Cherry and Andrew returned home early after work.
Cherry had been restless ever since Alan moved to her place. She feared that the man had come with
a plan and might do something to harm her. However, Alan did nothing so far; he behaved as if he had
forgotten the past -- as if he didn't remember that Cherry had killed his sister.
The man's calm frightened her even more.
Perhaps this was the calm before the storm.
At the dinner table, Cherry ate in silence -- with her eyes fixed on the food. Andrew picked some
vegetables and put them in her bowl.
Cherry lifted her head and looked at Andrew. Pity was written all over his face. "You have been working
hard lately. Look at your frail body -- you have lost a lot of weight."
Cherry swallowed and smiled awkwardly. Just as she was about to take another bite of food, Alan
spoke. "Andrew, don't get me wrong. But some people lose weight not because they work hard, but
because of the fear of their secrets being exposed."
Cherry's body stiffened; the blood on her face drained in an instant. She frowned at Alan.
The man flashed a smile and continued to eat as if he meant no harm.
Andrew cast a disgusted glance at Alan. Observing him for the past few days had revealed that Alan
was a bug living in Cherry's house that constantly bothered her.
His sarcastic words and snide remarks irked Andrew as well.
Moreover, he could see that Cherry hated him too. However, something stopped her from offending him
or asking him to leave.
Andrew didn't know what it was.
After dinner, Cherry washed the dishes herself.
Andrew walked in and decided to help her. Alan continued to watch TV in the living room, keeping the
volume high.
The blaring sound reverberated across the entire villa.
Both Andrew and Cherry had a busy schedule. They preferred resting after dinner.
However, Alan lived an entirely different life. He was used to sleeping in the day and watching TV at
night, and with a high volume.
Although the room was soundproof, the noise vibrated across the floors and walls.
Andrew looked at Cherry concernedly. "Alan has never tried to keep a low profile while living here.
Sooner or later, the reporters will find out about it. I think it would difficult to explain everything to them
then."
Cherry paused for a moment before nodding.
Alan didn't bother concealing his identity when he entered or left the house.
She knew that people would discover him soon.
Cherry looked up at the ceiling and sighed. She felt like she was a prisoner in her own house.
"Let it be. I have no choice but to endure it." It was true; she had to deal with the man. There was no
point complaining about it. She could neither eat nor sleep well in the past few days. Cherry had
thought of countless ways to get rid of Alan.
Till now, the man still had no intention of moving out, and she couldn't find a solution yet.
Moreover, dealing with Alan was tricky. He was a ticking time bomb, waiting to explode. If her actions or
moves infuriated him, he wouldn't hesitate to turn her life into hell.
Cherry had been stressing out, thinking of what he might do to her. However, she couldn't do anything
but pray that he didn't harm her.
"Why don't you give Alan money so that he can buy a house and move out?" Andrew suggested.
Cherry wiped the bowls clean and shook her head. "I told this to him on the second day he moved
here, but he refused."
She didn't want to mention it again and annoy him. He might lose his mind and torture her.
Cherry rubbed her sore neck. She was exhausted after an entire day's work.
She stretched herself and walked toward her room.
Andrew couldn't help but feel sorry for her. "Don't you think that talking to Mr. Kevin would be a good
idea? He and Alan used to be good friends. The man might listen to his words."
Cherry froze on the spot. She had asked Anne for help, but her attitude revealed that she wouldn't
support her.
"Well, I've tolerated him for all these days. I can manage for a few more days. It is no big deal." She
turned to look at Andrew. "Please be patient. Don't do anything to provoke Alan -- this is my humble
request."
Cherry walked straight to her room, leaving him all alone.
Andrew ran his fingers through his hair, sighing in defeat. The problem wasn't as simple as he thought.
He wondered what information Alan knew about Cherry that made her listen to his every word.
Andrew couldn't think as the noise from the TV grew louder. Annoyed, he went downstairs.
Alan was fidgeting with his phone without watching the program.
Andrew grew frustrated and turned it off.
The abrupt silence caught Alan's attention. He looked up and saw Andrew glaring at him.
"Turn on the TV!" he demanded.
Andrew had been following him and watching his every move. His vigilant eyes infuriated Alan. He felt
disgusted to be under his watchful gaze at all times.
Andrew sensed the anger in Alan's voice. The most annoying thing was that the man was ordering him.
That was also how the man talked to Cherry at all times.
He behaved as if he was the emperor of the house while he and Cherry were his slaves.
The man's arrogance bothered Andrew.
Alan used to be a rich man once. However, he had lost everything and sought shelter at Cherry's
house. He used the woman's money and was dependent on her for everything. However, he ordered
them instead of being grateful for the favor.
The man didn't realize where he stood.
He was bossing around instead of returning the favor.
Anger and hatred surged through Andrew's veins. "Alan, Kristine is a kindhearted woman. You are
friends. She is helping you because you are in trouble. But you shouldn't forget that she is a woman. It
is not appropriate for you to live here." He sneered distastefully.
Alan put down his phone and looked at Andrew. He knew what his words meant.
Andrew was here to drive him away.
The frown on Alan's forehead deepened. He crossed his arms over his chest and glared at him. "Did
Kristine ask you to talk to me, or is this your idea?"
Andrew's gaze involuntarily shifted to Kristine's room. "As Kristine's boyfriend, I have the right to make
you leave."
Alan scoffed. "Andrew, you think highly of yourself. Who the fuck do you think you are? Let me get this
straight. You can never make a decision for Kristine.
The woman will dump you if I ask her to.
Behave yourself! Otherwise, you might have to witness the nasty side of me. There is no point in
complaining later."
Andrew's jaw dropped in shock. He stood up and examined Alan from head to toe. The man was sitting
crossed-legged, looking like a rogue. A wicked smile stretched across his lips; his eyes glinted with
malice.
Alan had always looked dangerous. However, something seemed different today.
The man was shorter than Andrew; his body was frail.
His puny look deceived the anger on his face.
Andrew knew that he was stronger than Alan and wasn't afraid of him.
"Who do you think you are? Do you think you can threaten Kristine just because you know her secret?"
Andrew growled. "A real man would be frank and forthright, instead of being deliberately ambiguous. I
hate people like you, who live off a woman!"
Alan knitted his brows as the smile on his face faded away. Andrew's every word irked him.
He felt that it was time to teach the man a lesson for disrespecting him. Otherwise, he wouldn't know
who ruled the house.
Alan stood up and looked at Andrew coldly. "It was never my intention to bother you, but you are
desperate to fight me. You shouldn't have challenged me, Andrew!"
He fisted his palm and raised his hand to attack. Just then, a piercing scream resonated from upstairs.
"Stop!"
Alan's arm froze in midair before it touched Andrew's face.
The two men turned around and saw Kristine running downstairs.
The woman was sweating. She pulled Andrew behind her and looked at Alan. "I'm sorry. I should have
told him about you. Please don't get mad at him. He doesn't mean to offend you," she pleaded.
Andrew looked at Cherry in surprise.
Everything was Alan's fault. He had been treating them like slaves. Therefore, he should apologize for
his behavior.
But everything was upside down here. Cherry was begging Alan to forgive them.
Alan stepped forward, hooked his finger under Cherry's chin, and stared into her eyes. Cherry's body
stiffened; she wanted to push him away. However, she had to obey him. Otherwise, the man would lose
his mind again.
Bile rose in Andrew's throat. He stepped forward, but Cherry stopped him.
He wondered what was going on.
Cherry was a queen in the film fraternity. No one dared to offend her because they knew that Kevin
supported her. Even the most popular female stars respected Cherry.
However, the usually arrogant woman was pleading for mercy. She was begging in front of Alan, not
bothering to retain her self-esteem.
Andrew couldn't understand what was going on. What did Alan know that made Cherry tremble with
fear?
Alan's eyes were filled with hatred. His grip on Cherry's chin tightened. "Kristine, I hate this guy. The
mere sight of him annoys me. I don't want to see him again. You know what I'll do if you don't listen to
me."
He picked up his phone from the sofa and stormed out of the room.
Cherry's legs gave away. She slumped to the ground with a heavy thud.
Shocked, Andrew lifted Cherry in his arms and put her on the sofa.
He flinched as soon as he touched her.
Cherry's skin was as cold as a corpse.
Although they weren't a real couple, Andrew couldn't help but feel sorry for her.
Cherry was a superstar in the entertainment industry. People knew that she had a powerful
background, but no one knew what it was until lately. Kevin had been offering his relentless aid and
support that had helped her achieve her success.
However, Kevin didn't harbor any special interest in Cherry. He loved his wife and didn't bat an eyelid at
any other woman. No one knew what Cherry had done to win his support and guidance.
However, such a powerful and enigmatic woman was scared of Alan.
"What's going on, Kristine? Why are you so afraid of Alan?" Andrew knelt beside Cherry and clasped
her hand. "Why don't we ask the police for help?" he hissed through his teeth.
Cherry's eyes widened.
Her heart leaped to her throat. She pushed Andrew away and sat up.
Unprepared for the sudden attack, the man fell to the ground and looked at her in surprise. "No, don't!
Don't call the police. I don't want to go to the police station!" she screamed, shaking her head like a
maniac.
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