?"

However, Tilly judged by Kendall's appearance that she seemed to have her chastity intact. That meant

her grandson hadn't even touched her. Besides, he had trouble performing in bed, so even if she was pregnant, the father of her child would not be Dylan.

"No. Grandma, you've got other grandchildren too. They are old enough to get married and have kids."

At that point, she was at a loss for words.

"Dylan, tell me frankly, what's going on between you and Kendall? You've blamed me for making the decision of going to the Parkers to ask for her hand in marriage without consulting you, and you told me that you were not interested in her. You had no intention of marrying her and she didn't want to marry you either, so that's why she took such a drastic measure. Why did you two sign the marriage papers?"

She noticed that the date of their registration marriage was the same day that Kendall put on an act to kill herself at the Coleman Mansion.

"That is how it is. She changed her mind and agreed to marry me. At the same time, I needed a wife, so since she had agreed to marry me, I decided I would proceed with the marriage. Anyway, I'm in such a bad state, so anyone I marry would be deserving of a better match than me. I'm the one taking advantage of the other party. After all, the person marrying me would be living an entire life of celibacy."

As soon as Tilly heard his words, she felt a sharp pain in her heart and her face turned as pale as a sheet from the torment. She spoke in a wretched tone, "Dylan, are you saying this to torment me? You're the oldest grandson in the Coleman Family and are the head of Coleman Empire Holdings. Who would dare to regard you as a less worthy match? Even if… Even if you have issues performing in bed right now, our family background meant that you would be a great match either way, so no one would think that you've taken advantage of them! We can provide compensation in other ways for them. Dylan, I’ll arrange for the best urologist to provide treatment for you, alright? You should get the

condition treated as soon as possible, and once you're cured and have regained your mobility, you’ll still be the most handsome guy in Orapolis!"

Out of all of Tilly's grandsons, Dylan was the only one brought up by her, and she had put in a lot of effort to cultivate him, so their relationship was naturally quite a deep one.

Unfortunately, though, Dylan had suffered a setback and became crippled. His performance in bed had also been affected, and each time Tilly thought of this, she felt very pained by it. She wanted so badly to give Dylan the best of everything in this world to stop him from feeling bad about his situation. However, the women of Orapolis were too realistic. Currently, even Yasmine, who used to be deeply infatuated with Dylan, was no longer a visitor at the Colemans.

Although Tilly hardly stepped out of the mansion, she was fully aware of everything that was happening in Orapolis. Right now, Yasmine and the Zorns had set their sights on Frank Mendelson.

Frank was indeed an outstanding man, and he had always been vying for the top spot with Dylan, be it in public or furtively. Yasmine, who used to be deeply infatuated with Dylan, had now changed her mind and chose Frank over Dylan. Her action was clearly a snub to Dylan.

"Grandma, I don't need to see a urologist," Dylan rejected.

"I've told you all this because I want you to understand that Kendall has obviously suffered by marrying me, and she isn't the one taking advantage of me because I'm not a good match. Grandma, please don’t even think of kicking her out once I recover. I will only marry once in my lifetime, and since I've married her, I would hold her hand and remain married to her in this lifetime. The only exception would be if she abandons me and wishes to leave. Otherwise, we would remain married to each other forever. I hope that you can stop finding fault with her. You should realize that your grandson is now a disabled

person, and therefore, I no longer have the right to pick and choose my partner. You don't have a daughter, but you do have a granddaughter, so put yourself in the same position. Every normal being would definitely sympathize with their daughter if their daughter married a man like me."

Tilly responded, "The Parkers agreed for Kendall to marry you, so evidently, in this world, not every parent has their kids' best interests at heart."

"Yes, that's true. Not every parent has their kids' best interests at heart. After all, there was no test to determine whether one was suitable to be a parent before they gave birth. However, my parents-in-law were previously clueless about this as well. They aren't to be blamed for this. Kendall and I were the ones who decided to get married. It was my decision to conceal the marriage after signing the papers and not announce it. Grandma, if you're displeased because of this, direct your anger at me. Don't target my wife. She's quite timid, so I'm worried that she will be frightened by your actions. If she ends up getting nightmares and being awakened at night, that would be disruptive to my sleep as well."

As for Tilly, she opened and shut her mouth several times as she tried to come up with the words to say but failed.

Kendall had moved in for quite some time now, and although Tilly did not interfere in household matters, the latter was aware that the former was not only a daredevil but was also very thick-skinned. It was virtually impossible for Tilly to actually frighten Kendall into getting nightmares.

"Grandma, do you have anything else to say?"

She responded huffily, "You've said everything, so what else can I say?"

"I'll be on my way then. I wouldn’t want to disrupt you while you regulate your emotions. Grandma, if

you're still feeling annoyed, perhaps you could look at setting up Yoseph and the others on some blind dates. They're not youngsters anymore, but they're still quite flighty in their ways and refuse to settle down."

If Yoseph realized this, he was most likely going to lament, Dylan, what did I do wrong? Why am I implicated in this when I didn't even do anything?!

Tilly hurriedly mentioned, as soon as she noticed that he was about to walk out, "Hold on, Dylan. Be frank with me. Do you have plans to announce your relationship with Kendall to the public?"

 

Chapter 132

There was a tender look that flashed across Dylan’s face, but that swiftly changed as he turned expressionless soon enough. He said calmly, "I'm still coming up with a list of betrothal gifts, and once I’ve completed that list and prepared everything accordingly, I'll send it over to the Parkers. By then, I will announce my relationship with Kendall to the public."

She replied, "Are you planning to organize a wedding for her?"

Dylan responded with a question without answering her question, "Why not? I'll only be getting married once in my lifetime, so why should I keep a low profile? Everyone puts on a wedding dress when they get married and they also have a huge wedding celebration, so how can my wife lack what others have? Naturally, I will give her a lavish wedding ceremony so that she gets to marry into our family with style and be known as the Young Mistress of the Coleman Family."

He was determined not only to provide her with everything that most people owned, but whatever that others lacked, he would make sure that she had it regardless. From the moment that he had decided to spend the rest of his life with her, he had changed his mind. He no longer planned to torment her, but he was determined to regard her as his priority and shower her with affection. My wife deserves to be showered with affection after marriage!

"Oh, I have to contact the best wedding dress designer in town to custom-make a wedding dress for Kendall."

At that moment, Tilly nearly suffocated from her fury, and she tried to release her anger, but she couldn't seem to muster the will within her to do so. As such, she seethed inwardly.

Objectively speaking, she did not find Kendall a good match for her eldest grandson.

However, judging by the actual situation, Dylan was quite right. He was in such a deplorable state, that even if he married Kendall—this country bumpkin—it would be taking huge advantage of her.

"Grandma, could you please inform my parents? If they react too badly, get them to come back to me to take it out on me. I'll be waiting to face their wrath. If they’ve got other scores to settle with me, it's fine too. I'm not afraid of anything, and they can settle everything with me all at once."

Meanwhile, Tilly was speechless at his words.

Subsequently, he wheeled himself out of the room while holding on to the marriage certificate in his hand under Tilly's watchful eyes. He made his way toward the entrance and slowly made his way out.

Kendall, who was waiting outside, didn't intentionally eavesdrop on the conversation between the grandmother and grandson duo, but she couldn't help catching bits and pieces of the conversation. She was aware that Tilly was quite displeased with her and that Tilly was definitely unable to accept her as Tilly's granddaughter-in-law.

As soon as Kendall heard the sound of a wheelchair approaching, she realized that Dylan was about to come out of the room, so she quickly entered the room. Indeed, she found him about to wheel himself out of the room.

"Dylan." She stepped forward to wheel him out.

At the same time, she took a furtive look at Tilly.

Kendall noticed that Tilly was standing still in her original position with an ashen expression, and evidently, Tilly simmered with anger.

Kendall hurriedly retracted her gaze and focused on wheeling Dylan out of the luxurious living room.

"Clang!" Behind them, there was a sudden commotion of things crashing to the ground.

At that moment, Kendall paused in her tracks.

"Ignore her," Dylan’s low voice rang out.

As such, Kendall continued to wheel him out of the room without bothering to turn back.

Finally, Kendall heaved a deep sigh of relief upon leaving the main house. Though the living room looked bright and welcoming, somehow, she felt a sense of oppression while she was inside. For some reason, Tilly was the only one inside the room, but Kendall couldn’t help getting a breathless sensation, and it felt as if she was in a crowded area.

"Dylan, did Old Madam Coleman want you to divorce me?"

He didn't answer her question but directed a question at her, "Do you wish to get a divorce? You seem to have suggested getting a divorce more than once in front of me."

She quickly explained, "No, I'm not looking forward to getting a divorce, but we've got such a huge gap in our backgrounds and your family members dislike me. They will not accept me, so it's normal for them to wish for us to get divorced."

"I am the one who decides for myself regarding my personal matters. As long as you don't bring up the topic of divorce, I would never file for divorce. Even if you do bring up the topic of divorce, I would never agree to it either. You were the one who shamelessly asked for me to marry you, and I gave you a chance to change your mind, but you didn’t take it. So don't blame me for being ruthless and domineering."

At that point, she couldn't contain her smile. "I would never ask to divorce you, Dylan. After all, I've latched onto such a powerful man like you. I'm quite comfortable riding on your coattails."

"You must have thought that I'm rich and powerful, so that's why you shamelessly requested for me to marry you, right?"

"No, that's not true."

"What was your reason behind that decision then?"

"I'm grateful for what you've done for me, so I wanted to repay your favor. However, I didn't have a penny on me, so I only had myself to offer up as repayment for your kindness."

He scoffed, "You're quite good at concocting a story. You should become a writer! I could contact some publishers on your behalf. I'm positive that the publishers will publish your work, and it will surely be a top-selling book!"

He had plenty of money, so once her book was published, with a flick of his hand, he could easily buy out everything.

Meanwhile, she chuckled gleefully, "Thanks for pointing out a way for me to make more money, Dylan.

I'll write something in my spare time and send it off to be published. Once it becomes a top seller, I'll sell off the movie rights to the book and design a game based on the book as well. I'll definitely be raking in the money by then!"

After a brief pause, she continued, "Dylan, don't ask when you helped me out. Anyway, it did happen, and you gave me a helping hand during my most despondent moment. I had a taste of sincere kindness and this is something that I would not forget for the rest of my life."

"Of course, undeniably, you are a very rich and powerful man."

He scoffed coldly, "At times, you seem quite cowardly, but then you do have your daring moments. However, you're not exactly a daredevil because you can get quite timid at times." She was the only one in Orapolis who dared to claim that she enjoyed riding on his coattails after latching onto him. However, he wasn’t the slightest bit offended or disgusted by her words, which came as a huge surprise to him. He somehow felt immensely proud to be latched onto by her. This is so strange!

"Kendall."

"Yes?"

"Once our relationship is announced to the public, you will have to face a lot of issues. Are you afraid of that? Let's not mention public opinion just yet, but even just at home, my grandma and my mom would be a source of headaches. Grandma may appear to be affable and kind of a grandmotherly figure, but she can turn into the most ruthless person ever."

Kendall smiled. "I am aware that Old Madam Coleman has great skills in running the household and handling different relationships. She used to be a formidable presence in the corporate world as she

stood by your grandpa's side. She was ruthless in her ways of stabilizing Coleman Empire Holdings and brought up an impressive grandson like you, so I don't think she would be a kind and affable lady. She does have a weak spot, though. You’re her weak spot. She sincerely dotes on you, so she will definitely take your feelings into consideration. Regardless of how much she dislikes me, the worst thing she could do is to make life miserable for me, but she won’t resort to anything more drastic than that because she would be afraid of triggering your anger. Anyway, I just have to cling on tightly to your coattails and I should be undefeatable. I would not have to be afraid of anything at all because you would be there to defend me."

Meanwhile, Dylan responded, "You're the only one who can make such shameless claims sound so great."

"Thanks for praising me, Dylan."

Dylan turned his head to look at her and noticed that she had a smug expression on her face. At that moment, he didn't quite know how to react. However, he knew that this was the outcome of his doting on her. She wouldn't dare do this without his affection for her.

They headed along while they remained in conversation with each other, and soon enough, they arrived back at Dylan's house.

She wheeled him directly into her room, and as soon as she shut the door, she turned around to lean against the door and sneer coldly at him.

Meanwhile, he remained quite composed as he lifted his hand to unbutton his shirt.

She was perplexed by his move and couldn't help asking, "Dylan, do you want to take off your shirt?

Why are you taking it off?" Is it too hot in here? Or does he wish to take a shower?

Dylan continued to unbutton his shirt slowly, and with each move he made, his firm and sexy chest muscles were gradually revealed.

Kendall's eyes shone upon seeing that.

 

 

Chapter 133

"You wanted to settle the score with me, right? I wanted to prevent my shirt from being ripped into pieces, so I've taken the initiative to take it off first. You can do whatever you want, be it pinch me, grab me or bite me. It's up to you. If anyone asks me about it tomorrow when I go back to the company, I'll just tell them that I've got a ferocious kitten at home and that I was scratched by my kitten."

Kendall thought to herself, He keeps saying that I'm shameless, but he's no better!

"Take it off then. Go ahead. You should strip naked if you've got the balls, and let me take a photo of you in your full glory to sell it to the tabloids. I'm sure that I would make a windfall from that."

At that moment, Dylan paused in his action of unbuttoning his shirt, and he lifted his head to look at her with a cold look in his eyes. He warned her with a cold voice and he seemed to be speaking through clenched teeth, "Kendall, I'm warning you, there will be consequences if you actually sell photos of me to the tabloid!"

She went over to him and took the marriage certificate in his hand as she flung it onto the large bed not too far from them. Subsequently, she placed both hands on the two sides of his wheelchair and bent her body to smile at him. Her smile was radiant.

"Dylan, I'm so scared!"

Meanwhile, Dylan grimaced in response.

"I know that you must be afraid to strip naked, so I won't get the chance to take a photo for the tabloids."

At that moment, Dylan thought, I will definitely show you my impressiveness someday! You'll be begging me for mercy by then. Wait and see! I'll seek revenge once I've recovered! You definitely won't be able to get out of bed at all after ten rounds!

Meanwhile, in Kendall's mind, Dylan, are you seriously able to manage ten rounds?

Dylan thought, Actually no! Hah! That's embarrassing. I shouldn't have made exaggerated claims. It's quite hard to deny it afterward.

"You were the one who took my marriage certificate and yet you blamed me for not storing it properly. Dylan, you're mean!"

She moved her hands to his shirt and gripped it tightly. She was quite rough when she pulled his shirt apart with both hands. She behaved the same way as before when she left markings on his body. At that moment, the buttons that he hadn't managed to undo fell to the ground as she tore his shirt.

He thought, That is so rough of her, but I like it! My woman's very impressive with her skills in martial arts. She could even bring the Mendelson bodyguards down on their backs.

"You're so slow. Where's your sincerity?"

She scanned his body carefully. "Where is the mark that I gave you before this? It's gone. I guess I have replace it with another one then."

As she spoke, she lowered her head and bit him ferociously on his left shoulder.

He drew his breath from the pain, but he held it in and didn't push her aside.

"It was my fault for rendering you unconscious and taking away the marriage certificate in the past," Dylan admitted his mistake.

"Are you worried that I would flaunt the marriage certificate to everyone?"

He remained silent before responding, "I didn't intend to regard you as my wife after we signed the papers."

As such, he didn't want anyone else to realize that they were married to each other, so the safest way was for him to safeguard the marriage certificates by himself.

"Alright," she affirmed.

He had previously mentioned that he had married her with the intention of tormenting her. However, he had merely attempted that once and caused her to have diarrhea. After that, he stopped everything. He had actually shown her mercy and let her off the hook.

"Kendall."

"Yeah?" Kendall felt the spot where she had just bitten him. She had bitten him very hard earlier, so there was a deep, etched bite mark on the spot.

"I'll organize a lavish wedding for you."

"Thanks."

His expression was unreadable. "You don't have to thank me. We're married to each other, so you really don't have to behave so courteously around me."

"Does it hurt?"

"Yes."

"Why didn't you make any sound then?"

He wrapped his hands around hers to prevent her from touching him, as he didn't want to end up aroused.

"If I made a sound, would you have stopped?"

"No, I would still bite you, and I would bite you harder. That's the only way for me to vent my anger!"

"Since that's the case, what's the point in me yelping in pain?"

Kendall responded, "Dylan, I'm happy that you're willing to organize a lavish wedding for me, but I would be much happier if we could proceed with the ceremony with you standing by my side."

He spoke in a low voice, "Ultimately, you're still quite mindful of my disability."

He lowered his head to prevent her from seeing his expression so that she would misunderstand that he was currently quite dejected.

She quickly squatted by his side and took his hand in hers. She placed her palm against his to show him that their hearts were intertwined.

"Dylan, I'm not mindful of your disability. You do have the chance to regain your mobility, so why should you miss this opportunity? I'm doing this for your sake, but you keep thinking the worst of me. If I was mindful of your disability, I wouldn't even touch you at all. What more to kiss you."

He remained silent.

"Darling," Kendall piped up coyly, "Darling, stop being upset, alright? My wish is for you to lead a happy life every day and smile at me every single day. You look the best when you're smiling, but you're only allowed to smile at me and not at any other woman!"

"You're so overbearing!" He said that in a low voice.

Just then, he lifted his head, and Kendall noticed that his expression wasn't an upset one at all. She blinked her eyes and seemed to catch on to something. In response, she pinched his face slightly angrily and huffed, "You've tricked me again!"

"I didn't say that I was upset. You were the one who assumed it." Dylan took her into his arms.

At that moment, she filled his arms and he enjoyed the feeling of having a warm body in his arms.

"Kendall, I'll definitely regain my mobility, but it will take time. I need time and perseverance to complete physiotherapy as well. If you wish for me to stand by your side as we proceed with our ceremony, let's postpone our wedding to a later stage."

She remained snuggled in his arms and her voice sounded quite gentle, "Sure, let's postpone our wedding. We're both quite busy right now, so we don't have the time for the wedding preparation either."

She had just joined Parker Corporation, and she hadn't even found her way around yet.

"Yea."

Dylan lowered his head and kissed her on the earlobe before pushing her away gently as he spoke, "I'll go back to my room to change my clothes."

Meanwhile, Kendall looked at the shirt that had been ripped into two by her and smiled, "You look quite sexy and I'm so turned on, but it's such a shame. I'm only able to admire this but I can't enjoy any of this."

In response, Dylan pursed his lips and remained silent. She's tantalizing me so brazenly because she thinks that I can't perform!

…

"Grandma, what's wrong?"

"Grandma, let us know who made you so upset? We'll seek revenge for you."

Yoseph and Alice were significantly shocked to find the living room of the main house in shambles as soon as they walked into the house.

Their grandmother was usually quite mindful of being in a neutral and restful state as she aged, and she hardly lost her temper. She would not have smashed things like what was seen in front of them right now.

Dylan had gone off with Kendall for quite some time now, but Tilly remained angry. She felt her chest hurt from the burst of anger, and she also felt sorry for Dylan.

Huffily, she replied, "Other than Dylan, would there be anyone else who had the ability to anger me?"

Alice took a step forward and sat down. At the same time, she clutched Tilly's arm and comforted her. "Grandma, don't be angry. That's just how Dylan is, and you know that too. Don't take him too seriously. It's not worth affecting your health for that."

As for Yoseph, he asked with concern, "Grandma, what did Dylan do?"

"Do you guys know what sort of identity Kendall had when she moved into our house?"

Alice's pretty eyes flickered. "I thought she was a caregiver? Dylan brought her back here to exact revenge on her."

"Hah! Caregiver?! Exact revenge?! Only a dummy would trust him!"

 

Chapter 134

As Old Madam Coleman wielded her anger with a slap on her thigh, she could not feel any sensation. However, her precious granddaughter started to groan beside her.

"What's the matter with you, Ally?" she asked while suspiciously looking at Alice.

Alice grumbled as a response, "Grandma, you just slapped my thigh instead of yours." The impact was so powerful that her thighs felt like they were on fire.

Old Madam Coleman looked down and immediately retracted her hand. She quickly stretched her hand out and rubbed the area where Alice had been slapped. "Ally, does it hurt? I have no idea why I just did that. No wonder I couldn't feel it; I assumed that my old legs were numb."

"Grandma, what makes you so angry about Kendall? How did she get permission to live with us?" Alice asked with curiosity.

Old Madam Coleman frowned and rebuked angrily, "Kendall is married to your brother and the day they received their marriage certificate happened to be the same day she slit her wrist. Dylan was way too secretive to be hiding such an important matter."

Alice was completely taken aback. "Marriage certificate? Does that make Kendall my sister-in-law now?"

"She's not your sister-in-law, Ally. I don't like her being your sister-in-law."

Old Madam Coleman was now filled with a rage that she had nowhere to vent to. As a result, she refused to acknowledge Kendall's identity. "What does she think of the Colemans? Who exactly does

she think Dylan is? Does she think she can marry whenever she wants and cut her wrist whenever she refuses?"

"Grandma, I think it's fine as long as Dylan adores her. I already knew that they are husband and wife and I can see he treats her well," Yoseph stated.

As soon as he finished his sentence, Old Madam Coleman and Alice both looked at him. He then realized that being a busybody could bring him troubles.

Old Madam Coleman was enraged because Yoseph would irritate her everytime she spoke. "Yoseph, you already knew about their marriage? Why am I just hearing about this?!" she yelled.

"Grandma, if Dylan doesn’t say anything about it, why should I? He will torment me for sure. Furthermore, you didn’t even help me out when he disciplined me last time!"

"Very well!" Old Madam Coleman chuckled.

"Yoseph, I see you're almost thirty this year, just about the same age as Steve, but you're two months older. At that time, your mother and Aunt Julie both gave birth in the same year, so I had two grandchildren in a year. For a while, I was overjoyed and clearly remembered your age."

"You have a great memory, Grandma. I'm fifteen years old this year and still very young. I will always be your cute little kiddo," Yoseph added.

"I heard from my old friend, Mrs. Morris, that her granddaughter will return from abroad next week. She is two years younger than you. When she comes back, I want you to pick her up at the airport and

befriend her."

This is clearly a blind date in disguise. As Yoseph heard her instructions, he instantly rubbed his stomach and said to Old Madam Coleman, "Grandma, I think I had too much barbecue in the afternoon and I'm having an upset stomach. I need to see a doctor first." He turned around and ran away as fast as he could after answering his grandmother.

He did not want to have blind date with Mrs. Morris' granddaughter.

Jane had a gentle name, but she did not inherit the kind temperament of her name. When they used to fight as children, she was always scratching his face; the pain made him cry and she even made fun of his tears. It was shameful!

Although twenty years had passed, he still remembered Jane as the girl who was two years younger and enjoyed fighting with him.

"You can run away this time, but you can't run away forever!"

"I'll wait till Jane comes back before searching for a way to bring you to her!" Old Madam Coleman hummed. After that, she turned to look at her granddaughter.

Alice, who had a strong desire to 'survive', quickly declared, "Grandma, I only just found out that Kendall's my sister-in-law."

Old Madam Coleman hugged her affectionately. "I know my good-natured granddaughter is not as sneaky as her lying brothers. I'll be sad to even marry you off so soon! Don't worry, there won't be any blind dates for you."

"Thank you for your mercy, Grandma."

"You've watched too many dramas, kid." The grandmother pinched Alice's cheeks lightly before Alice's amused smile finally melted Old Madam Coleman's sullen mood.

…

Over at Glade Villa District, Kelly parked her car in front of Jackson's villa. Out of habit, she looked around to make sure that she was not followed before getting out of the car with her bag. She then quickly walked to the door and rang the doorbell.

Soon, Jackson came out to open the door for her.

"Where's your servant?" she asked casually.

"I gave them a day off since we're going to have our private time." After he was discharged from the hospital, he did not return to the Whittle Family but moved into a villa under his own name instead.

She smiled and said, "Even if they're present, we can also talk privately. I'm sure they won't even think of eavesdropping.

Jackson then took her hand and went into the house with her.

"When did you get discharged?"

"In the evening."

"Are you okay now? Do you still feel dizzy?"

"I'm feeling fine. I left the hospital after the doctor permitted my discharge. I have been unlucky lately and I've always had to go to the hospital."

Jackson's luck seemed to have decreased ever since Kelly decided to stop going after him. She undoubtedly brought him good luck and fortune, but he could not marry her right now.

"Why don't we go to church this Sunday and have our prayers heard?" She also felt that his luck was deteriorating recently, which also affected her.

"I don't believe that. If prayers did work, churches would be crowded every single day."

The two of them entered the house while conversing. As soon as she entered the room, Kelly was perplexed by the astronomical number of flowers in the room.

Those were her favorite type of roses. There were delicate roses all over the place—on the floor, the table and the couch.

"How lovely!" She let go of Jackson's hand and walked over to the flowers while carefully bending down. Her eyes squinted in joy as she inhaled the scent of the flowers.

After that, Jackson approached Kelly from behind and when she stood up, he wrapped his arms around her waist. Then, he buried his face in the back of her neck while greedily inhaling her fragrance. "Do you like it, Kelly?"

"Yes, I love it."

"That's great news; my efforts have not been in vain. By the way, what took you so long at the Zorns? You've spent the entire afternoon there."

Kelly stepped forward slightly before reaching for a bouquet of flowers on the coffee table. She then leaned dangerously close to Jackson's body and said, "It was all because of you. I went swimming with Yasmine in the afternoon and I was exhausted."

After hearing that, he showed an appreciative expression and anticipated a favorable response. "You're the best, Kelly. Will Miss Zorn forgive me?"

"These flowers smell amazing and they bloom beautifully too. I like them very much." Instead of responding, she changed the subject. With this, Jackson knew the answer—Kelly could not get Yasmine to let him off the hook.

So, that only means one thing… I can only do as my father has instructed, which is to marry Krystal Caddel.

Only by doing so could he save the Whittles. For the sake of being relatives, the Zorns would no longer hold him accountable for ruining Yasmine's birthday party.

Jackson suddenly felt a sense of embarrassment by resorting to this.

 

 

Chapter 135

"Kelly." Jackson pressed her against the couch before bringing two glasses of red wine that he had prepared beforehand. "Let's have a toast to this beautiful night," he said affectionately as he handed one of the glasses to her.

Kelly took the glass of wine, set down the bouquet and clinked glasses with him. After that, she took a sip to taste the wine and stopped drinking. However, seeing how Jackson finished it in one shot, she took another sip.

"Do you want to say anything to me, Jackson?"

"Kelly, do you really love me?" he asked gently with his gaze fixated on her, not wanting to miss any changes in her expression.

"Of course, I love you." She looked at him and answered sincerely, "Jackson, don’t doubt my feelings for you. Even if other men fancies me, I will never change my mind."

"Really?" Jackson lifted her hand—which was holding the wine glass—and leaned forward to take two sips of the wine from the glass she just drank. "Kelly, why aren't you drinking your wine? Are you afraid that I drugged your wine?"

When she heard that, Kelly gently pinched his ears and replied, "Jackson, you're making me sad by saying that. Why would I even think that? What are you trying to tell me tonight?"

"Kelly, in fact, I was the one who drugged myself last night."

"I know, Yasmine told me. There are surveillance cameras installed throughout the Zorn Mansion and

there are no blind spots."

He snorted twice but sarcastically.

If the surveillance cameras in the Zorn Mansion had covered all viewing angles, then they would have known who placed a sack over his head, beat him and forced him to drink the poisoned wine. However, there was no news from the Zorn Family, which implied that their statement was false. Or worse, the Zorns could have been covering up for whoever had beaten him.

"Kelly, you are the person whom I love." Jackson sipped more wine from her glass before lifting her chin and pressing his lips against hers. During their kiss, he took advantage of the entanglement of their lips and tongues, transferring the wine in his mouth to hers and forcing her to swallow it.

"Jackson." After the kiss, Kelly's face resembled a peach and she was breathing heavily. Her beautiful eyes narrowed and she lifted her chin slightly, inviting Jackson to kiss her again.

"I adore you as well, Jackson. I loved you then, I love you now and I always will."

He laughed as he heard her words. He took the wine glass from her grasp, sipped the wine and forced her to drink it the same way he had forced her just moments before. In their repeated entanglement of their lips and tongues, a glass of wine was drained.

"Kelly, let me love you well." Jackson did not let go of her when the last sip of wine was fed into her mouth, but he instead deepened the kiss and pressed her entire body onto the couch to lie down. He eventually landed on top of her since there had always been requited love between them.

Kelly could not resist the tension while under the influence of alcohol, no matter how hard she tried. In the end, she succumbed.

However, when she awoke from the incident, she gave Jackson a slap without hesitation.

"Kelly," he groaned while holding his slapped face and asked, "Why did you slap me?"

Kelly's eyes were bright red with rage; tears eventually slipped out the corners of her eyes and rolled down her cheeks. "Jackson Whittle, you're plotting against me! There's something in the wine, isn't there?" She would not have surrendered herself in such a dazed manner otherwise.

In the past, no matter how passionate they were for each other, she was still able to get out of her head and stop Jackson from progressing any further. But this time, she could not stop herself because of that glass of wine; there must be something in it.

"Kelly, how am I plotting against you? There's nothing in the glass, so how am I doing so? You are the woman I love the most. Isn't it natural for us to take the next step in our relationship after being in love with each other for so long?"

Jackson drew her into his embrace. "Kelly, I can assure you that I'll take responsibility for you. Wait till I solve the family's crisis and take over the Whittles, I will undoubtedly divorce Krystal and marry you."

"What did you say?" Kelly turned her head abruptly; her movements were too violent to the point where she collided with Jackson's chin, causing him to cry out in pain.

"Jackson Whittle, what did you say? You'll divorce Krystal? You mean, you want to be responsible for her and marry her too?"

He responded apologetically, "Kelly, I'm helpless here. The Whittles have offended the Colemans. No, it's actually a rumor, but others took it seriously and continued attacking our family. My father and I went looking for Master Dylan, but there's no way to meet him." He continued, "Last night, my mind was foggy and I inadvertently offended the Colemans. The Whittles will be defeated if the Zorn Family makes another move."

"Kelly, I can't bear watching the Whittles collapse just like this, I believe you can't bear to see my family bankrupt as this is your future in-law's family too! I assaulted Krystal, so I have no choice but to take responsibility. But don't worry, even if I do marry her, she will only be my nominal wife; you're the only woman I want."

Kelly's face went pale upon hearing his words.

Jackson is absolutely shameless!

Now that he decides to be held accountable for Krystal, somehow he still did Kelly… What's his problem? Does he want Kelly to be his secret lover?

Jackson was just a fish in the ocean, anyway. As long as she wanted to get married, Brian could marry her immediately.

When she thought of Brian, her heart ached upon the thought of her losing her virginity to Jackson. She was furious before she gave Jackson a hard push. Then, she stood up and yelled with her finger pointed at him, "Jackson, what did you take me for? You've decided to marry Krystal, but… Are you planning to make me your mistress?"

"Is this your love for me? You are downright shameless, Jackson! You are a jerk!" Kelly slapped him while scolding.

Jackson did not resist her attacks before he grabbed her hand and pulled her into his arms. He said in a hushed tone, "When I agreed to your conspiracy plan to deal with Kendall and marry her, you said that you can be my secret lover just for our success. Until we succeed, I can divorce Kendall and marry you."

"You said you would never touch Kendall," Kelly said.

"I'm also promising you now that I'm not going to touch Krystal."

That additional promise made Kelly speechless. She despised herself for having said such things in the first place. That was probably to persuade him to assist her in dealing with Kendall.

"Kelly." After kissing her tenderly, Jackson coaxed softly, "You can rest assured that you'll always be in my heart and I promise I'll never touch Krystal. Until the crisis plaguing the Whittle Family is over and your plan succeeds, we'll make our relationship public and I'll marry you."

"Kelly, do you still want to take over Parker Corporation?" he whispered in her ear with his words hinting threat.

 

 

Chapter 136

As Kelly abruptly raised her head to meet Jackson's gaze, she felt chills. It was true that she loved Jackson and she never doubted his feelings for her, but she discovered that he also had a dark side.

The two looked at each other for a brief moment before she softly inquired, "Can you really promise not to lay a finger on Krystal? Will you really marry me someday? Will you assist me with my plan?"

"Without a doubt."

Jackson wrapped her hands in his and said sweetly, "Kelly, we've been on the same boat since the beginning. I can't get off the boat and so can't you. We can only reach the shore if we go forward together."

"You have to keep our relationship a secret."

After a brief pause, he responded, "Are you seeing Brian as your safety net? He is indeed more outstanding than I am and he outperforms me in every way. Everyone else will say you're blind for not choosing him."

"No." Kelly refused to admit it.

"Jackson, you are aware of my feelings for you. You can't question me like this by claiming that Brian is better than you. If I wanted to choose him, I would have been with him long ago. You already knew I was innocent from our moment just now."

Jackson gave her a gentle glance. "You're right; I'm just suspicious, but I won't doubt you any longer."

After chatting for a while, Kelly was ready to go home.

"Will you stay for the night, Kelly?" Jackson asked reluctantly. They had just done the most intimate thing a husband and wife could do. Why not invite her to spend the night?

She gently pushed his hand away from him and said, "I need to return home before my parents become concerned about me. I have to go to work tomorrow as well." Once again, she turned around to hug him and kiss him on the cheek before saying tenderly, "Jackson, let's meet again when you're free on the weekend. I'm very busy these days, so I'm taking a few days off to catch up on my overwhelming work. You must properly handle Whittle Holdings' crisis."

"You used to say you'd make me the most honorable woman in Orapolis, so you have to work extra hard. Only when the Whittles catch up to the Colemans would I be able to claim the title of the most respected woman." Otherwise, Kelly would be overwhelmed by the women from those upper-class wealthy families.

Jackson said to her as he waved her off, "Kelly, I promise you'll get there. One day, I will make you the most honorable woman in Orapolis and have everyone be jealous of you. Kendall won't even worth a dime by then."

She laughed at his promise as if she was going to be the most honorable woman in Orapolis.

"Drive carefully and text me when you get home." He helped her to open the car door and watched her get into the car while reminding her. She then drove away thereafter.

Jackson was left standing at the entrance of the villa as he watched her car leave. He did not turn

around until the car disappeared from his sight.

Twenty minutes later, Kelly returned to Parker's Villa.

Since it was the weekend, Adam did not have to socialize, so he spent his time out and about with his wife and they had not returned yet. Kelly sighed with relief when she realized her adoptive parents were not home as well.

She dashed into her room and locked it before running into the bathroom. Then, she filled the bathtub with water, sat in it and scrubbed her body aggressively. Tears of humiliation could not help but roll down her cheek.

Jackson had taken her virginity, but he wanted to marry Krystal. She was no longer a virgin; she wanted to be with Brian, but she was afraid that he would be disgusted by her…

Kelly lay in the bathtub while looking up at the ceiling, then muttered to herself, "Kelly, you think you're so smart but you were duped by Jackson's trick. Now, you're being threatened by him and you're nothing but a secret lover!"

She felt that her and Jackson's luck had gone bad after returning from the Colemans.

"Kendall!" Kelly gritted her teeth as she said, "The Parker's is mine! I have worked so hard to take over the Parker Corporation and there's no way I'll let you take that away from me!"

…

"A-choo!" Kendall, who was in deep sleep, woke up with a sneeze and did not take it seriously.

However, the man beside her was quick to cover her with the sheets for the fear that she would catch a cold from the air conditioner. He caressed her forehead and after confirming that her body temperature was normal, Dylan then lay down at ease.

He stared at the ceiling for a while before closing his eyes, trying to make himself fall asleep again.

"Baby…" Kendall suddenly muttered to herself.

"Baby, give me a smile. Baby…" She was grinning hard as she called out 'baby'.

She had a dream in which she made the baby laugh. At six months, the baby was able to sit up. The baby loved to laugh and her laugh was adorable.

When their eyes met, the baby would smile before reaching out with her arms for cuddles. She had delicate features and anyone who saw her would say that she would be stunning when she grew up. So, how could Jackson and Kelly be so callous as to kill this baby?

The scene in Kendall's dream abruptly changed and it became a scene of the baby being thrown to the ground.

"Baby—" Kendall let out a piercing cry.

Only a mother could understand her fear and pain at that time; her eyes welled up and tears streamed down her cheeks.

Dylan did not wake her up like he did the previous time. Instead, he stood there quietly watching her

laugh and cry. He soon heard her muttering to herself once more, "Dylan... If there is an afterlife, I will most certainly marry you!"

He pursed his lips and had a mysterious but serene expression on his face when he heard that. He understood why she wanted to marry him after her suicide attempt.

It turned out that she had a nightmare and he probably had helped her in her dream. Moreover, she also stated that she married him because of his help and that was the only way she could repay him.

Kendall gradually calmed down and returned to her sound sleep. Dylan placed his hand gently on her face to wipe away the tears. He then leaned forward to kiss the corner of her mouth softly and whispered in her ear, "Kendall, whatever your reason may be, as long as you don't regret it, I won't regret marrying you either."

"I hope your dreams are always beautiful and I wish to stay in them, forever bringing you joy and nothing painful." He took her hands into his, tightly clasped her fingers and laughed, "I will hold your hand and stay with you forever!"

The couple slept soundly for the remainder of the night. Kendall had no more nightmares and Dylan was unconcerned about that lingering dream.

Suddenly, Kendall was startled awake by the rumbling thunder. She opened her eyes to find that it was already bright outside. Despite the fact that the sky had brightened, it still felt gloomy as it was a rainy day.

She turned to look at the man beside her and saw that he was still deep asleep. She sat up quietly and about to get out of bed. At this moment, she turned to face him once more and a thought was ignited in

her head. What a waste of a chance if I don't take advantage of my lovely husband before he wakes up!

 

Chapter 137

As a result, Kendall turned around, bent down and gave Dylan several pecks carefully. She also caressed his face before getting out of bed in satisfaction.

"The flowers!" She suddenly remembered the flowers in the yard. She had no idea how those delicate flowers would fare in such a downpour as she quickly changed into her work clothes and rushed out of the room.

"Good morning, Miss Kendall." Amos was leading a few bodyguards as they came in from outside with umbrellas. They were all carrying food boxes in their hands.

When Amos noticed Kendall was about to leave, he quickly handed her an umbrella and explained, "Young Mistress Kendall, I just went to the kitchen to get you and the Young Master Dylan some breakfast. It's raining today and I'm afraid the food will get wet if they bring it over, so I went to get it myself."

"You should have your breakfast before going out."

"How are the flowers in the yard, Mr. Miller?"

Realization hit Amos and he said with a smile, "Don't worry, Miss Kendall. When I heard the thunder this early morning, I got up and moved all the blooming potted flowers into the greenhouse."

Kendall came to a halt as she heard his words. "That's terrific. I was concerned that the heavy rain would shatter those delicate flowers." She was no longer in a hurry to leave now that Amos had resolved the issue. She placed the umbrella back to its original position and went back into the house with Amos and the bodyguards.

As she noticed the retro-style food boxes in their hands, she inquired, "Where is the kitchen, Mr. Miller? Is it a long distance away? These food boxes, like the ancient food boxes, are all retro-style."

Amos placed the food boxes on the dining table, lifted the lid and took out the food that was prepared in the kitchen.

"The kitchen is roughly the same distance from each courtyard. If you are interested, Young Mistress Kendall, I will take you to visit the kitchen another time. There is a plethora of ingredients available, all of which are guaranteed to be fresh. They spent a lot of money to invite these chefs from big hotels and they are all excellent cooks."

Kendall was aware that each course of meals was delicious as she frequently accompanied Dylan to his meals. She also started to like certain foods after tasting them from the hands of these amazing chefs.

Thank goodness I have to run errands around the household everyday; otherwise, I would have gained at least thirty pounds from all these delicacies.

"Young Mistress Kendall, is Master Dylan up?"

Kendall was starting to feel hungry as she looked at the breakfast laid out on the table by Amos and the bodyguards.

"He's awake. Let me help him out," she answered. With that, she turned around and left.

With a very convincing reason, she returned to the room, washed up and groomed calmly before assisting Dylan out.

As soon as she walked out of the room, she was surprised to see that the hall was crowded. "Why are there suddenly so many people here? Did we enter wrongly, Dylan?" she asked Dylan while she was about to push him back to the room and enter the hall again.

"Kendall," Dylan called her name in a hushed tone. She then abandoned her plan to re-enter the hall.

"I called Tia and requested that she notify all of the butlers to come here."

Kendall was dumbfounded. She felt that her reaction had embarrassed him, so she pretended to be indifferent and calm. "Dylan, why are there so many butlers in each room and courtyard?" she inquired.

"There are butlers in the mansion in addition to other butlers in each house and courtyard. The butlers are divided into two groups—inner and outer houses. Therefore, it is much needed for this many butlers."

She knew that the Coleman Mansion was huge; the fact that she would still get lost while visiting the mansion alone was the best proof. She was also aware that The Coleman had a large number of servants and bodyguards. It did not sound like a large group at first, but she found out how many people there actually were when she saw them today.

With only the butlers present, the hall was already full. The Coleman Mansion would be overcrowded if the servants, bodyguards and drivers were all included.

"Why did you invite them over? It's pouring outside today," she asked Dylan despite having a vague

answer in her heart.

He did not respond, instead, he motioned her to push him forward.

The butlers were standing according to gender and height. Even though there were many people in the same outfit, they stood neatly and it was clear that they were all well-trained.

Kendall had lived in the Coleman Mansion for a long time, but she still had a limited understanding of his wealthy family. People who wanted to become butlers had to be like the elites in the corporate world. In order to be promoted, their background and performance had to be excellent. Being a butler in the Coleman Family was comparable to holding a senior position in a large corporation—the pay and benefits were particularly attractive.

"Good morning, Master Dylan." When Dylan approached, everyone greeted him in unison.

After he waited for everyone to greet him, he turned his head to look at Kendall before gazing at the people in front of him. In a deep voice, he announced, "I summoned everyone here today to acknowledge our Young Mistress Kendall. Ms. Parker—who is standing behind me—is my legal wife, therefore, the Young Mistress of the Coleman Family."

"Starting today, the position of Colemans' Young Mistress is equal to that of mine. You have to respect her as you respect me, vice versa."

Everyone's jaws dropped when they heard him. No one knew Dylan was married except for Amos and Tia.

Tia only found out last night when she overheard Old Madam Coleman losing her temper; that was

when she knew Dylan and Kendall were married. At the thought of Old Madam Coleman's request to trouble Kendall, Tia did not sleep well all night.

"The rules of the Coleman Family do not apply to Miss Kendall. If any of you have opinions on whatever she does, regardless of right or wrong, you can come to me and I will handle it myself. You cannot, however, make your own rules and speak down to her."

"She only needs to abide by one rule in the Coleman Family and that is to love and respect me as her husband," Dylan added coldly.

Kendall was rendered speechless by his words and her face was probably as red as a boiled shrimp.

"Tia." Dylan deliberately called out Tia as she was the butler of the main mansion. She was the Coleman Family's butlers' de facto leader.

"Yes, Master Dylan. Please make your request." She appeared respectful as she awaited his orders.

"Let Old Madam Coleman know whatever I've just said. If she doesn't think it's acceptable, I'll talk to her when I get home tonight. I'll just be blunt; my wife is someone who should be loved and cherished, not trampled on. Therefore, no matter who you are, you should fully respect my wife!"

Dylan's final sentence was a warning to the family's elders. He forbade them from oppressing his wife simply because they were the elders. Even if his family was to give his wife a hard time, he would not let it go unpunished.

 

Chapter 138

At this point, anyone who plans to upset Kendall in any way shall prepare to handle Dylan's explosive temper; his destructive scale is undoubtedly ranked top of the family.

"Master Dylan, I'll be sure to relay your message to Old Madam Coleman without any omission," Tia affirmed respectfully.

Dylan cast a quick glance around the room while his cold face and sharp eyes made everyone shiver. "That's all I have to say. Get back to work, everyone."

"Yes."

After that, Kendall brought him toward the dining hall. As soon as the butlers left in an orderly manner, the janitors immediately came to mop the floor several times before ensuring the hall was spotless.

As Kendall was sitting in the dining hall faced with a table full of delicacies, she did not devour any of them. She felt a lump in her throat as she knew she was on the verge of tears. Happy, moving tears.

"Do you not like the choice of breakfast today? Or do they taste bad? If they do, I'll have them removed immediately and the chefs can bid goodbye to their one-month-worth bonus."

"No." She responded quickly, "It's just that I am fairly moved, Dylan. I wanted to cry but am too embarrassed to do so. I couldn't eat because it felt like something was in my throat."

She had always acknowledged Dylan's power, not only within the Coleman Family, but also in Orapolis. He was known as the 'evil god' because he was both the god and the devil! It was not until the meeting just now that she finally realized his immense tolerance toward her. Otherwise, she could easily be out

on the street with just a flick of his finger. Thank you for your mercy, Dylan!

At this moment, Dylan hooked his finger and motioned her to come over. Kendall knowingly followed his instruction. His slender fingers first landed on her cheeks, then lightly traced along the other parts of her face. Just as she was enjoying this intimate moment, he suddenly pinched her face; the pinch was so hard that she instinctively slapped his hand away until he released his grip.

Kendall rubbed her pinched face and glared angrily at Dylan. Her rage, on the other hand, appeared to be lovely and cute in his eyes.

"Does it hurt?" His deep voice inquired.

An upset Kendall replied, "Why don't you let me do it to you instead and you can tell me the answer?"

"It's good you're feeling something. Are you still too moved to eat then?"

She was completely speechless when she heard his response.

Moved? What? What's that? All I want now is to pinch the heck out of him! That was so painful just now. I guess he didn't get the name 'evil god' for nothing.

"Dylan, if you keep up with that, I'm afraid you'll be a bachelor for the rest of your life. You have zero sympathy." Kendall then began to eat freely while complaining.

One should definitely fill themselves up whenever they're angry, otherwise, where does one get the energy to be even angrier? Kendall felt that not eating at moments like this was too detrimental. Why

suffer by being mad and hungry at the same time?

Dylan, on the other hand, picked up his spoon and placed some food in her bowl while stating calmly, "All thanks to a desperate lady who wanted to marry me, I am no longer one."

She remained silent. She was that very woman who desperately wanted to marry him. What an act of charity.

"Kendall, as my wife, there will be lots of benefits but, at the same time, tons of drawbacks too. Are you scared?"

Due to Dylan's status, being his wife was equivalent to being the most honorable woman in Orapolis; this was something that many people admired. Similarly, there would be numerous conspiracies coming toward her. If she was not careful, she would end up into the traps of others and may even become a burden to him.

Disclosing their identities and relationship meant exposing his flaws to the public as well. Forget about others for a moment, just Frank Mendelson alone would be happy enough to light fireworks and celebrate for finally knowing Dylan's weakness.

"I'm not scared," Kendall said firmly, "I'll work hard as well and one day I'll be able to walk alongside you, Dylan. There's no need for you to slow down your steps just for me anymore."

Hearing her answer led Dylan to crack a smile. "Then, I'll look forward to the day of your rebirth."

"When you see Frank in the future, please keep a distance from him. Of course, it's best not to see him at all." Dylan noticed Frank's special treatment toward her, but he had yet to figure out Frank's

intention. As a result, the best option was to keep Kendall away from Frank.

"I know." Kendall was also reluctant to get involved with Frank, anyway. They had never been linked in her previous life; Frank and her would never have crossed paths if it had not been for their baby. Her heart ached once more as she remembered her child.

She had a dream about the baby last night. In this lifetime, she had yet to give birth as she was still a girl. However, it still took her ten struggling months as a pregnant woman and seven months as a mother. Therefore, the mother-and-daughter bond could not be underestimated.

Her grief was immeasurable with the unexpected loss of her baby. She was thoroughly depressed about life with the absence of Dewy. This resulted in her being involved in a car accident, in which they both died.

Kendall was given a chance once again through her rebirth. However, the baby… the baby came just as how she left the world—alone.

"Are you thinking about your baby again?" Dylan continued as he stared at her. "Your expression changes too quickly."

"Dylan, did I talk in my sleep last night?" she asked after a moment of silence.

"You did. You talked in your sleep for the entire night, which kept me awake all night and affected my sleep. You must make me a cup of coffee for a pick-me-up later before I begin my work today."

Kendall's pale little face tried to examine Dylan's expression but to no luck because she could not tell anything by it. "What exactly did I say?"

"You said, 'I love you, Dylan! I must marry you and I promise to give you a soccer team of children!'"

"Pfft!" Kendall could not help but burst out laughing.

Amos quickly covered his mouth and ran away for fear that he would roll on the floor in laughter.

Who makes jokes with such a serious face? He stared calmly at Kendall having the time of her life laughing.

She rubbed her tummy which had just recovered from excessive laughing. "I really do want to give you a soccer team, though. Oh, I meant babies by the way. I'm not a coach, so I don't know where to find you soccer players. But… I don't have the chance to get those rewards, do I?"

"How many children would you want to have?"

"I'll have as many children as you want."

That's quite cruel of you, Kendall, knowing well that he can't give you any.

Kendall made the promise as if nothing could stop her. "Okay, I got it. I'll keep it in mind," Dylan replied with a deep voice.

His response led her to think that she was ahead of herself. However, she remembered all those times where Dylan remained innocent despite her continuous flirting, therefore, she believed that he was indeed incapable of doing so; seeing how his handsome face remained calm after his empty promise, she was put at ease.

Even if she was willing to, he would have to find a way to make it a living reality.

"It's getting late. Hurry up and eat your breakfast. When you're done, remember my gift today. After that, you can have Amos arrange a driver to take you to work. Remember to bring an umbrella to not get wet."

"I got it." Dylan's nagging made her feel as if he could no longer defy gravity, it's rare to see him so grounded.

Kendall did not forget to make a cup of coffee for Dylan after the meal. She went into her room to get her bag and grabbed a handmade Gemini toy as a gift for him today before dashing out.

 

Chapter 139

When Kendall arrived at the doorstep, she pivoted on her heels and scampered toward Dylan before throwing herself in his embrace. While his arms were firmly wrapped around her, she held his face and kissed him on the lips. Only then was she satisfied enough to leave the house. Dylan's gaze melted with warmth as he watched her silhouette gradually disappear from his sight.

The rain had gradually eased off. Old Madam Coleman was seated on the rooftop of the main house with Alice, watching Kendall's car departing from Dylan's house before it slowly left the mansion.

"Grandma." Alice was holding an umbrella with one hand and supporting her with the other hand. "Let's head downstairs."

Old Madam Coleman remained still. "There's only one important task for the women in our family— securing the future of our family lineage. Other than that, they will need permission from the family before doing anything."

However, Alice was an exception; she was their first daughter in generations and hence, she was unfettered to such convention; she had the liberty to do whatever she fancied. Despite that, she knew the family she grew up in was shackled to conservative upbringing and teachings. Only a few to none were able to break the mold if their loving husbands were willing to do so. Kendall was the best example as she could still work even after becoming one of the Colemans.

"Grandma, think about Dylan. Even if it's Kendall's wish to be pregnant, she can't do it alone. I'm sure he's just trying to compensate her in some way due to his guilt. As evolved as the world is right now, it's time for our family rules to undergo some changes for the sake of gender equality. Are the women in the family incapable by comparison to men? If we had given a chance to the women of the Coleman Family to kick off their careers in the business world, I'm sure they would've made a name for

themselves. Grandma, didn't you help and support Grandpa with his clover business to flourish when you're younger?"

Old Madam Coleman averted her gaze. "Our family had yet to solidify our position at that time, so I had no choice but to assist him. Since we've reached the top in Orapolis and the company is burgeoning under Dylan's management, the ladies don't have to work anymore. All we gotta do is to nurture our children and be a plus-one for our husbands at official events at times. That's it. What is there to complain when we've proffered them luxuries? We should've given them a heads-up before their marriages were permitted."

Right before they became Mrs. Coleman, they should have known how strict the family rules were. They shouldn't blame the lack of liberty upon holding the title. At least that was what she believed.

"Dylan rounded up every housekeeper just now and Tia had informed you of his message. Are you really going to defy him, Grandma?"

The old lady remained silent. It was true that she disliked Kendall for going to work even after marrying Dylan, but she did not want to be at odds with him either. She was the senior in the family, yet most of the matters were out of her control. Considering that Dylan was a gifted talent who had sustained the company's position until today, she fell into a dilemma.

Then, Old Madam Coleman sighed. "We'll see. I won't interfere as long as Kendall doesn't cross the line, but she might rub it off on your future sister-in-laws."

Will Kendall be the turning point for an enormous change in the Coleman Family?

As someone who supported Kendall, Alice put in some good words for her. "Kendall is just working at Parker Corporation. Nothing outrageous could possibly happen."

However, Old Madam Coleman snorted. "If she's ever foolish enough to fall for someone's trap and cause trouble to her husband, I won't stand still doing nothing. And if she dares to find another man or do anything sorry to him, she will be done for!"

Alice attempted to calm the old lady by saying, "Grandma, that doesn't sound like Kendall to me. She was totally aware of Dylan's situation even before marrying him. It seemed like she was ready to spend the rest of her life with him; she will never do anything sorry. As for schemes and plots, I'm sure she's clever enough to outsmart them. All she needs is experience."

Old Madam Coleman turned to look at her granddaughter. "Ally, do you really like her that much?"

"Very much." Alice admitted in total honesty. "She's pure."

However, Old Madam Coleman was not buying it. "The fox's just yet to show her tail. Judging by how she changed her mind to marry Dylan, it's clear that she has ulterior motives. Just you wait."

In her eyes, whoever approached Dylan was never pure. Ever.

…

The pouring rain stopped when Kendall arrived at the company. She asked the driver to let her off at the entrance. "I'll have my lunch at the company's cafeteria, so you can come at half past five when I'm off work," she said while grabbing her bag.

The driver responded politely, "Then, I shall wait for you at the entrance before that."

"Sure." She then alighted from the car and entered inside, only to bump into Kelly at the entrance. Kelly was walking abreast with Cameron from the opposite, but they halted as soon as they saw Kendall.

"Morning, Vice President Parker." Kendall took the initiative as she was a mere assistant while Kelly was the vice president of the company; the gap in position was of the land and sky.

"Morning." Kelly nodded in reply. As someone who possessed everything that was rightfully Kendall's, she could not have given Kendall a dirty look while people were watching. Nothing would come good for her reputation.

"I'll report myself for work first, then."

Kelly hummed in response.

Kendall went to the office whereas Kelly paused for a moment before entering inside with Cameron while discussing company affairs along the way.

"The Prestige Electronics requires a massive amount of circuit boards for their expanded production?" inquired Kelly as she gazed at Cameron.

Cameron nodded. "Every competitor is currently trying to get a hold of them for a negotiation."

"It'll only rake in lots of profit to work with them; everybody will definitely want to earn themselves a share of it." Despite her fear for Dylan, having a partnership with the Prestige Electronics was her wish nonetheless.

The Coleman Empire Holdings indulged in many industries. Thus, almost every businessman had the opportunity to work along with them, with the prerequisite that one had the competence to strike a fancy on them.

 

Chapter 140

"Who's managing the Prestige Electronics?" If Kelly was able to stand out amongst the competitors by securing this contract, not only would she secure her place in the company, she would also be able to put herself on the map in the whole industry.

"It's Mr. Dawson."

"He's not one of the Colemans?"

"No. He's just a professional manager."

The manager's name rang a bell as it reminded Kelly of someone. "Is he in his early forties and kinda plump? And he always looks at others with lecherous eyes?"

Cameron explained, "Vice President Parker, the one you're asking doesn't work for the Coleman Family. The one I was referring to is also about the same age, but he's mature and definitely a man of gallantry."

"I see. I should meet him up, then." Kelly was planning to suggest a proposal to Adam in order to form a partnership with the Prestige Electronics. "Miss Sanders, please get me all details about Mr. Dawson as soon as possible, especially his likes and sorts."

Apart from their company's quality goods, she should also be well-acquainted with the man by whetting his palate so as to give rise to the probability of her success.

"Will do," replied Cameron.

There was a meeting held amongst the top management in Parker Corporation every Monday morning. Right then, Adam brought up the news of the big request from the Prestige Electronics. It was an assertive act of theirs to engender a fierce competition amongst the competitors.

"Compared to our competitors, we've been the top candidate for circuit boards production. And since it is a large demand, it will bring us more benefits—other than profit alone—if we're able to get our hands on the contract. "

Being able to become partners with the Colemans would undeniably alleviate one's status in the city, for it was the greatest attest to one's competence.

"I need two people to take on this project."

"President Parker, I would like to volunteer for this." All eyes turned to Kelly as she volunteered.

As the vice president and the default successor in line, her position in the company would be solidified once she managed to sign the contract with the Prestige Electronics. At the same time, it would land Kendall, the true daughter of the family, at a disadvantage. Sharing the same thought, everyone glanced at the demure Kendall seated next to Adam. In fact, she had no right to attend the meeting as the secretary, according to the company's policies.

However, none of them dared to voice out their disapproval as she was Adam's biological daughter and he was the one who personally brought her to the meeting. They should not humiliate him at the very least.

"Good. With your kind of capability, I believe that the contract will be ours for sure. Everyone, let's give

her a round of applause." He then applauded to show how much he supported Kelly decision to take it upon herself.

In comparison to other companies which had their sales managers in charge, Parker Corporation would stand out under the lead of their vice president, which would be an indicator of their sincerity for the partnership. In fact, Adam was sure that they would win because he was Dylan's father-in-law after all.

"Miss Parker," he suddenly called Kendall.

"Yes, President Parker." She followed how others addressed her father as she looked at him.

"You're new to the company and there's much more for you to learn. So, you should take this chance to learn more from Vice President Parker."

Kelly's expression changed when she heard that, but soon regained her composure. Meanwhile, the other employees present were not surprised at Adam's decision as her father. Of course, he would like to have his daughter to improve and adapt herself faster to the company affairs. However, it was all down to Kelly, who had already long secured a place for herself in the company. Will she be able to willingly offer her position as the successor?

At the same time, Kendall was taken aback by the sudden arrangement. As a newcomer, she had yet to adapt to the management, let alone understand all of their circuit board products. Therefore, to follow Kelly this time was a golden opportunity to broaden her insight.

"Understood. Thank you for the opportunity, President Parker."

Adam replied gently, "Should there be any problem, you can seek help from Vice President Parker."

"I will." After complying to his advice, Kendall faced Kelly. "I will be in your care, Vice President Parker."

"My pleasure." Kelly presented magnanimity, but her true self beneath that mask said otherwise. She was not a least bit afraid, for it was the chance for her to put Kendall down. If it bore a favorable outcome, the success would be credited to her, but if they failed to clinch the contract, she had a scapegoat at her disposal to take the heat.

After the meeting, Kendall was called to Adam's office.

"Kendall," he gently said, "Kelly has worked for the company for a very long time under my guidance. She is a remarkable person with outstanding skills. So, no matter what you think of her, you should watch and learn from her to gain some experience. It is a fierce competition to gain the opportunity to work with the Prestige Electronics, so we might not be able to win this time. But you don't have to worry about the outcome since it's just an arrangement for you to learn."

"I understand, Dad. I will do my best."

"You must always keep your guard up, though. Everyone is a snake in the business world. You won't know what they have under their sleeves; even the people you trust the most might stab you in the back." Kendall knew that Adam was implying to Kelly.

"Though you're Mrs. Coleman, Dylan always puts his personal matters aside from work. The Prestige Electronics is under Mr. Dawson's management. He's a capable man who likes to fish, but there's a failing in his character—he likes young women. In other words, he's driven by lust."

Kendall paused momentarily in silence before piping up, "Dad, will he actually cross the line?"

"Nope, he won't. He will give some hints at most and he won't let you go once you've given the green light; it's all consensual. Besides, he's known for his alcohol tolerance, so no one will ever mess with him if they're light drinkers. I know you have a decent tolerance for alcohol, but do control yourself. I'll have someone who can drink well to go with you guys."

"Dad, do you think Dylan will be involved in this project?"

Adam laughed upon hearing her question. "Why would he interfere in such a trivial matter?"

The Coleman Empire Holdings had branched out numerous subsidiaries; therefore, it would be impossible for Dylan to supervise every single one of them. Adding on, the young masters in the Coleman Family were responsible for the divisions that reigned of utmost importance, whereas a trivial position like the supervisor could be simply filled with an outsider.

Kendall muttered, "No wonder a person like Mr. Dawson can be the supervisor and Dylan didn't seem to mind at all."

"Kendall, you're still too innocent. This cruel society is full of unspoken rules and there always have been. They know it's a trap, but they're willing to take the bait."

She held her tongue as she thought, That's why I was tortured miserably in my previous life. It's all thanks to my foolishness!