She leaned back slightly in disgust, but she eventually could not stop him from getting close to her entirely.
Her heart skipped a few beats, and the rhythm of her heart told her that she still had feelings for Carter.
However, she suppressed those feelings deep in her heart.
That was because they could no longer return to how it had been.
“You’ve conspired with Eveline to completely destroy my reputation in front of everyone. Now that I’m a ‘wanted criminal’, I ought to do something, don’t you think?”
Shirley frowned. “What do you mean by that?”
Carter curled the corners of his lips and lifted his hand. As his cold fingertips landed on Shirley’s cheek, his smile seemed extremely sly.
“Shirley, don’t be scared. I won’t do anything to you. Now, I have nothing except you. I will protect you. I won’t let you get hurt.”
“But it’s a different matter for Eveline and Kendrick.”
As Carter changed the subject, his eyes suddenly became sinister and dark. “Thanks to that test reagent you developed back then, it’s now finally time for it to shine.”
That test reagent?
Shirley’s expression changed. Her eyes moved about as she thought, but she could not figure out which test reagent Carter was talking about.
That was because she had developed too many kinds of test reagents back when Carter ordered her to do so.
The sight of Carter’s sly smile sent a chill down Shirley’s spine. A terrifying feeling crept into her heart.
“What did you do to Eveline and Kendrick?”
“Are you worried about Kendrick or the partner with whom you fooled me?”
Shirley looked blankly at the man. She could tell from Carter’s expression that something was not right. He looked as if possessed, and there was only hatred burning in his eyes.
Did he hate Eveline and Kendrick?
Shirley’s heart trembled. She still could not figure out what test reagent Carter was talking about.
However, he already saw the uneasiness and apprehension on Shirley’s face.
He smiled and spoke no further.
Elsewhere, it had been a few days since Niamh and Kendrick went back to Glendale.
However, in these few days, Niamh kept feeling as if something was troubling Kendrick.
She thought he was worried that the injury on his leg would affect his walking in the future, but she felt that Kendrick was not someone who would be worried about trivial matters like this. Moreover, they had had a doctor look at his injury again and there won’t be anything wrong with it.
Today, after Niamh had ended her call with her precious little princess in F Country, she went to look for Kendrick in the study.
When she got to the door, however, she saw an annoyed Kendrick crumpling a piece of paper into a ball and throwing it on the floor.
He was in a bad mood.
Niamh felt that it was strange. Ever since they came back from St. Piaf, Kendrick was not his usual self.
She wanted to ask him, but she felt that Kendrick should have his reasons for not wanting to tell her.
The biggest reason might be because he did not want her to worry about him.
After thinking about it, Niamh turned around to make a cup of black tea for Kendrick. She then walked into the study with a smile.
“Kendrick.” Niamh smiled softly and gently as she walked slowly toward Kendrick.
When Kendrick saw Niamh, he quickly hid his emotions and gave the woman in front of him his usual gentle smile.
“Nia.”
“Are you looking through your documents? Drink some black tea to warm your stomach. I just made this.” Niamh smiled and handed him the teacup.
Kendrick got up to take it, but for some reason, he seemed distracted. He had the teacup in his hand, but when Niamh let go of her hand, the teacup fell from his hand.
With a thud, the teacup fell on the floor.
While the teacup did not break into pieces, most of the black tea splashed on the back of Niamh’s leg. The freshly brewed black tea was very hot.
Niamh retracted her leg reflexively and let out a low groan.
Kendrick, who seemed to finally come back to his senses, grabbed Niamh’s hand and said, “Nia, is it hot? Sit down first.”
He quickly helped Niamh to sit on the sofa.
He held Niamh’s leg and placed it on his lap, and then he took off her cotton shoe and sock.
However, even though she wore thick winter socks, the back of her leg still burned red.
Kendrick’s heart broke at the sight of that. He quickly found the ointment for burns and carefully applied it for Niamh.
The cold sensation and Kendrick’s gentle application gradually quelled the pain from the burn.
Niamh looked at the frowning man in front of her and lifted her hand to place it on his forehead.
Niamh’s sudden gesture caused Kendrick to stop abruptly.
He felt his heart beating faster, but it was not a joyous rhythm.
“Kendrick, do you have something on your mind?”
Niamh finally asked. She did feel that Kendrick looked perturbed.
Upon hearing that, Kendrick lifted his eyes and shook his head.
“The biggest thing on my mind is you.” “Really?” Niamh giggled.
“I’m sorry, Nia. I was thinking about something just now so I didn’t catch the teacup. I’ve caused you pain.” Kendrick caressed the back of Niamh’s leg which had been burned as his heart ached, even though the burn was not too serious.
Niamh smiled softly. “I know you didn’t do it on purpose. I can endure such pain, but I can’t endure you having something on your mind which you aren’t telling me.”
After Niamh said this, Kendrick’s expression looked solemn.
Niamh recomposed herself and asked, “Is it about the maid?”
When Kendrick heard this, a look of loss evidently flashed across his face.
Niamh furrowed her eyebrows as well. “That day… Did something really happen between you and her?”
After she said that, Niamh could see that Kendrick’s expression froze.
That was not a good sign.
Niamh’s heart skipped a beat, and she started to look as if she was at a loss.
She did not want to think too much at this moment, but the air around her started to become heavy.
After a while, Kendrick lifted his eyes and looked into Niamh’s eyes who looked as if they were at a complete loss.
“Nia, I was framed by Carter.”
Carter’s helpless statement passed through Niamh’s ears.
He was framed.
Niamh’s heart sank. She understood the meaning behind this sentence.
She looked at Kendrick. After a while, she came back to her senses and blinked before speaking.
“I know you didn’t mean it.”
Niamh turned her face to recompose herself, but the moment she stood up and her burned leg touched the ground, she felt a pang of pain.
“Hiss.” Niamh could not help but let out a groan of pain.
Kendrick reflexively grabbed Niamh’s shoulder. “ Nia.”
He felt a pain in his heart. When he saw Niamh’s dazed expression, he felt even worse.
“Nia, I ate a small piece of cake, and after I ate it, I felt dizzy. I don’t remember how I got to the room, and I don’t know how I ended up with the maid…”
“Wait,” Niamh interrupted Kendrick.
There was longing in her eyes. “You don’t know how you got to the room? Did you only wake up after? Do you think that nothing happened between you two and that was just a ruse?”
New Book: Back Home to Marry Off Myself
Loredana’s father left the family for his mistress, leaving them to fend for themselves abroad. When life was at its toughest, her father showed up with “good news” after 8 years of absence: To marry off Loredana to a paralyzed son of the wealthy Mendelsohn family.