Ch. 1601..1610

Chapter 1601

Josh Batton had a pure look in his eyes. He also had a friendly smile.

His smile was pure, clean, gentle, and full of kindness. He seemed just like a boy-next-door kind of person.

"After taking part in Chanel's perfume exhibition in City L later, we'll still have to rush over to City L's television station for an interview with Colbie Keynes Talk Show...

"You'll still be very exhausted today. That's why you should try to get some sleep on the plane later if possible..." Annabeth Cates carefully briefed Josh on his itinerary as she looked at his handsome face... "Bleurgh..." After finishing her sentence, Annabeth suddenly started retching.

At this moment, she felt extremely nauseous.

Josh immediately opened his eyes when he heard the noise. "What's wrong?" he asked nervously as he looked at Annabeth.

Annabeth covered her mouth and shook her head. "Urgh... I don't know. I probably ate too much spicy food two days ago. It's messing up my stomach... I've been retching frequently over the past two days..." "What did you eat?" Josh frowned slightly.

"Noodles with seafood... I had the extra spicy version... So it's probably that," Annabeth said.

While speaking, the nauseous feeling in her stomach disappeared.

Annabeth felt normal again.

"Don't eat something spicy like that next time, alright?" Josh said with a serious expression before gently placing his hand on her back. He carefully rubbed her back...

His hand seemed to carry with it a strong electric current. Suddenly, Annabeth's entire body tingled, and her heart rate increased.

Annabeth's heart was beating wildly. She felt so nervous that she didn't dare to move at all.

"You should eat spicy food in moderation... Eating too much of it will harm your stomach," Josh added.

Annabeth nodded like an obedient middle school kid.

Beep, beep-

Right then, her phone's menstruation monitoring application sent her a reminder.

It reminded Annabeth that her menstruation had been delayed by twenty days and that she needed to pay attention to her body.

When Annabeth saw this reminder, she instantly felt as if she had been struck by lightning...

Her menstruation had been delayed by twenty days. On top of that, she felt nauseous and was retching...

This...

Could she be pregnant?

On the day she had sex with Josh, she took contraceptive pills afterward...

Logically speaking, this shouldn't have happened...

However, if she wasn't pregnant, why would her usually fixed menstruation cycle be delayed for so long?

Annabeth had been too busy recently to pay attention to her menstruation cycle.

Hence, she had completely forgotten about when her menstruation ought to happen.

If it weren't for the application's reminder, she still wouldn't have realized that her menstruation hadn't occurred for a long time.

Annabeth immediately broke into a cold sweat when she thought about these things...

In the next second, her face turned pale.

The probability of contraceptive pills failing was minimal. However, could Annabeth have been unlucky enough to be affected by this?

The more she thought about it, the more panicked she felt.

After all, nothing was impossible in this world.

"Why don't we go to the hospital? Does it feel very uncomfortable?" Josh immediately asked when he noticed the frantic look in Annabeth's eyes.

Chapter 1602

Chapter 1602

Annabeth Cates shook her head before removing Josh Batton's hand from her back. She immediately shook her head. "No... I'm fine. I feel better now... Don't mind me, Josh..." she said. Right then, Annabeth felt as if her heart was getting heavier and heavier.

What would she do if she really ended up being pregnant?

Would she tell Josh about it when the time came?

No...

She absolutely couldn't tell him.

Based on his personality, he'd take up responsibility toward her if he found out.

Josh would be forced to stay with someone he didn't love for the rest of his life.

Apart from that, if Josh were exposed for having a child with his assistant at the prime of his career, his career would certainly be affected...

Josh would be even unhappier then.

Annabeth didn't want to be selfish by making Josh unhappy.

Josh deserved to spend the rest of his life in joy and harmony... After thinking about it for a while, Annabeth made up her mind.

If she really became pregnant, she would definitely get an abortion.

This was the best outcome for both herself and Josh.

What happened between them that day was an accident, to begin with.

She couldn't allow that accident to develop into anything further.

Sensing that Annabeth kept getting distracted, Josh subconsciously felt that she was still in physical discomfort.

Josh immediately cocked his head and moved closer to her face. "Are you sure you're fine? Why don't we go to the hospital first?" He looked at her curiously.

Annabeth shook her head again. "I'm honestly fine... Don't worry."

"Are you sure?" Josh asked again.

Annabeth nodded repeatedly...

"Since you're fine, what were you thinking about? Why did you have that expression on your face?" Josh asked.

"I wasn't thinking about anything in particular. I... I was just wondering if I should cook something for you tonight. You've been so exhausted lately... Oh, right. This was what I was thinking about...

"I struggled to choose between bird's nest or braised abalone with ginseng..." Annabeth explained as if she was completely fine.

When Josh heard this, he didn't overthink it. Instead, he nodded gently.

"You really are okay, aren't you? If you're not, don't hide it... Alright?" Josh asked again.

Annabeth chuckled. "I know..."

His concern filled her heart with warmth.

Annabeth believed that any girl who ended up with this gentle person in the future would indeed be fortunate.

While the two of them spoke, their car arrived at the airport with three other Benz-Mercedes security cars... The bodyguards got out of the cars first...

Immediately after that, Josh and Annabeth also got out of their car.

Under the bodyguards' protection, the two of them walked into the airport lobby...

Right then, fans who got wind of Josh's itinerary were already waiting eagerly for him inside the airport...

Many floors of the large airport were crowded with fans who came to send Josh off.

When the fans saw their idol was here, they immediately started screaming wildly.

Immediately after that, everyone ran over to Josh like mad people. Then, they surrounded Josh and Annabeth.

The bodyguards' work instantly became extra difficult.

A few bodyguards did their best to form a human wall around Josh, blocking the fans who frantically tried to get close to him.

 

Chapter 1603

Chapter 1603

"Josh... We love you... Ahh... Josh, look at me..."

"Josh, I'll always support you... Josh, focus on your career and don't get into a relationship."

"Ahh... Josh is so handsome. I can't breathe. D*mn... Sisters, I'm suffocating!"

Everyone ran after Josh Batton while screaming crazily and scrambling to give him their handwritten letters as well as all sorts of expensive gifts... Josh didn't accept any of the gifts. Instead, he only accepted the letters.

People surrounded him...

However, he still stood out from the crowd. He was like the brightest star among everyone else.

At this moment, he seemed to be surrounded by holy light. Everyone admired him.

Seeing Josh like this made Annabeth feel even more self-abased. However, it also made her feel more certain about her decision earlier in the car.

'Yes, Annabeth Cates. If you really end up pregnant, you'll have to get an abortion.

'You don't deserve to taint someone like Josh.

'You also don't deserve to make him give up everything for you...' Annabeth thought to herself.

Countless girls liked Josh and were good enough for him.

Girls like Annabeth were only good enough to be his assistant. This was all she could do.

There were more and more people surrounding Josh...

Meanwhile, it became increasingly difficult for them to move forward.

They practically had to stop for a few seconds after taking each step. However, Josh maintained his composure. He didn't seem at all impatient.

He remained kind and polite in front of his fans, smiling and waving at them...

Moreover, he carefully reminded them as he walked. "Be careful, you guys... Don't push... Make sure you look after your safety while you look at me... There's nothing more important than your safety..." This man had such a wonderful upbringing. Annabeth, who stood behind him, admired him even more for this...

However, the more she admired him, the more self-abased she felt.

Soon, she forcefully suppressed her genuine thoughts.

Right then, Josh's fans around him were all mesmerized by him...

Some of the girls even murmured that they had no other regrets in this lifetime...

Some of them even expressed that they loved him even more.

Josh was such an idol that he didn't have a single weakness in him...

There wasn't a single person who could see him and not fall for him.

He was the knight in shining armor in countless women's hearts.

In fact, he was practically worshipped by these women like a god.

While walking, the bodyguards accidentally gave Annabeth a little shove because too many people were pushing against them...

Annabeth accidentally stumbled over her right leg and fell toward the ground.

To avoid falling all the way, Annabeth reflexively grabbed the back of Josh's shirt.

However, even so, she couldn't escape the fate of falling.

Josh was indeed horrified by this scene.

With so many people around them, she might end up being trampled over.

Josh immediately stopped walking and hastily pulled Annabeth onto her feet. "Are you alright? Does it hurt?"

Right then, Annabeth's right ankle was swollen and in pain. It hurt so much that she couldn't even place her foot on the ground.

Subconsciously, Annabeth took in a breath of cold air. "It hurts a lot... I don't think I can walk... Ahh..." Annabeth said truthfully.

Before she could finish her sentence, Josh immediately picked her up by the waist while everyone watched. "I'll carry you... Let's examine it once we get to the resting room..."

Chapter 1604

Chapter 1604

Josh Batton's tone was extremely gentle...

Everything about him felt gentle.

Being carried like this made Annabeth Cates' heart start pounding again just after she had calmed herself down...

She felt something like a jolt in her heart. Her heart stopped beating for a split second.

Fans at the scene who saw this happening felt heartbroken.

Jealousy was apparent on their faces.

How could the man of their dreams carry his assistant in front of them?

To these women, being able to see Josh was already a luxury.

They wouldn't even dream of touching his hand.

But this girl was able to be carried by Josh in his arms.

How could they not be jealous? How could they not be heartbroken?

All the female fans present nearly fainted.

Who was the person everyone was most jealous of right now?

It was none other than Annabeth.

"Sob-sob... Josh is carrying her... Ahh... I wouldn't even dream of being carried by him like that, but she actually got to experience it..."

"Sob-sob. I wouldn't even dare to fantasize about him, but he actually carried another woman in his arms right in front of me. My heart is broken."

"Sisters, I'm very jealous. I want to trip and fall and be carried by Josh too."

"Ahh... Me too. I want to trip and fall, too. Did this girl do it on purpose?"

"Sob-sob... Who am I? Where am I? What am I doing? I feel so lost... I'm lost, sisters."

When Annabeth heard the heartbroken voices of the fans around her, she immediately came to her senses.

After taking a deep breath, Annabeth looked at Josh nervously. "What are you doing? Put me down... Don't you know who you are? Rumors might spread...”

However, Josh appeared indifferent. "Do you think rumors are more important, or is your safety more important? There are so many people pushing around. Think about it... If you walk on your own, won't you lose your legs by the time you arrive at the resting room?"

Annabeth immediately felt a sense of warmth spread in her heart after hearing what Josh said...

For a moment, she fell for him again.

However, she forced herself to return to reality once again. "In that case, just hold my hand and help me walk... That will suffice."

"Will you not feel pain if I only hold your hand?" Josh asked.

"In that case... Let the bodyguards help me. Don't do it yourself, Josh," Annabeth said.

"The bodyguards are protecting us. It's already tough for them to deal with these fans. Do you think they can still look after you?" Josh asked. Annabeth was speechless.

She felt helpless trying to argue against what Josh said...

"No matter what, it won't end well... It'll get onto the hot topics. I don't want you to be scolded by the fans," Annabeth said.

Josh smiled a little. "The fans here can see what exactly happened. They won't scold me. They aren't that petty..." He said. When Josh's fans heard this, they all started looking at each other.

'No, Josh. We are petty! We are jealous!' His fans screamed in their hearts.

"Listen to me, alright?" Josh said gently as he looked at Annabeth's face.

Annabeth immediately felt tingles in her bones.

At this moment, she had the wrong impression that she was the female protagonist in an idol drama...

Meanwhile, the fans became even more upset when they heard what Josh said.

Chapter 1605

Chapter 1605

"Ahh... Josh is so gentle to his assistant..."

"Are they not in a relationship? Sob-sob... I'm going mad..."

"If Josh looked at me, carried me, and talked to me this gently, I'd be willing to die for him instantly."

"Sisters, I suddenly understand how those evil, scheming concubines feel in ancient palaces... Sob-sob... I really want to poison Josh's assistant right now..." Annabeth Cates felt unsettled once again after hearing what everyone said. "Why don't you give me a piggyback ride? It's a little more acceptable for the fans..."

If looks could kill, Annabeth believed that she'd probably have died countless times now.

Annabeth knew that each of Josh's fans must have wished she were dead.

Josh glanced briefly at Annabeth's skirt. "Are you sure?"

Annabeth immediately shut up...

It seemed like the skirt she wore today made it inappropriate for her to be carried from behind.

Josh was still the attentive one.

For now, Annabeth would have to allow Josh to do as he wished.

However, she knew that a bloody storm would soon appear on Weibo.

Annabeth and Josh were bound to appear on the number one hot topic.

They would both be heavily criticized.

Annabeth wasn't concerned about herself being criticized. However, she didn't want Josh to be criticized.

After arriving at the VIP resting room, the world around them became quiet.

The bodyguards didn't follow them into the resting room. Instead, they stood guard outside strictly.

As soon as they entered, Josh slowly put Annabeth down on a soft couch. After that, he elegantly sat by her side.

Josh then naturally placed her right foot on his lap. After that, he removed her white sneaker...

Once Annabeth's sneaker was removed, her ankle and heel were fully exposed before Josh's eyes.

Right then, her ankle and heel were swollen. It was painful just to watch.

Josh's heart went out to Annabeth when he saw this...

After frowning slightly, he carefully touched her ankle. He discovered that her ankle was a little dislocated. Josh then gently grabbed her foot and exerted force on the dislocated part while Annabeth wasn't paying attention...

Crack!

Pain shot through her foot...

Annabeth instantly felt better. The pain in her ankle went away...

"That's amazing... Josh, I didn't think you'd know how to do this..." Annabeth complimented.

"Try moving your ankle..." Josh said softly.

Annabeth carefully tried to move her ankle a little...

She was able to move her ankle around freely. Moreover, it didn't feel painful at all.

Annabeth had completely recovered!

"I've recovered... This is amazing..." Annabeth said.

Josh smiled a little. "Yeah... I learned this from my grandfather."

"Awesome... You and your grandfather are both awesome... I heard your grandfather is an amazing doctor, isn't he?" Annabeth had a look of admiration in her eyes.

Josh nodded. After that, he put her sneaker back on. "Yeah," Josh said.

"Impressive..." Annabeth complimented again.

Suddenly recalling how she was carried earlier, Annabeth immediately switched on her phone and logged in to Weibo-

Chapter 1606

Chapter 1606

Just as Annabeth Cates had expected, things were already going out of control on Weibo.

Out of the ten hot topics on the list, Annabeth and Josh Batton took up eight of the spots... Hot topic number one, '#Josh Batton carries his assistant at the airport#'.

Hot topic number two, '#Josh Batton carries her like a princess#'.

Hot topic number three, '#Josh Batton's assistant#'.

Hot topic number four, '#Annabeth Cates#'.

Hot topic number five, '#What is the relationship between Josh Batton and Annabeth Cates?#'.

Hot topic number six, '#Did Annabeth Cates trip at the airport on purpose?#'.

Hot topic number seven, '#Annabeth Cates and Josh Batton at the airport#'.

Hot topic number eight, '#Josh Batton treats Annabeth Cates differently#'. Seeing these titles gave Annabeth a headache...

Indeed, Josh was a top-notch celebrity. People paid attention to his every move.

The simple act of carrying a woman caused his name to dominate the list of hot topics.

There wasn't anyone in the entire entertainment industry who could contend with his popularity.

After seeing these disturbing hot topics, Annabeth immediately tapped on each of them one after another...

There were videos and photos of Annabeth being carried by Josh in each of these hot topics...

Some of these videos were very long. The entire process of how Josh carried Annabeth was recorded.

At first glance, it looked almost like a scene from an idol drama...

The only thing lacking was her appearance. She wasn't as beautiful as those female protagonists in idol dramas.

In contrast with Josh's good looks, she looked even more insignificant in the videos.

Annabeth only felt that she was an ugly duckling next to a beautiful swan as she watched these videos.

Immediately after that, comments from Josh's fans and random netizens came into sight-

"As one of Josh's fans, I'm terribly jealous. Why is Annabeth Cates so lucky?"

"I'm Josh's fan too. I don't even dare to fantasize about him because I feel like that's an insult to him. How dare you allow him to carry you?"

"I feel that Josh's assistant is rather lacking in her looks. She doesn't look good next to Josh. So, everyone, please don't overthink things. Josh was only doing it out of kindness..."

"As a random netizen, I sense that Josh might have feelings for his assistant. Ahh... Such a weird couple..."

"I think it's impossible for there to be anything between Josh and his assistant. Do you think god would be interested in a pile of mud?"

"Although I'm jealous, I do think they can't possibly be together. Josh doesn't like ordinary girls like her... He's not blind either."

"Get your hands off Josh. Let me... Sob-sob... I don't even dare to touch his hand because it might taint him, but you have allowed him to carry you. Is he someone you can simply get close to?" "Annabeth must have done it on purpose. The way she tripped looked intentional. What a scheming b*tch!"

Some of the negative comments hurt Annabeth's feelings...

Although she didn't like what she saw, she knew those were truthful statements...

Chapter 1607

Chapter 1607

Annabeth Cates was indeed like a pile of mud in front of Josh Batton.

How could a pile of mud ever deserve the grace of a god from above?

When Josh Batton noticed Annabeth's comments, he immediately extended his arm and patted her shoulder. "Don't care too much about what other people say. Just be yourself... You can think of these as comments made of jealousy..." Josh said.

However, Annabeth chuckled and looked nonchalantly at Josh. "It's nothing. I don't mind... Besides, they aren't wrong. You and I couldn't be more different... You're better than me in every way."

Josh immediately frowned when he heard this. "Annabeth, I forbid you to talk about yourself like that..."

"To me... You're a good girl. You are kind and gentle, and you have a good personality..." Josh added truthfully.

Annabeth laughed. "Thank you for your words of consolation, Josh... Oh, right. Your fans are all jealous now. It's made it onto several hot topics... Shouldn't you explain things to calm them down?" Josh let out a long, helpless sigh. "Yeah... I'll do that so that they won't harass you..."

As soon as Josh finished speaking, Annabeth started receiving a lot of notifications on Weibo.

People continuously sent her private messages.

Annabeth immediately tapped on them...

Her Weibo account had been inactive ever since she created it. Now, she was suddenly receiving a lot of messages...

Those messages were all criticisms from Josh's fans-

"You dirty b*tch. Stay away from Josh. I didn't want to curse on the hot topics because I didn't want to ruin our collective image as Josh's fans... Now, only you can see this. I won't hold back..." "Annabeth Cates, I'm warning you. Don't mess with Josh. Keep those disgusting thoughts of yours to yourself. You don't deserve him."

"How dare you seduce Josh? It's something so many of us, his fans, wouldn't even dare dream of. You sure have high hopes... Go to hell."

"If you keep trying to seduce Josh, I'll let you have a taste of what it's like to be disfigured by sulfuric acid."

Josh's fans shrouded their words euphemistically in the hot topics.

However, in the private messages they sent to Annabeth, they completely changed because none of the outsiders could see what they wrote... The disturbing comments nearly gave Annabeth a heart attack.

Were female fans so good at this game these days?

They were this two-faced...

While presenting one side of themselves to the internet, they behaved completely differently behind the screens.

Those abusive messages made Annabeth feel extremely disgusted.

Although she wanted to argue against them, she figured that they were all Josh's true fans. Hence, she decided to let it slide.

After glancing at Annabeth's phone, Josh logged into his own Weibo account. "Turn Weibo off. It'll all be over soon..."

While Josh spoke, he entered his own Weibo account and immediately drafted a simple response. "She fell and hurt her ankle. Isn't it very normal for me to carry her under those circumstances? I hope none o you read too much into it... She didn't seduce me. So please stop criticizing her."

Josh knew his fans very well. If he didn't explain things, they'd certainly overthink.

They might treat Annabeth as a woman who tried to get close to him and criticize her in a frenzy.

After all, any woman who wasn't on par with his status and tried to get close to him would be labeled an enemy. It would only blow things out of proportion...

As soon as Josh published his Weibo post, a large group of his fans reacted to it-

Chapter 1608

Chapter 1608

"Sob-sob, Josh. We knew you wouldn't fall for that woman."

"Josh, thank you for saving my life. I thought you fell in love with her. Sob-sob..."

"Josh, listen to your mother and focus on your career. Don't get into a relationship. Isn't being a top-notch celebrity much better than having fun with women?"

"Alright... If that's the case, I'll apologize. Sorry, Josh's assistant."

"Sob-sob. I didn't expect Josh to reply so soon. Josh, whatever you say is right. We believe in you..."

"As a random netizen, I do believe his fans were over-reacting. He was only concerned about his colleague."

The angsty emotions of fans and random netizens were overcome simply because Josh Batton published a Weibo post.

At the same time, Annabeth Cates also saw all the comments beneath Josh's Weibo post.

As she read those comments, she immediately let out a long sigh of relief.

When Josh heard her soft voice, he slowly turned his head around. He allowed his gentle gaze to linger on Annabeth's face. "Everything's fine now... Trust me, nobody will criticize you anymore..." "Thank you, Josh... I'll definitely be careful not to trip and fall again next time," Annabeth said.

"Alright. Does your leg really not hurt anymore?" Josh asked.

"Yeah. Thank you, Josh," Annabeth replied.

As for their intimate interaction the other day, both kept their feelings to themselves because Annabeth took the lead to nip things in the bud.

Although they each remembered the scenes clearly, neither of them brought it up again.

***

After Annabeth and Josh arrived at City L, Annabeth accompanied Josh to City L's Goldfield Plaza.

The entire shopping mall was packed inside and out because people knew that Josh was coming. Nearly every alley in the city was empty.

It seemed that everyone had gathered in this place.

With the protection of bodyguards, Josh led Annabeth into the shopping mall.

Fans occupied over a dozen floors of the shopping mall and the area around Chanel's store...

Josh was going to take part in Chanel's exhibition to promote the brand today...

Moreover, he would be stationed temporarily at the cashier to promote and sell Chanel's products. Fans who found out about this in advance had already surrounded Chanel's cashier.

When they saw Josh arriving, they started screaming passionately-

"Ahh... Josh... Josh, look at me..."

"Josh... Oh my god! Oh my god! You're so handsome. I love you..."

"Sisters, I'm dying. How can Josh be so handsome? Sob-spb..."

"I can't breathe. Ahh... Josh, look at me. Just look at me a single time. I'll give you my life..."

"Josh, you're my one and only... Josh, my life is nothing without you... Ahh..."

The screaming noise from fans was deafening...

Annabeth felt as if her eardrums would explode just by standing nearby.

She subconsciously covered her ears.

Meanwhile, Josh was standing ahead with a calm and composed expression on his face. He seemed used to this. Josh had experienced all sorts of incidents ever since his debut. He was all too familiar with what was before him.

There were so many people here that they appeared almost like waves of a tsunami.

However, Josh still looked the best in the crowd.

He was calm and patient. His entire body emanated a noble aura that mesmerized people around him...

Chapter 1609

Chapter 1609

When Annabeth Cates saw Josh Batton like this, she lost her focus ever so briefly once again.

After accompanying Josh backstage, Annabeth stood there for a while before sneakily making her way out of the crowd. After that, she walked with much difficulty to the shopping mall's entrance... There were still a lot of people near the shopping mall's entrance...

She used all her might to force her way through the crowd.

On the way here, Annabeth saw a pharmacy opposite the shopping mall.

She decided to buy a pregnancy test from the pharmacy to check if she was pregnant.

This mystery had been on her mind the entire time. If she didn't get to the bottom of it, she couldn't feel secure at all.

After taking a deep breath, Annabeth nervously walked into the pharmacy in a low-profile manner and bought three pregnancy tests.

Once she had bought the pregnancy tests, she quickly entered the pharmacy's restroom. She sat on the toilet and began using the pregnancy tests according to the labels attached... Soon, the results for all three pregnancy tests were available.

Each of the pregnancy tests had two lines on them.

Annabeth couldn't believe her eyes...

At that moment, she felt as if her mind had exploded.

Annabeth had read the instructions on the pregnancy tests. Two lines indicated positive, which also meant that she was pregnant...

With all three pregnancy tests showing positives, that meant Annabeth was pregnant.

There couldn't possibly be an error with the pregnancy test sticks.

Although Annabeth had long suspected this, she still felt shocked by the results. Her mind was filled with disbelief.

How could she have gotten pregnant?

She had taken the contraceptive pill...

Why didn't the pill work? Could she have taken a fake pill?

There was no way of proving all this.

After taking a deep breath, Annabeth quickly wrapped all three pregnancy tests in paper towels and tossed them into a nearby trash can. Annabeth didn't leave right away. Instead, she remained seated on the toilet while trembling and taking deep breaths.

Up until now, she still couldn't accept this fact.

After taking deep breaths for up to ten minutes, Annabeth finally calmed down and accepted the truth.

At the same time, she also decided she would stick with her original plan of getting an abortion.

Once Annabeth took another deep breath, she carefully placed her hand over her lower abdomen.

When she thought about how she would soon get rid of the growing life inside her with her own hands, her heart suddenly ached terribly.

Annabeth lowered her head and repeatedly caressed her lower abdomen while trying to bear with the heartache. "Baby, I'm sorry... I don't want to get rid of you either... But I don't have a choice..." She murmured.

"Your existence will certainly be an obstacle to your father's chance at a happy life... That's why I'm sorry..." Annabeth added.

While speaking, Annabeth's eyes unknowingly began to tear up.

Beep, beep, beep-

Right then, Annabeth's phone started ringing.

The shrill noise immediately cut through the silence.

Suddenly, Annabeth's thoughts were interrupted.

She immediately shifted her gaze to her phone screen...

There was a notification on the screen that Josh sent her a message on WeChat. "Hey... Where did you go? Are you feeling unwell?" His caring tone made Annabeth feel warmth in her heart once again.

When Annabeth thought about how Josh still cared about her despite how busy he was, she immediately felt even warmer in her heart.

Chapter 1610

Chapter 1610

After taking another deep breath, Annabeth Cates replied to the message. "No, I only came out for some fresh air. I'll be back soon..."

At the same time, Josh Batton was being watched by over ten thousand people as he listened to the event host's introduction of Chanel's products. He did all this while simultaneously replying to Annabeth's message...

"Alright, stay safe... I'll get a security guard to pick you up..." Josh said.

With that, he turned to look at a security guard the shopping mall management had hired for him. "Please pick up my assistant outside..." Josh said softly.

The security guard nodded respectfully before quickly leaving.

Although Josh spent very little time replying to Annabeth, the fans around him noticed everything he was doing.

They began whispering among themselves.

"I feel that Josh's gaze was very gentle when he looked at his phone earlier. Is he replying to someone's text?"

"Josh would never play with his phone during events like this. So it must be someone very important, right?"

"If he's really replying to messages, I'd be awfully jealous... Sob-sob... I really wish Josh would reply to my WeChat messages too. But, unfortunately, I don't even have him on my friend's list..."

Although Josh heard his fans whispering about him, he didn't show any signs of noticing it.

Josh quickly shifted his gaze to the event host, ensuring his professionalism was on full display.

After Annabeth walked out of the pharmacy, she gently rubbed her lower abdomen with many thoughts on her mind. She then returned to the shopping mall's entrance, where it was extremely crowded. The moment she walked across the road, the security guard Josh had sent noticed her.

The man immediately walked up to her. "Mr. Batton sent me to escort you inside... Let's go..." he said respectfully.

Annabeth felt a sense of warmth in her heart again. She subconsciously caressed her lower abdomen. "Alright... Thank you."

The security guard smiled. "You're welcome, Miss. I feel that Mr. Batton treats you well... Despite how busy he was earlier, he still arranged for someone to escort you inside..."

Annabeth smiled in return. "He's good to his subordinates."

"Yeah, I could tell... It must feel fortunate to work for him, right?" the security guard asked.

"Yeah... It is," Annabeth replied.

Annabeth was very lucky...

She could see Josh's handsome face every day. But, on top of that, he was gentle, caring, considerate, and fair toward her...

Annabeth believed she was the luckiest assistant in the entertainment industry.

Josh didn't have a lot of stuff going on. But, he was respectful and looked after his subordinates...

He wasn't like other celebrities who often yelled at their assistants.

Josh treated his assistant as an equal.

When Annabeth thought about Josh, her heart felt indescribably joyful.

However, the more positive qualities she observed from him, the more self-abased she felt.

With the security guard escorting her, Annabeth made her way back to Josh's side with much difficulty. Josh glanced at her briefly before looking away.

Meanwhile, Annabeth also knowingly stood behind him. She looked at him silently amidst the crowd.

After looking at Josh for a while, Annabeth lowered her head to look at her lower abdomen again.

When she was reminded of how she would soon get rid of her and Josh's baby, her heart ached painfully once again.

After the event ended, Josh and Annabeth left the shopping mall and got into their car under its security staff's protection and bodyguards...

At the same time, Josh's fans also gushed out of the shopping mall like waves of a tsunami, surrounding the car he was in and blocking the traffic... The fans were still screaming passionately.

It felt like each person was louder than the next-