Ch. 31..40

Chapter 31

"I wouldn't dare say yes."

Then, Dylan snorted. Of course she wouldn't dare to say yes.

"This is my contact number. You can call me in an emergency."

He especially emphasized the word 'emergency'.

"Alright, thank you."

Since her husband had so graciously given her his number, Kendall would thank him politely.

Never in a million years did she think that Dylan would suddenly get angry. He then growled, "You're not allowed to thank me!"

His words stunned Kendall, because she had thanked him out of courtesy. Didn't he want her to be a polite person?

"We're married!" Dylan emphasized this point. "There's no need for formalities between married couples unless… you want to get married to Jackson Whittle!"

"Dylan, are you jealous?" Kendall deliberately asked him.

The question caught Dylan by surprise, and he hung up the phone with a darkened expression.

When Kendall didn't get any answer from him, she moved her phone away from her ear, only to

discover that he had hung up.

That man was such a temperamental person, so it wasn't hard to guess why the maids at the Coleman Mansion were afraid of serving him. He might be able to talk a moment ago, but the next moment, he would be screaming and ignoring the person whom he was talking to.

Kendall didn't take this matter to heart and quickly chased after her mother.

"What did Amelia say?" Charlotte asked. "It's been a while since you've seen her. Did you two get into a fight?"

"Mommy, we're as good as ever, so we aren't fighting. Amelia went on vacation and will be back in a few days, and I'll be able to see her during Yasmine's birthday party."

"You have to attend the party with Kelly and make more friends. With more friends, you'll have more connections. Most of the people in our circle have others backing them, so if you can be friends with them, it would be beneficial to you when you take over the Parker Corporation."

After Kendall said she wanted to enter the company, Charlotte began treating her daughter as the heir of the Parker Corporation.

In the past, they had put a lot of effort into Kelly and trained her to become a qualified heir to the company. They never expected their child to be exchanged for another, which made their biological daughter unfamiliar with the business industry.

Hatred for the culprit still filled Charlotte's heart, even though the culprit was now apprehended and

convicted.

"I will, Mommy."

However, Kendall didn't tell her mother that with Kelly around, those young mistresses would never become her friends. They would only plot against her with Kelly and watch as Kendall fell into their trap. Then, they would humiliate her and destroy her reputation.

After that, the mother-daughter pair took the elevator to the highest floor.

"Mrs. Parker, Miss Kendall." Adam's secretary smiled and greeted the two before leading them toward the president's office.

"Vice President Parker and President Parker are inside. Would you and Miss Kendall mind waiting?" the secretary asked while walking. "Or I could bring you and Miss Kendall to the visitor's lounge instead to wait?"

"There's no need for that. We're here to find President Parker." Charlotte then mocked, "Since when did I have to wait to see the president?"

After glancing at Kendall, the secretary apologized with a smile, "Mrs. Parker, it's my fault."

Once they arrived at the door of the president's office, the secretary knocked on behalf of Charlotte and Kendall. Then, Kelly's voice sounded from inside the room. "Come in."

The secretary pushed the door open and announced, "President Parker, Vice President Parker, Mrs. Parker and Miss Kendall have arrived."

The father-daughter pair inside the room were shocked and turned their heads in unison.

"Charlotte! Kendall! What brings you here?"

Adam walked over with a bright smile and looked at Kendall with a gentle gaze.

"Daddy, did Mommy and I disturb your work?"

"No. You two came just in time as Kelly and I just finished our discussion. Let's head out for lunch at the Dynasty Hotel."

The Dynasty Hotel was a so-called seven-star hotel in Orapolis and the biggest and best hotel in the city. It was also one of the hotels that were owned by the Coleman Empire Holdings. The general manager of the Dynasty Hotel was none other than the second young master of the Coleman Family and Kendall's brother-in-law, Yoseph Coleman.

"Why do you want to go there for lunch?" Charlotte casually asked. "You usually go to the Ornate Hotel to eat."

As Adam looked at Kendall affectionately, he smiled and explained, "It's rare for our family to have dinner together outside, especially with Kendall. Since we have the opportunity to have a meal together, I don't want my daughter to feel wronged, so we have to head to the best restaurant."

Moreover, Kendall was the eldest young mistress of the Coleman Family, so they should head over to the hotel under the Coleman Empire Holdings for a meal.

This was what they called 'keep the goodies within the family', meaning that the money they spent there would go inside the Coleman Family's pockets.

"Alright."

Charlotte thought that Adam was making things up to Kendall after she had scolded him yesterday, so she didn't refuse his suggestion.

As the family of four sat down on the couch, Kelly came over with four glasses of warm water.

"Mommy, did you and Kendall come over after shopping?"

While Kelly was secretly looking at Kendall, she saw that Kendall's face was no longer swollen, and the latter looked to be in good spirits. She didn't look like a person who had been taken advantage of.

"No. Kendall said she wanted to come over to the company, so we came."

After taking a sip of water, Charlotte looked at her husband and said on Kendall's behalf, "Adam, Kendall wants to enter the company, so you need to arrange for her to be by your side."

After Charlotte finished talking, Kelly's expression changed slightly, but she was quick to compose herself.

Meanwhile, Adam looked at Kendall and questioned, "Kendall, did you ask Master Dylan about this? Did he agree to let you work?"

Adam knew that the Coleman Family had many strict rules. Women who married into the Coleman

Family would usually stay home and become housewives. Usually, wives of wealthy men weren't allowed to work, because they weren't short of money to spend and didn't need to provide for their money. Their only responsibility was to use the money their husbands earned.

"Why does Kendall need to ask Master Dylan if she can come and work at the Parker Corporation? This is our family's private matter, so only you have to agree." Charlotte rebuked, "Although our family refused the Colemans' marriage proposal and seem to have offended them, Master Dylan has let that matter pass. So, Kendall doesn't owe him anymore and is not at his mercy."

As Adam glared at Charlotte, he retorted, "You don't understand anything."

Afterward, Charlotte's expression paled. "What do I not understand?"

"Don't ask."

Since Dylan had forbidden Adam from mentioning that, the latter wouldn't tell a single soul, not even Charlotte. Hence, he had no choice but to persuade Kendall. "Kendall, I have no objections to you entering the company. I'm happy to bring you with me and teach you personally, but you must ask Master Dylan about this. I will only agree if he agrees."

Not wanting Kendall to enter the company, Kelly continued the topic, "Kendall, what Daddy says makes sense. Since Master Dylan brought you back with him to take over some responsibility, he might not allow you to leave at will, so you should ask for his opinion so that you won't anger him again."

As Kelly was talking, Kendall was eyeing her quietly. She knew that Kelly didn't want her to enter the company.

Meanwhile, Kelly looked calm the whole time.

 

Chapter 32

Kendall withdrew her gaze and explained, "Daddy, I think Mommy is right. We shouldn't trouble Dylan with our family matters. I only need your approval to work in our family company."

Previously, Dylan had mentioned that Kelly would still see her as the enemy regardless of whether she wanted to fight over their parents' inheritance. As long as she was Charlotte's and Adam's biological daughter, she would be a threat to Kelly.

As she thought about it, she figured Dylan would support Kendall's decision to enter Parker Corporation, as joining the company meant she was competing against Kelly.

Adam glared at his daughter while trying not to mention the Colemans' house rules because his wife and Kelly were sitting beside him.

"Let's talk about this later," he replied while deciding to still ask for Dylan's opinion before letting Kendall enter the company to avoid her and Dylan having an argument about this.

"Adam…"

"Mommy, let's listen to Daddy."

Kendall squeezed her mother's hand gently as she alluded to her mother not going against her father on this matter.

On the other hand, Kelly secretly sighed as she needed to think of a way to stop Kendall from joining the company. Although her parents still trusted Kelly, she wasn't their biological daughter after all. They would exercise all efforts into training Kendall to take over the company instead if Kendall joined the

company. Until then, what would there be left for her?

Since a long time ago, Kelly had decided that everything in the Parker Family was hers, so she wouldn't allow Kendall to take away what was supposed to be hers.

Ring, ring, ring…

It was Kendall's phone that suddenly rang, and when she took out her phone to take a look, her expression turned solemn.

"What's the matter?" asked Charlotte.

"Mommy, I need to take this call outside." Kendall didn't tell her parents that it was a call from Dylan.

"Okay," answered Adam.

Meanwhile, Kelly felt that her father had changed since he personally sent Dylan and Kendall out of their home yesterday. As a result, she was curious about what Dylan had said to her father.

Kendall didn't care what the others inside the president's office were thinking as she left the office and headed to the visitor's lounge and away from Adam's secretary before picking up the call.

"Are you a tortoise? Why are you so slow in answering the call? I'm a busy man, and you've wasted my time, so you need to compensate me."

Once she picked up the call, she was bombarded with Dylan's lecture.

She patiently waited until he finished his lecture before she said softly, "Dylan, you're so fierce that my heart has almost skipped a beat, so you need to compensate for my emotional distress too."

While his grip on the phone tightened, his emotionless face cracked a little to show the hint of disbelief underneath, and he couldn't help but applaud her tolerance. She could still joke with him no matter how bad his attitude was, so he couldn't stop wondering whether she meant it when she said she didn't regret marrying him.

"Dylan, did you miss me?" Kendall smiled sweetly. "You called me twice within an hour, so you must have missed me. I'm still at my family's company, so how about I visit you when I leave?"

Right then, Dylan wanted to retort that he didn't miss her, but when the words were about to escape from his mouth, he felt bad and swallowed his words. Her sweet and attractive voice made him feel better, and he wouldn't stop such things that made him happy from happening.

"You need to head home for lunch." He spoke in a deep voice, "I've arranged for a hairstylist to do your hair. It's Terence Luter, so don't make him wait for you."

The hairstylist Dylan invited was Terence Luther!

Kendall knew who he was. He was a famous hairstylist in Orapolis, and many people had to make their bookings in advance just to get a chance with a hairstylist of his caliber to do their hair.

In her previous life, she also wanted Terence to help her do her hair, but she couldn't get an appointment with him as several prominent people of Orapolis were lined up in front of her. Moreover, she was the unfavored young mistress of the Whittle Family, so how would someone like Terence pay

attention to her?

However, there was no need to make any appointments in this lifetime because Dylan had arranged for Terence to come over and do her hair.

After she personally experienced the benefits of riding Dylan's coattails, she was full of smiles. Her laughter was transported through the phone and into his ears, reminding him of her sly smile when they received their marriage certificates. It was then that he realized that his wife seemed to love smiling.

"When will Mr. Luther be arriving?"

"12.30PM, so you must be home by noon."

As she looked at the time, Kendall suggested, "Can't I arrive home before 12.30PM? My dad is bringing me to Dynasty Hotel for lunch. It's said to be Orapolis' seven-starred hotel."

This was her second lifetime, but no one had ever brought her to Dynasty Hotel for a meal.

As she thought about it, she had failed as an heiress of the Parkers.

Dylan could hear the unwillingness in her voice and softened his tone. "If you make me happy, I can let you eat at Dynasty Hotel's restaurant, live in their most luxurious room, and enjoy their best service every day."

After that, Kendall commented, "That's right! How could I forget that your family owns Dynasty Hotel? By the way, do you like the two little mice? I'll give you a pair of cows once you come home in the afternoon. I even know how to make horoscopes."

As Dylan's lips began to curl upward, he used his hands to press them down again to suppress the happiness that was growing inside him.

"Stingy woman!" he protested softly. She was giving me such tiny things as gifts.

"The value is in its meaning, and it is all handmade. I won't give it to anyone, even if they asked me for it."

Now that he was happy with her answer, Dylan asked, "Besides making horoscopes, can you make human characters?"

"Of course, I can, but making human characters isn't as easy as making animals, and they require a long time and a lot of materials."

Once she finished her words, Kendall suddenly felt that something wasn't right. He wouldn't ask me to make a series of plush toys based on him, right? she asked herself.

"Oh, so you know how to make human characters. Then, how about—"

Kendall was quick to react. Despite secretly complaining that he was a sly fox, she flattered him while suggesting, "Dylan, I can make plush toys for you if you like me to. But I'm not very familiar with your appearance, so you might need to squeeze in some time for me to have a good look at you before I can make a replica of you."

At that moment, Dylan's lips curled again as he warned, "Kendall, I'm starting to think that you're flirting with me."

"So what if I am? Did I succeed?" He couldn't even perform his duties, so it was fruitless even if she was flirting with him.

The next moment, she heard his cold command. "Get home now!"

"Didn't you say before noon? So, it's still early," reasoned Kendall.

"Can you walk all the way back to my residence? If you can't, then you better head back now. I'll cut off all your hair if you're still late after I've given you sufficient time to get home."

"You chameleon!" she scolded in anger.

"What did you just call me?"

When she heard Dylan's voice growing sterner, she immediately became a coward and changed her comment. "I said you're very handsome, and my love for you is like the rolling sea, never-ending."

"Kendall." The couple's conversation was suddenly interrupted by Jackson's voice.

Kendall turned her head and saw him carrying a bouquet while striding toward her. He ignored Adam's secretary while the secretary didn't even try to stop him.

Meanwhile, Dylan heard Jackson's voice from her end of the phone and angrily hung up.

"Dylan… You hung up on me again! Just you wait. It will be my turn to hang up on you someday!"

As she mumbled, she stuck her phone back into her pocket before turning to face the approaching man.

 

Chapter 33

"Kendall."

Jackson had a smile on his handsome face as he approached Kendall and gave her the flowers.

However, she didn't accept the flowers but asked, "Why are you here?"

"I've missed you, so I came to see you." He looked at her affectionately while still smiling.

The scene before Kendall almost made her applaud his acting. He clearly didn't love her, yet he still pretended to be deeply in love with her and had successfully fooled her in her previous life.

After sneering, she asked, "How did you know I was at Parker Corporation? Are you really here for me?" Then, she avoided the flowers and remarked sarcastically, "Mr. Whittle, I think you should give the flowers to the actual person you intended to give them to."

After that, she walked past him and was about to leave.

"Kendall," he called out while reaching to grab her but was slapped in the face.

That slap seemed to have shocked the secretary and stunned Jackson. At the same time, he covered the place where Kendall had hit him and looked at her in shock. When she became distant and cold, he brushed it off as she was angry at him for not visiting after she had slit her wrist, and he thought he could get her back by coaxing her. Then, she would return to the woman who always flattered, fawned over him, and obeyed his every command.

"Kendall," he said. "Why did you slap me?"

Kendall warned with an icy cold expression, "Why wouldn't I slap you? If you ever try to touch me again, I won't hold back anymore."

After that, she stormed off to her father's office, only to run into Kelly coming out from there.

"Kendall." Kelly called softly, "About what happened yesterday… I'm sorry that I was being too impulsive. But, you wouldn't take it to heart, right?"

"What would you do if I said I did take it to heart?"

Kendall's reply stunned Kelly before she sneered and walked past her adoptive sister.

As Kelly turned her head, she saw Kendall had entered Adam's office and was talking coquettishly to their parents while they looked at her with affection. The scene was akin to a happy family of three.

Jealousy instantly filled Kelly's heart as she watched them.

Before, she used to be her parents' lovely daughter who had all their love, but now… They were a real family while she was just a mere adopted daughter! Her biological parents had no ability, so if she returned to them, not only weren't they capable of helping her, they would bring her down as well.

After withdrawing her covetous gaze, she pretended to be considerate and softly closed the door to the office. Just when she was about to leave, she saw Jackson.

He still held the bouquet in one hand while the other covered the area where Kendall had slapped him.

The force of Kendall's slap was so strong that he felt that his cheek was swollen.

"Jackson?" Kelly approached him and asked, "Why are you here?"

She let out a quiet cry when he let down his hand to reveal his swollen cheek and asked, "What happened? Who slapped you?" She quickly realized what had happened and probed before Jackson could reply, "Was it Kendall?"

He smiled sheepishly as he replied, "Kelly, I'm fine. I was too abrupt with my actions, which was why Kendall hit me."

He exchanged looks with her while he spoke, and although she understood the meaning behind his actions, she still felt bothered.

She wasn't even willing to hurt Jackson, but Kendall had the guts to slap him!

As she thought about it, she couldn't help but wonder what had happened to Kendall. Kendall was clearly deeply infatuated with Jackson, which forced Kelly to hide her feelings and let Kendall have him. After Kelly had done so much to get on her adoptive parents' good side, Kendall completely changed after she went to the Colemans.

"I have some ice in my office. Let's go there and put some ice on your swollen cheek."

Jackson glanced at the secretary, but Kelly was furious and grabbed his hand to pull him away.

Although he frequented Parker Corporation, it was primarily because of business matters. He had

known her for a long time, so no one would suspect anything if she showed that she cared for him. Moreover, the entire Orapolis knew that Kendall was in love with him and that their two families were considering a joint marriage.

Once they got to Kelly's office, she immediately closed the door and pushed Jackson against the door. Then, she approached to cup his face and kiss him.

At first, he wanted to push her away because he was afraid someone would see them and spoil their plan. Finally, he couldn't hold on any longer and wrapped one hand around her waist while still holding on to the flowers he was reluctant to throw away.

After the kiss, she caressed his swollen cheek and asked, "What did you do to make her slap you?"

Jackson explained aggrievedly, "Actually, I didn't do anything to her. She ignored me, so I wanted to grab her hand, but then she turned around and slapped me. Her movement was so quick that I didn't have the time to react and got slapped right in the face." He continued to mumble, "Why didn't I discover that she was so nimble and, not to mention, very strong? When her slap ended on my cheek, it burned, and I could even feel it swell up."

Resentment appeared in Kelly's eyes as she snarled, "Your family and I aren't even willing to touch a strand of your hair, but she dares to slap you. Just wait until I get my hands on her. Afterward, I'll help you get your justice and make her pay twice as much." Then, she caringly asked, "Does it hurt? Go and sit on the couch. I'll get some ice to make a cold compress for your cheek."

The vice president's office was spacious and brightly lit with a lounge, a small meeting room, and a small pantry.

Jackson quickly tugged her hand and handed her the flowers while questioning, "Kelly, these flowers are for you. I picked them out according to the flowers you like, but… are you willing to accept them?"

Kelly took the flowers, lowered her head, and took a delicate sniff. A beautiful smile appeared on her face as she elaborated, "I do like them, but… I can't take them. I'll help you give them to Kendall later, but I'm keeping a list of everything you've given her so that once our plan has succeeded, you'll have to make it up ten times or a hundred times more to me."

Jackson promised, "Don't worry. I won't ever make you feel wronged because my feelings for you will never change."

After that, he hugged her as she rested her head on his chest, but what she didn't know was that he was currently imagining that Kendall was the one in his arms.

In the past, he hated Kendall when she was obedient to him, but when she started to ignore him, he suddenly realized that she wasn't as hateful as he thought.

Could this be her new way of attracting me? It must be, he thought self-confidently.

"Alright. You take a seat while I get some ice."

Kelly quickly suppressed the feelings in her mind while Jackson hummed in agreement but still hooked her jaw with his fingers and kissed her on her lips.

As he did that, he couldn't help but feel curious about what Kendall's lips tasted like since he had never kissed her.

Jackson secretly thought that when he had the chance, he had to have a taste of Kendall's lips. Maybe she would return to the woman who fawned over him again by doing that because women loved bad boys.

 

Chapter 34

Dylan had ordered Kendall to return home before 12.00PM because Terence would be arriving at 12.30PM to do her hair.

Thus, Kendall had to refuse her parents' plan to have lunch at Dynasty Hotel as she still needed to collect her car from the Parkers so that it would make things easier for her when she needed to leave Coleman Mansion.

"Why are you in a hurry to leave?" asked Charlotte. "Is Master Dylan looking for you? How is he treating you? Does he treat you like a nanny?"

Before Kendall could answer, Adam interrupted, "That's between Kendall and Master Dylan. I'm sure they would be able to settle this, so let's not meddle in their business. Although Master Dylan seems heartless, he is not an unreasonable person, and he wouldn't do anything to our daughter. So, don't worry, and don't act like our daughter is having a hard time at the Colemans. You're going to cause trouble for her if you do that."

"Of course, she's having a hard time. If you hadn't listened to Kelly, Kendall wouldn't have to go through all this," Charlotte complained.

"Kelly was doing it for Kendall's sake. What Kendall did back then… It's nothing. Let's not talk about that anymore." Then, he turned to Kendall and commented, "Kendall, no matter what Master Dylan orders you to do, just do whatever he says. We can postpone our family meal today as the three of us can have a meal together whenever we want."

After that, he sent his wife and daughter out while reminding her, "Kendall, once you see Master Dylan, ask him about his opinion on you coming to work."

If Dylan didn't object, Adam was happy to train his biological daughter to be his successor. There were still a few years before his retirement, and if Kendall could withstand the hardships, he could successfully train her to take over the company.

No matter how talented Kelly was, she wasn't his biological daughter. Who would give their company to an adopted daughter if their biological daughter could bear the responsibility?

"Daddy, I will ask him later."

Charlotte turned to her husband and asked, "Adam, Mrs. Whittle called me today and mentioned Jackson and Kendall's engagement. Do you think—"

"Refuse it!" Before she could finish, Adam quickly interrupted her.

He had a severe expression while he elaborated to Charlotte while reminding Kendall, "From now on, don't ever speak of Kendall and Jackson's engagement. They're not suitable for each other."

Kendall is Master Dylan's wife. How can she think of marrying Jackson? Isn't that akin to suicide? he thought.

He added, "Kendall, I know you like Jackson a lot. Although he is quite the excellent young man, he is not a match for you, so you better stop liking him."

"Daddy, I've stopped liking him since long ago."

After Adam carefully observed her expression, he saw that Kendall seemed to be telling the truth, so he commented, "It's good that you have made up your mind. You don't know how upset and helpless I felt when you did so much for him."

Kendall thought, Daddy changed his opinion because he saw that Dylan treats me differently. He almost hit me yesterday.

The mother-daughter pair entered the elevator with Adam, who was sending them off.

A moment later, the family of three exited the elevator.

"Adam, head back and continue your work. I'll be heading home with Kendall."

"Nevermind. I'll see the two of you out," he offered.

Just as the family of three exited the building, Kelly came chasing with the bouquet Jackson brought.

"Kendall."

She ran with the flowers and stopped in front of Kendall before giving them to her while explaining, "Jackson asked me to help give you these flowers on his behalf. He said you had misunderstood him and were unwilling to receive these flowers. Actually, you did misunderstand him, Kendall. He didn't visit you because he was swamped. Now that he's done with his work, he came to visit you immediately, didn't he?"

However, Kendall didn't accept the flowers. She looked at the bouquet and found it was arranged with roses and baby's breath. Although it was arranged beautifully, they weren't flowers that she liked.

"I don't like roses," she stated as she looked at Kelly. Then, she argued, "Mommy and I decided to come over in a spur of a moment, so how could Jackson have known that I would be at the office and come with flowers? Can he predict the future, or was it because someone told him? Also, since he wanted to give me flowers, how would he still buy roses after knowing I didn't like them? Is this his way of showing his sincerity?"

After that, she concluded, "This bouquet isn't supposed to be mine, right?"

Kelly kept a lid on her emotions as she explained, "Jackson was asking me about work-related things, and I told him that you were at the company. Maybe he was so rushed to come over that he couldn't recall what flowers you disliked and bought roses."

She was the one who liked roses.

Kendall merely snorted as she stated, "I won't accept them, so please return the flowers to him. Thank you." After that, she urged, "Mommy, let's go."

As Charlotte gave Kelly a meaningful glance, she tugged on Kendall and left.

"Kendall. Kendall," Kelly called out twice, but Kendall ignored her without stopping her footsteps.

A while later, Charlotte's car left Parker Corporation.

Withdrawing her gaze, Kelly raised her head and met her father's deep gaze. She felt her heart skip a beat as she explained, "Daddy, it was Jackson who asked me to give these to Kendall. I wasn't expecting that she would still be angry at him. If I had known, I wouldn't have told him that she was at

the company." Then, she mumbled, "She even slapped him, but she's still angry at him."

After taking the bouquet from her, Adam observed it and concluded that the flowers were well chosen. The baby's breath complemented the roses nicely, and they looked stunning.

"Kelly, don't interfere with Kendall and Jackson's affairs. We, as bystanders, can't help them with their relationship. If Kendall doesn't want to be with Jackson anymore, we should support her decision because we're her family. Throw this bouquet away."

Then, he stuffed the bouquet back into her arms and walked around her to the elevator.

He had raised this daughter for twenty-six years, so how could he not know her preferences? The one who liked red roses was Kelly!

Moreover, Adam hadn't seen her look at her phone since Charlotte and Kendall had arrived and until they left, so how did she tell Jackson that Kendall was at the company?

It was clearly a lie, but he didn't expose it.

After all, she was the daughter he raised and doted on for twenty-six years, so even if they weren't related by blood, they still had their father-daughter relationship. Thus, he had chosen to forgive her lie.

Meanwhile, the mother-daughter pair hadn't spoken since they left Parker Corporation. Still, when they neared the Parkers, Charlotte asked, "Kendall, did you decide not to marry Jackson and stop liking him because you found out there was something between him and Kelly?" She stopped for a moment before continuing, "They've known each other for a long time, and they look good together. That's why many thought they were a couple, but Jackson confessed his love for you after you returned home,

making us think their relationship was purely friendship."

Finally, Kendall asked calmly, "Mommy, you've been through these situations. Do you think there's a pure friendship between a man and a woman?"

Chapter 35

Charlotte asked, "Is it because Kelly doesn't like him, or did he not confess? Or is it because he wants to marry you and have an affair with her?"

"Mommy, only the two of them know the answer." Kendall's tone was cold as she didn't want to talk about those two anymore.

No matter what they plotted, she won't fall into their trap again this lifetime!

As Charlotte thought about it, she furiously stated, "What does Jackson see the two of you as? Even if I didn't give birth to Kelly, I did raise her and see her as my own. How could he play with her in such a way?" Then, she continued, "I'm going to have a talk with Kelly tonight and remind her to stay away from him. Who would have guessed that a gentle-looking man like him would be a scumbag?"

A moment later, Kendall commented, "Mommy, you're right. You should remind Kelly and tell her to stay away from Jackson. If he can't get anything from me and courts her instead, you and Daddy must help keep things in check. Don't let her marry him as it is akin to destroying her future. That man is a real scumbag."

Kelly was Jackson's mistress in her previous life, and the children she bore were all illegitimate.

However, Kendall wouldn't let them get married as well in this lifetime. Instead, she would let Kelly become his mistress and watch him marry another woman, which would be torturous to Kelly.

Nodding repeatedly, Charlotte promised, "We will help the two of you take a good look at the man you'll be marrying. To a woman, getting married is like getting reborn. If you don't marry a good person, it

would be akin to destroying your whole life. You're both my babies, and I hope you can marry into a good family."

With a smile, Kendall assured, "Mommy, everything's going to be fine."

The Colemans might not be a good family to get married into, but she wasn't going to give up on riding Dylan's coattail.

…

After Dylan set down his phone, his face darkened. It was unknown who he had been on the phone with that made him so angry.

He leaned against his black office chair and stared at the two mice on his desk. Then, the faceless woman he slept with in his dreams appeared in his mind, and for some unknown reason, he began to overlap images of the faceless woman with Kendall.

Having spent some time with her, he felt a sense of familiarity whenever he was with her, but he was very sure that he had never seen her before she came over to slit her wrist.

As he looked at his wristwatch, he shouted, "Ronnie, come in for a bit."

The bodyguard with the codename Ronnie pushed the door open and came in.

"Young Master Dylan, you called?"

"I want to go home," ordered Dylan. Ronnie then walked over and helped Dylan into his wheelchair before taking out his phone to call his fellow bodyguards. Afterward, he pushed Dylan out of his office.

Once they had arrived at the ground floor, Dylan's motorcade was already waiting outside.

A few minutes later, the motorcade left Coleman Empire Holdings.

While the motorcade had left the main road and got onto the road to Coleman Mansion, a BMW overtook the motorcade from behind, one car at a time.

With a frown, the driver murmured, "What a dangerous driver!"

This road was the road to Coleman Mansion, so no one would drive on this road unless they were heading there.

As Dylan sat in the backseat of the car, he also saw the BMW that overtook his motorcade. He didn't recognize the license plate, but he did recognize the words on the sticker stuck on the BMW's back. It wrote, 'Newbie Female Driver on the Road, Please Bear With Me.'

Thus, he knew that the one driving the BMW was a woman, and she was a newbie driver.

A newbie driver was speeding on the road!

As he thought about that, his gaze darkened as he pursed his lips and kept quiet.

What did it have to do with him if the driver wasn't afraid of getting into an accident and liked to speed?

Dylan's motorcade kept a safe distance while following behind the BMW that was being driven like it was a plane.

Meanwhile, the driver of the BMW was Kendall.

She was in a hurry to return to the Colemans, so she drove quickly.

Actually, she wasn't a newbie, but this was a new car, and she cherished it. That was why she placed that sticker to remind others not to knock into her vehicle.

At first, she didn't know the motorcade consisting of cars that cost millions belonged to her husband. However, when she saw the cars were still behind her after she stopped at the entrance of Coleman Mansion, she finally realized that the motorcade belonged to Dylan.

As she realized that, Dylan also guessed the identity of the BMW.

He was the head of the Coleman Family, so he knew all the license plates for each car owned by the Colemans. Since he was unfamiliar with the BMW's license plate, it could only be that his newlywed wife owned this car.

Once he knew it was her who sped all the way home, his face turned as dark as coal.

If that woman died right after marrying him, others would say that not only couldn't he do the did, he was disabled and a jinx!

Meanwhile, Kendall got out of the car because she couldn't get in. The security guards at the entrance of Coleman Mansion wouldn't let cars they weren't familiar with enter the premises, and she knew that

it was her husband behind her, so she descended from her vehicle.

"Stop the car," Dylan ordered.

The driver quickly stopped the car.

He then lowered the car window and coldly watched as she approached.

"Dylan." She gave him her usual sweet smile as she greeted, "You're back too."

However, she only got a cold glare as a reply.

As she had been on the receiving end of that glare many times, she was immune to it and wasn't as scared as before. So, she stood by the window smiling and didn't even bat an eyelid as he glared at her.

"What car were you driving?" Finally, after he sensed that his glare had lost effectiveness on her, he parted his mouth to ask.

She turned to look at her new car before looking back at him as she replied, "A BMW. My mother gave it to me. What do you think? Does it look good?"

"Are you sure it's a BMW? I thought it was a plane." Then, he sarcastically remarked, "Driving a car as though it was a plane. Kendall, you're such a…" He gave her a thumbs up.

She accepted his mocking comments as a compliment and boasted, "Thank you for your compliment. Don't you think I have brilliant driving skills? If I were to join a competition, I would have been the

champion and made you proud."

Dylan's face had turned green after listening to her boasting, and he wanted to strangle her to death.

In the end, he glared at her again before rolling up the car window as he didn't want to talk to her anymore. He was afraid that he would lose control and actually take drastic measures to teach her a lesson.

"Ronnie," he called after closing the window and ordered, "Let Randy and the others get down and remove the tires from her car!"

He thought, Let's see how you can speed without tires!

"...Yes, sir," answered Ronnie.

Young Mistress Kendall had unknowingly angered Young Master Dylan, and she deserved to have her tires removed. But was the young master's action because he was worried for the young mistress? If it were under usual circumstances, he wouldn't even care about such things, Ronnie questioned himself.

Then, the gate to Coleman Mansion opened, and Dylan's motorcade entered.

However, one of the cars didn't enter the mansion.

As that struck Kendall odd, she saw four bodyguards dismounted from the vehicle and headed to the truck to get something. Then, she saw that the thing they took out was a toolbox.

After that, she watched as they brought the toolbox to her car, set it down, opened it to get some tools

out, and began to remove her tires.

What the heck! They were removing her tires!

 

Chapter 36

"What are you doing? Stop it!"

Kendall tried her best to stop the bodyguards, but her words were not heeded as they continued to remove her car tires.

This had to be on Dylan's orders. She was frantic, and after giving her car another anxious glance, she stomped her feet and ran back inside.

How was she supposed to drive if he asked those men to remove her car tires?

All she did was speed a little. Did he really have to punish her like this?

Furthermore, if he had not demanded her to be back before 12.00PM, she would not have had to speed.

After entering the compound, Kendall fumbled for a moment as she tried to figure out which way to go as the Coleman Mansion was far too big. There was a web of crisscrossing cement paths that led in multiple directions and the paths were all lined with trees and greenery. It was a giant maze, and anyone unfamiliar with it would have a hard time finding their way to the house in the middle.

Kendall tried her best to calm down and retrace the route she took when she came out. She might have been too caught up in her discontent with Dylan's orders as it felt like she lost all memory of the path she had taken. She could not recall anything at all.

Now that she was at her wit's end, she got out her phone and tried giving Dylan a call.

Thankfully, he was charitable enough to leave her with a number. At least, she had a way of seeking help at a time like this.

Dylan did not pick up her call.

However, Kendall did not give up, and on the sixth attempt, he finally answered his phone.

"Dylan," Kendall greeted in a small voice.

He did not respond.

"Dylan, I can't find my way in. Can you get someone to lead the way for me?"

No response again.

"Dylan…" Kendall's voice grew soft and pleading.

Perhaps her tone had been sweet enough to melt the iceberg of a man because he uttered coldly, "Stay where you are."

"Okay. Thank you, Dylan."

Dylan was the one who caused her predicament, but she still had to thank him.

Kendall was rather disgruntled, but she had no choice.

After all, she was the one living under his roof, so she had to be the one who gave in.

After hanging up the phone, Dylan called his butler over and instructed him, "Mr. Miller, go and lead the way for her. She doesn't remember her way in."

Amos nodded respectfully. "Alright."

Dylan was about to move away in his wheelchair when a thought occurred to him. He paused and instructed Amos again, "Mr. Luther will be coming over to do her hair. Once they're done, bring her around the compound and make her walk ten rounds so that she remembers the way. It's fine if she doesn't remember everything, but she must firmly remember the way out and her way back to me."

Amos nodded in acknowledgment. "Yes, Young Master Dylan."

He thought to himself, Young Mistress Kendall can't be blamed for losing her way.

The Coleman Mansion was enormous and covered with tree-lined paths that made it seem like a gigantic maze. Kendall had only just moved in, so it was only normal for her to still not know the way.

Every single person working at Coleman Mansion had also lost their way numerous times before finally committing it to memory.

Amos went out to lead Kendall back in, and under his guidance, Kendall soon found herself stepping into the house again.

She did not spot her husband inside, so she turned around and walked back out. Her best guess would be that Dylan was currently having his meal in the pavilion in the garden. It was a cool and shaded spot

with an excellent view, and the serene environment suited him perfectly.

After spending some time with Dylan, Kendall pegged him for someone who wanted peace and quiet since his house was in a perpetual state of silence. All the staff seemed to walk around soundlessly. She often jumped in fright at their sudden appearance and secretly mused that they would fit right in at a haunted house.

When Kendall got to the pavilion, she saw that Dylan was indeed having his meal.

The smell of food was beginning to make her salivate.

"Hi, Dylan."

She made herself right at home as she took a seat at the table. When she saw an extra set of cutlery, she assumed that it was a spare and simply picked up the fork and spoon to start digging in.

Dylan glanced at her before taking another sip of his soup. His tone was indifferent as he said, "Who said you could take a seat? I told you that if you're going to stay here, you need to pull your own weight."

"I came back in a rush and didn't have the time to buy any groceries. Can't you treat me to a meal just this once? I'll make it up to you next time when I'm free."

Kendall ladled a bowl of soup for herself. Dylan really knew how to pamper himself as the table was laden with some of the most delicious food she had ever eaten.

After taking a few more bites, she suddenly remembered her reason for rushing back in. "Dylan, why

did you get someone to remove the tires from my car?"

He did not even look at her as he retorted, "I couldn't stand the sight of your car tires, so I asked them to take the tires off. What's the matter? Do you have a problem with that?"

A problem? She had tons of problems!

"Dylan, I need a car to get around. What am I supposed to do if you take the tires off my car? Am I supposed to walk?"

Dylan looked up at her, and after a brief pause, he said, "We have drivers. If you have somewhere to be, just let Mr. Miller know. He's the one who brought you in just now, and he's my butler. You can inform him of your needs and he will see to them."

She would be courting danger if she continued driving at those speeds, and if she landed in a car accident, then it would very likely be fatal. Dylan did not want rumors about him being the cause of her misfortunes.

A speechless Kendall tried to protest. "Even if that's the case, you didn't need to remove my tires. That was a new car that my mother gave me."

"It sounds like you want me to make it up to you with a new car as well."

Dylan was staring at her with narrowed eyes and she shrunk back instinctively. His icy gaze was far too piercing and she felt like there was a sea of daggers aimed at her.

"You ruined my new car. Shouldn't you compensate me in some way?" Kendall drew back slightly, but

she still spoke her mind defiantly. "You could ask those guys to put the tires back on my car."

His bodyguards had been very efficient, so she assumed that they had frequently changed tires. She even wondered who was the unlucky soul that Dylan had kept his eye on.

"Do you still want to get a free meal?" Dylan asked abruptly.

Kendall nodded.

"Are you done eating?"

"Nope."

"Isn't this table of delicious food enough to keep your mouth busy?"

Kendall pursed her lips in aggravation, but she lowered her head and continued eating.

She was muttering under her breath as she ate, and while Dylan could not hear her clearly, he could guess that she must be venting her dissatisfaction with him.

No one brought up the topic of compensation again.

He was determined to not let Kendall drive anymore, and he could not be convinced otherwise no matter how hard she tried.

She had thought herself to be a pretty persuasive person, but she had never won against this husband of hers. He never said much, but he would always hit the nail on the head and make her back down.

What a cunning fox!

By the time the couple finished their lunch, they received word that Terence had arrived.

The bodyguards cleared the table.

Kendall went forward and pushed Dylan's wheelchair out of the pavilion. When she heard that Terence had come, she kept looking around for him. Dylan noticed her movements and turned around to ask, "Do you like Terence?"

"Nope. I like you, Dylan!"

Kendall was not foolish enough to step on this landmine.

In any case, she was telling the truth. She had no feelings toward Terence, but in her past life, she never got to make an appointment with him to do her hair. It was her lingering sense of regret that drove her to look around for him.

Dylan's temper was appeased by her declaration. He commented neutrally, "Not many people have the ability to convince Terence to make a house call."

 

Chapter 37

"I know that. Thank you, Dylan. You've been so nice to me!"

Kendall was a master of flattery.

While Dylan hated flattery from others, he did not find it repulsive when Kendall did it.

He was biased after all.

Kendall pushed Dylan into the house.

"Dylan?"

"What is it?"

"I want to go to work."

Dylan kept quiet and waited for her to continue.

"You know about my family. My parents dedicated their lives to Parker Corporation, so I can't just sit back and watch as Kelly takes the company as her own. I want to fight for what rightfully belongs to me."

Dylan waited for her to finish before stating, "The women who marry into the Coleman Family are not allowed to go out and work. They can have all the money in the world to spend, and all the glories in the world to enjoy, but they need to stay at home with the family and the children or accompany their husbands to functions and dinners. They must put their husband's family at the forefront of everything."

"If they wish to gain more possessions in life, they bear children for their husbands. The Coleman Family rewards them for every child they give birth to—15 million for a son and 75 million for a daughter."

Kendall was floored by the Coleman Family tradition.

"Isn't that just like raising a pet? Or worse, like a baby-machine?"

15 million for a son?

With such an enticing figure, it explained why the Colemans had such a large household.

She glanced surreptitiously at Dylan's lower half, and when she caught his gaze, she laughed awkwardly. "I probably won't be getting those rewards, so it's best for me to find a job and have a steady income."

Dylan's eyes were dark and brooding. After a while, he asked, "Are you sure you want to go up against Kelly?"

"Why shouldn't I? You said it yourself that it doesn't matter whether or not I try to fight for the company. My very existence is a threat to her. In that case, I choose to stand against her openly. I doubt that the Parker Family's true flesh and blood will lose to an adopted daughter."

Kendall's eyes were filled with determination, but also a flash of hatred.

Dylan caught the hatred in her eyes and did a double-take, but he did not say anything.

"Dylan, my father wants me to get your permission. He'll only let me work for Parker Corporation if you agree to it. Can you give me an answer now?"

After suppressing her loathing toward Kelly, she looked Dylan straight in the eye.

There was no denying that her husband was an incredibly handsome man. If it wasn't for the fact that he was stuck in a wheelchair with certain dysfunctions, she would not be the one who got to marry him.

Dylan noticed how Kendall's gaze grew more and more peculiar. Every now and then, her eyes would sweep downward, so it was easy to guess what she was thinking. All of a sudden, he gestured for her to come close. "Come over here. I'll whisper it in your ear. You'll be in trouble if someone overhears us and informs my grandma and the others about it."

Kendall got close to him and said, "Aren't we in a secret marriage? Your family doesn't even know about us."

She thought that he had brought her back for revenge.

"Ouch!"

Dylan had flicked her on the forehead twice as soon as she spoke. He always applied a lot of force, and it left her in a lot of pain.

Kendall straightened up and massaged the sore spot as she glared at him. She was vexed that she still fell for his tricks after having been tricked by him so many times.

"That was punishment for thinking such unnecessary thoughts."

Kendall was startled. "...Dylan, can you read minds? Could you teach me?"

"If I did that, who's to say it won't come back to bite me?"

"Dylan, I'm not a heartless person like you… What I mean is, you're so handsome! I like you so much. My adoration for you is as high as Mount Everest, as deep as Marianas Trench, as…"

Kendall faltered and fell silent once she caught the indiscernible expression on his face.

"Why did you stop? I was having so much fun. Go on, continue. Let me have a laugh."

Kendall gave him a cheeky grin.

Dylan's lips began to curl into a smile at the sight of Kendall's carefree smile, but he swiftly raised his hand to hide it.

She had to be the most shameless woman he had ever met.

At times, she was afraid of him, but at times, she had no fear at all.

His life was full of surprises ever since she came along.

"Dylan, can I go to work?"

Kendall had not forgotten what she was after.

Dylan noticed that Ronnie was leading Terence in, so he finally gave Kendall a straight answer.

"If you want to fight for what rightfully belongs to you, then as your husband, I will always be in your corner. Go ahead and do what you must. You don't need to worry about the Coleman Family's traditions. If the Coleman Family elders find out about our marriage and try to restrict your actions, then I will protect you from them."

He looked Kendall in the eye and said in all seriousness, "Even if the sky comes crashing down, I'm here to hold it for you, but if you fail to reclaim what is yours…" Dylan thought about it but could not think of anything to say to scare her, so he simply added, "If you lose and want to cry about it, then come back and cry about it to me. I will avenge you."

He had married her, and regardless of what their relationship was like, she was still his wife.

It was within his power to protect her.

If anyone mistreated her, he would avenge her.

Kendall was moved beyond words by his promise.

In her past life, she had rejected his proposal and suffered because of it. When she fell into a state of despair, he was still willing to step forward and lend her a helping hand. It was then that she knew that he was not as cold and uncaring as he appeared to be.

He was truly a good man. It was just that… his temper was a little unpredictable. His emotions flipped

like a switch sometimes.

"Dylan, I'm positive that I'll be able to hold on to everything that's mine!"

Kendall's gaze was unwavering.

When Dylan noticed how touched she looked a moment ago, he thought that she would have kissed him, but instead, she only responded with that sentence.

He glanced at her lips and looked away. For some reason, he felt a little crestfallen.

What on earth was going on?

Why was he feeling disappointed?

Suddenly, he felt a warm sensation on his cheek. He turned to look and saw Kendall shooting straight up with a scarlet face. When she saw him looking at her, she said bashfully, "Dylan, your side profile was too captivating. I couldn't help myself."

As Dylan stayed silent, she assumed he was irritated by her kiss, so she hurriedly added, "If you think I've taken advantage of you, then I'll let you kiss me back. You can kiss me as much as you want. How about that?"

Dylan was speechless.

Just then, Ronnie led Terence over to them.

Kendall quickly recomposed herself and went to stand behind Dylan. She put her hands on his wheelchair and faced the same direction as him.

Dylan looked completely at ease.

The couple—one seated and the other standing, gave the impression of them being in a loving relationship. However, Terence felt like his world had turned upside down. He was shocked to see Dylan allowing an unfamiliar woman to stand behind him. Dylan's temper had worsened after the accident, and not even the staff dared to come close to him, but even before the accident, he did not like it when women unrelated to him came close to him.

Laura had been in love with him for many years, and it had taken her years to gain his respect. Even so, he only saw her as a friend and a confidante.

 

Chapter 38

Dylan noticed Terence's gaze lingering on Kendall, and his expression instantly turned grim. His lips pressed into a thin line, and even Kendall could feel that his aura had grown colder.

She looked down in curiosity, but all she saw was the top of his head.

"Master Dylan." Terence stopped three steps away from Dylan and greeted him with a smile.

Terence was one of the most renowned hair stylists in Orapolis. His skills were excellent, but he was also known for his androgynous features. Dylan was handsome, but his features were strong and masculine, whereas Terence's were soft and refined.

This was Kendall's first time meeting Terence in person. She never thought that he would have a pair of alluring eyes the same way Frank Mendelson did.

People often claimed that men with alluring eyes were usually playboys.

Kendall was thankful that Dylan did not have a pair of alluring eyes. He was not a playboy at all.

"You're here."

"You asked me to be here at 12.30. I wouldn't even think of being late," Terence answered with a smile. He glanced at Kendall again and was curious to know who she was, but he did not dare to ask. Yet, the curiosity in his eyes was so obvious that even an unobservant person like Kendall could spot it.

"She's the second daughter of the Parker Family."

Dylan briefly explained who Kendall was.

On the day that the Parker Family's daughter was born, a woman who was jealous of her mother switched her with an ordinary couple's daughter, and she had just returned to the family last year.

Adam Parker and his wife were unwilling to part with Kelly, the daughter they had raised since birth, so Kendall, their actual daughter who was born half a day later than Kelly, became the second daughter of the family instead.

The news had caused a stir in all of Orapolis.

Once Terence heard who she was, he lost all interest in her.

Kendall was used to the attitude he took with her. She knew very well how the upper echelon of society in Orapolis viewed her. Apart from her parents, the only person who truly accepted her was Amelia. Everyone else may pretend to be courteous toward her, but behind her back, they would snort and deride her for her rural upbringing.

So what if she grew up in a rural area? She was not a criminal, and she was also the apple of her adopted parents' eyes.

She dared those who looked down on rural communities to stop eating the food that the rural communities farmed.

Dylan caught the shift in Terence's attitude, and while he did not express his dissatisfaction, he stated coldly, "Take a look and see what hairstyle would suit Miss Parker. Don't make any drastic changes,

and make sure you maintain the softness and suppleness of her hair."

Terence was startled.

He thought that Dylan had made an appointment for himself, but it turned out that Dylan wanted him to give Kendall a new hairstyle.

The Parkers had tried to book an appointment with Dylan's assistant before, but his assistant turned them away by saying that he had too many appointments lined up. If the Parkers wanted to join the queue, then they would have to wait until the end of next year, so the Parkers naturally stopped asking.

Dylan had no regard for Mrs. Parker, so it stood to reason that he did not care about the new Miss Parker who suddenly showed up among the high society.

"Master Dylan?"

"Didn't you hear what I said? Shall I send someone to retrieve a loudspeaker for me to repeat my words directly into your ear?"

Dylan's voice was chilling.

Terence's eyes flickered as he wondered if he had offended Dylan in some way.

A smile appeared on his beautiful face as he said, "That won't be necessary at all, Master Dylan, I heard you loud and clear. Which room are we using for the makeover?"

"My private salon."

"Alright."

Even though Terence was brimming with curiosity, he made no mention of it. He turned to Kendall and said courteously, "Please follow me, Miss Parker."

He was Dylan's regular hairstylist, and he frequently came to Coleman Mansion to do Dylan's hair, so he was familiar with Dylan's private salon.

Kendall acknowledged him with a smile before saying to Dylan, "I'll get going then, Dylan."

Dylan gave his assent.

When Kendall followed Terence into the private salon, she thought to herself, This is the same as an actual hair salon.

There was everything needed to have a complete makeover.

Terence asked Kendall to let her hair down, and he stood in front of her to inspect her hair closely.

The more he looked, the brighter his eyes got.

First of all, Kendall had a face that would suit all manner of hairstyles.

And when he felt Kendall's hair, he realized why Dylan had given him such specific instructions. He was also reluctant to cut off such soft and supple hair.

"How do you maintain your hair, Miss Parker? It is very well-maintained—dark, soft, and not a single split end in sight."

Kendall replied, "I don't do anything to it other than washing it regularly."

Terence paused. "...Just shampoo?"

Kendall asked, "What else would I use besides shampoo? Conditioner? I'm a little lazy, and it's already hard enough for me to wash my hair every two days. I wouldn't be able to keep up with a conditioning routine."

Terence did not know what to say.

She had to be blessed by the heavens. How else would she be able to maintain a head of hair that everyone would be envious of without a proper hair care routine?

While Terence was busy with Kendall's makeover, Dylan sat on a couch in the living room with a magazine in his hands, though he did not seem to be flipping the pages.

"Young Master Dylan, it's time for your afternoon nap," Amos reminded him.

Dylan remained quiet without moving an inch.

Amos could tell that Dylan was waiting for Kendall, so he tried to advise, "Why don't you go for your afternoon nap first, Young Master Dylan? Young Mistress Kendall won't be coming back so soon."

Dylan closed the magazine and said, "I'm not waiting for her."

Amos answered with a smile, "Yes, Master Dylan, you're not waiting for Young Mistress Kendall. Why don't you take your nap now? You still need to head to the office this afternoon."

Now that Dylan was in a wheelchair, Amos had hoped that Dylan would rest at home to continue with his physical rehabilitation, but Dylan insisted on continuing to manage Coleman Empire Holdings.

Amos knew that it was not about Dylan wanting to hold onto his power. Dylan simply wanted to prove to the world that he was alive and kicking despite his accident. He was still a force to be reckoned with, and he did not need anyone's pity.

Although, it would be hard-pressed to find another person like Dylan among the Colemans. No one was as bold and shrewd as he was.

While the other young masters were also talented in their own right, none of them could hold a candle to Dylan.

The Zorns and the Mendelsons were second only to the Colemans, and Frank, the head of the Mendelson family, saw Dylan as his only rival.

Dylan set aside the magazine and stated impassively, "I can't sleep well, Mr. Miller."

Every time he fell asleep, he would find himself in a somewhat erotic dream.

Dylan was a reserved and unemotional person. It was torture for him to constantly dream of such things, and he could not even pick out the woman's features at all.

"Shall I call Dr. Gill to make a visit, Young Master Dylan?" Amos asked out of concern. He assumed that it was just because Dylan was under too much pressure.

"Why don't you stay home and rest for a while? Young Master Yoseph can handle the company for now. It's more important that you take good care of your body."

Dylan pursed his lips and shot that idea down. "If I stayed at home, Frank Mendelson would seize the opportunity to move against Coleman Empire Holdings, just like he did the last time. Matthew and the others aren't able to hold down the fort against him. Frank is an unscrupulous person."

When Dylan was hospitalized after the accident, Frank had leaped into action and began stealing business away from Coleman Empire Holdings.

 

 

Chapter 39

At the time, Dylan's younger brothers and cousins had all joined forces to protect the company's best interests, and they barely managed to evade Frank's attempts to undermine the company.

Therefore, the Orapolis businessmen realized that if Dylan was gone, Frank would be the corporate giant in Orapolis, and no one would be able to overthrow him from that position.

"I just… had that dream."

Dylan was a little frustrated. "I haven't had that dream for a while now, but that faceless woman popped up in my dream again last night, so I ended up tossing and turning the whole night without being able to fall back to sleep."

This morning, he relied on coffee to keep him awake in order to continue working efficiently.

Amos was taken aback by what Dylan just told him.

He was Dylan's butler, and thus, Dylan trusted him enough to confide in him.

No one else knew about the dreams that tormented Dylan, but Amos did.

"You haven't had this dream for quite some time now, so why did it start again? Could it be that you've recovered, Young Master Dylan?" Amos queried frantically.

Dylan shot him a glare.

Even Amos suspected him of not being able to perform…

Amos was still rather agitated. "Young Master Dylan, why don't you give it a try with Young Mistress Kendall?"

Immediately, Dylan flung the magazine at Amos.

However, Amos simply caught the magazine and suggested with a smile, "If you're not interested in Young Mistress Kendall, shall I give Miss Laura a call then? I'm sure she'll be more than happy to give it a try with you."

Young Master Dylan has recovered his manhood!

Amos was in a tizzy over this.

"Mr. Miller, say one more word and I might cut your tongue off to feed the dogs!"

Dylan lectured him. "Don't you dare do anything without my permission. If Laura comes and harasses me, then you can marry her and stay out of my sight for the rest of your life."

That was enough to scare Amos. He hurriedly promised, "I won't do anything without your permission, Young Master Dylan."

When Amos noticed that Dylan had calmed down a little, he spoke up again. "Young Master Dylan, could it be that Young Mistress Kendall has something to do with the recurring dream? She came here yesterday, and that very night, you had the dream again."

These words hit Dylan like a bolt of lightning.

He never thought that the dream would be related to Kendall.

Dylan did not marry her out of love.

Kendall had her motives for marrying him as well.

He knew perfectly well what she was thinking.

He just… decided to leave her be.

Even though Amos was the one who said it, he was also skeptical.

Dylan had never met Kendall before, and they had no prior connection, but Dylan's dreams were not a recent occurrence.

"It could be that Young Mistress Kendall is the only woman who is close to you, so it led to you having that dream again."

Amos was grasping at straws to support his previous statement.

Dylan waved his hand without saying anything, and Amos understood that Dylan did not want to discuss this any further.

In the end, Dylan did not take an afternoon nap. Instead, he waited for Kendall to come out of the salon.

Terence truly deserved the reputation he had as a hairstylist. All he did was a few snips here and there, but it was enough for Dylan to see Kendall in a whole new light. The moment he saw her, he realized that his wife was truly a mesmerizing beauty.

"What do you think, Dylan?"

Kendall herself was pretty pleased with the results. She stood in front of Dylan and asked for his opinion.

When Dylan saw the genuine smile on her face and the sparkle dancing in her expectant eyes, he felt a surge of emotion inside him. It was the feeling of being needed by someone.

Even so, his expression remained neutral as he nodded and said coolly, "Looks fine."

Kendall's joy was quickly dispelled by those two words of his, but after giving it some thought, she was in a blissful mood again. After all, Dylan had a biting tongue and it was rare for him to say anything remotely nice, so "looks fine" was high praise if it came from him.

It dawned on Dylan that he liked to see the way she was right now. She looked like the cat that caught the canary, or perhaps a mouse who found some cheese.

He soon made the connection to the two little mice that she had given him last time.

"Do you like pets?" Dylan asked all of a sudden.

Kendall blinked for a moment before saying, "Is it okay for me to raise a pet here? I have a pair of

Ragdoll cats at my mother's house."

If he was okay with it, then she would bring her cats over to raise them by her side.

Terence wanted to reply. Anyone familiar with Dylan would know that he despised furry animals and would never allow any pets in his house. He might very well tear the entire Coleman Mansion apart if he saw any cat or dog fur lying around the house.

Alice had quite a few pets, but she never dared to bring them to her brother's house.

"No cats. I'll give you some other animal to raise as a pet."

Kendall exclaimed with a grin, "Really? Which animal?"

"A hamster."

Kendall was speechless.

Dylan stood up from the couch, and both Amos and Terence went forward to help him into the wheelchair.

His bodyguards came over in a flash.

Ronnie began pushing Dylan toward the door, and Kendall was rooted in the same spot as she watched them leave.

When Dylan reached the door, he tapped on his wheelchair and the bodyguards came to a halt at

once.

He turned around to see Kendall still standing where he had left her, so he said, "Come and see me off."

Kendall was startled for a moment before she stepped forward quickly. The bodyguard moved aside for her, and she slid into place behind Dylan's wheelchair and began pushing him out the door.

The sight of this left Terence in deep thought.

"Dylan, are you really going to give me a hamster?"

Kendall was not fond of hamsters. She liked her Ragdoll cats; if she was not allowed to raise cats, she did not mind raising a Maltese either. Basically, she liked both cats and dogs.

"What's the matter? You don't like them?"

Kendall was honest about it. "I don't like hamsters. I like cats and dogs."

"I don't allow cats and dogs where I live. They have too much fur."

"Hamsters are furry too."

"They're in a cage."

So he's a clean freak, Kendall complained in her head.

When Dylan did not hear Kendall's response, he twisted around and looked up at her. "I'm already a lot more generous than you."

All she gave him were a pair of handmade little mice that had no value to them.

Kendall did not know what to say.

You could've rejected the gift if you didn't like that they're not worth anything.

Dylan's car was already waiting at the front entrance with the door open.

The bodyguards were lined up in front of it like two rows of soldiers.

Kendall stood aside and watched how the bodyguards skillfully helped Dylan into the car before hauling his wheelchair in as well.

"Kendall," Dylan called out to her.

"Yes, Dylan?" Kendall came close and asked with a brilliant smile.

A large hand reached out to her.

Kendall's eyes swept over the hand and up at its owner in puzzlement.

After a moment of hesitation, she reached out and shook his hand.

Dylan's expression darkened.

Did she get the wrong idea?

Kendall hurriedly pulled her hand back and put on a sweet smile. "Dylan, I'm a little slow on the uptake. Could you please enlighten me about what you're trying to do?"

What did he mean by extending his hand out to her, if not for a handshake?

She did not get it at all.

He had a mouth! Could he not just tell her what he wanted?

 

Chapter 40

"My present," Dylan drawled in his deep voice.

Kendall blinked. "Didn't I already give it to you this morning?"

"I told you. You need to give me one every time I come back."

Kendall was dumbstruck. She began checking her pockets, but she found nothing that could be used as a gift.

In the end, she took off her hair clip and passed it over to him reluctantly. Her voice was a little embarrassed as she said, "I don't have anything prepared, so if you really want a present now, I can only give you this."

Dylan glanced at her waist-length hair and the hair clip in her hands. It was an ordinary hair clip that was worth less than five bucks.

Although she had returned to her wealthy birth family, she did not change her lifestyle or habits.

Dylan took the hair clip from her and closed the window.

Kendall was surprised that he actually took it from her.

The procession of cars slowly exited the compound.

Kendall stood at the entrance and watched until the cars were completely out of sight before she turned back into the house.

Terence had been standing there the whole time watching them, and when Kendall turned around, he fixed his contemplative eyes on her.

"Is something wrong, Mr. Luther?"

Terence smiled. "No, there's nothing wrong. I should take my leave now, Miss Kendall."

He did what he was told to do, and Dylan had left as well, so he should not linger any longer.

"Would you like a cup of tea before you leave, Mr. Luther?"

"No, thank you. Maybe some other time, Miss Kendall."

Since Terence was firm about leaving, Kendall did not keep him. She wanted to see him off, but Terence declined once more.

Once Terence left, Kendall allowed herself to relax for a bit, but she became crestfallen again the moment she thought about her BMW that was still without its wheels.

Dylan had changed the subject so smoothly that she forgot all about demanding compensation.

"Young Mistress Kendall," Amos called out respectfully.

Kendall turned around and said gently, "Mr. Miller, you don't need to call me that. Just call me Kendall. Dylan and I are… well, married in secret. Old Madam Coleman and the others don't even know about

us."

She was not going to say a word either if Dylan did not make their relationship public.

Just in case he played her for a fool again.

"Shall I call you Young Mistress Kendall when we're in the presence of Young Master Dylan, and Miss Kendall when there are outsiders?"

Amos's attitude toward Kendall was polite and respectful. He could tell that Dylan behaved rather unlike himself because of her.

For a man as stubborn and domineering as Dylan to break his own rules, it meant that the person he did it for was someone who had an important place in his heart.

Amos looked upon Kendall favorably.

"Sure."

Kendall felt no need to make a fuss over a form of address.

"Are you going to take an afternoon nap, Young Mistress Kendall?"

"Is there something else I should be doing?"

"Young Master Dylan has asked me to give you a tour of the Coleman Mansion and make as many rounds as necessary until you're familiar with the surroundings. He said that it's fine if you don't

remember the other paths, but you must remember your way in and out of this house," Amos informed with a smile.

Kendall was a little peeved. "...The paths are all lined with greenery and crisscrosses in all directions. It's just like walking around in a maze."

It was pretty challenging to remember the way in and out.

"You're right, Young Mistress Kendall. The paths near the entrance were designed to act as a maze so that outsiders would get lost and have a hard time finding their way to the areas of residence. This was a feature to protect the household's privacy and security."

The paparazzi kept a close eye on the Colemans, and any word that got out about them would spread like wildfire across Orapolis.

The outside world was very intrigued by the mysterious Coleman Mansion, but they could only rely on the paparazzi to dig up a little dirt now and then.

Therefore, the paparazzi were very keen on snapping photos of the Colemans' private life. Many of them would try to sneak into the compound when the security guards were distracted, so the maze-like entrance was designed to hinder them. There were also over a dozen fearsome dogs who were kept further in the compound, near the areas of residence.

Kendall pursed her lips and grumbled softly, but she followed Amos on a tour of Coleman Mansion. As they strolled the paths repeatedly, she forced herself to commit it to memory as she did not want to be stuck outside again.

By the time they finished their tour, Kendall's feet were killing her. Thankfully, she had not been wearing heels, or else she would be limping by now.

"I'm just going to take a seat for a while, Mr. Miller. It's so tiring to walk around such a large compound. Wouldn't it be good to have an electric scooter or two?"

Kendall went over to a stone bench and took a seat. Fortunately, there were various stone benches and swings scattered across the compound for anyone who needed to stop and rest.

Amos asked pleasantly, "Do you remember your way now, Young Mistress Kendall?"

"About that… Mr. Miller, I was so worn out by the walk that I don't remember anything. In fact, I think I've only become even more muddled. What should we do now?"

When Dylan came back, would his temper flare up if he found out that she still did not know her way in and out?

Amos was a little speechless.

"In that case, let's make another round, Young Mistress Kendall, and if you still can't remember the way, we'll spend the entire day tomorrow making rounds again. You should be able to remember by then."

"Alright," Kendall said forlornly.

Ring, ring!

Amos' cellphone began ringing.

He took it out and checked the caller ID before picking up the call.

Kendall did not know who the caller was, but she heard him say, "Please inform Mrs. Coleman that she'll be there in half an hour."

Once the call ended, Amos turned to Kendall and said, "Young Mistress Kendall, Mrs. Coleman would like to see you. It will take us about half an hour to reach the main house, so we should get going now. We can't leave Mrs. Coleman waiting for too long."

Her mother-in-law was looking for her?

"Mr. Miller, do you know why Mrs. Coleman wants to see me?"

She was Dylan's mother, and she despised Kendall for cutting her wrist back then to decline the marriage proposal, which had been a blow to Dylan's dignity.

Kendall was certain that it would be an unpleasant meeting.

Dylan was away right now. If this mother-of-law of hers tried to make life difficult for her, should she try to fight back, or should she take it in silence?

"I don't know. The butler at the main house was the one who called me and told me to inform you."

"Oh," Kendall said as she got up. While walking, she asked, "Mr. Miller, is there a butler for every

house?"

"Yes."

Kendall fell silent.

She felt uncomfortable being among such wealthy families, and she had a hard time adjusting to their lifestyles.

However, she had already latched herself onto Dylan and even wormed her way into becoming his wife, so there was no way for her to shirk away from this. She had to confront this head-on.

Do your best, Kendall!

This was her second time entering the extravagant living room in the main house, and just like last time, she was stunned by the opulence around her.

However, the living room had been full of people the last time, whereas this time, there was only Emily, who sat alone on the couch waiting for her.

Emily was displeased, and when she saw Amos bringing Kendall in, she reprimanded grimly, "Are you a tortoise? No, a tortoise would've gotten here faster than you."

Kendall retorted, "If it were a tortoise, it would still be on its way here tomorrow."

After all, she did not come from Dylan's house. She had been near the residence of someone from the extended family, and it was quite a distance away.