Cherry's sudden shrill shriek took Andrew completely off guard. Andrew promptly drew her into his
arms, holding her close to him, and offered words of comfort, "No. We won't make a trip down to the
police station. Don't fret. I will protect you."
The man that Andrew was made him always feel pity and the desire to care for a damsel in distress.
Perhaps it wasn't love, per se. There was, however, an undeniable and innate feeling in his being
which made him feel that he was duty bound to provide this fragile lady with protection.
Andrew's spontaneous display of compassion and affection had Cherry hooked. She leaned into his
embrace, holding him tightly, and she closed her eyes, tension somewhat releasing from her body.
She didn't care who the man that was holding her was and whether or not he had romantic feeling for
her. The important thing at this particular moment was that this man was making her feel protected and
safe in his strong arms.
Safety was the one thing she truly craved!
However, Andrew's thoughts took on a suspicious nature. 'What on earth had happened to Kristine?
Why was Alan such a dominant and controlling presence in her life? And why was her reaction to the
mere mention of the police so strongly fearful?
All things seem to point to the logical conclusion that perhaps she had been in trouble with the police
before. Perhaps she had even been incarcerated for something...'
Andrew's forehead crinkled as he considered his thoughts. He was beginning to feel even more
astonished.
Alan did have some connection to Kevin. Also, Kevin's ex-girlfriend was indeed a spitting image of
Kristine.
Further, her full name was Cherry Ye! The ex-girlfriend even shared the same surname with her!
When Kristine had stepped into the limelight of the entertainment industry, people noticed her similarity
to Cherry. So they decided to find more information about their relations through human-powered
search, but to no avail. They realized that, while Kristine looked very much like Cherry, the two had
nothing else to do with each other.
This world was full of amazing coincidences and unprecedented incidents. Although uncommon, it
wasn't impossible for two people to display such uncanny resemblance.
Eventually, people could not find any cold hard evidence that the two women were one and the same,
and all accepted that Kristine was not in fact masquerading under the new persona of Cherry.
But Kristine's reaction indicated to Andrew that, despite the lack of proof, perhaps she was indeed
Cherry.
'Kevin's ex-girlfriend had been incarcerated for murder...
And the poor victim had been none other than Alan's sister!'
As he came to this conclusion, an icy feeling immediately came over Andrew's entire being. He looked
at the woman in his embrace. He really did believe this was the only logical explanation, and it was
quite plausible.
Regardless of his conclusion, he couldn't bring himself to truly believe that this trembling, meek woman
in his embrace had it in her to commit a heinous crime such as murder.
'This woman could be a murderer. Her hands are stained with the blood of an innocent life!'
Thinking of this, Andrew felt utterly repulsed. He had the urge to push her away and break contact
immediately. But he felt too awkward to make the move.
Instead, he just let Cherry hold him. Some time passed and Alan did not return. Andrew's body had
become stiff being held so tightly by Cherry for such a long period. She had fallen asleep now.
The next day, Cherry was awakened by the incessant beep of her alarm. She rubbed her eyes and
realized she had slept through the night in Andrew's arms. She blushed in shyness and moved to the
far end of the sofa.
Andrew, however, had not managed even a wink of sleep. The dark circles around his eyes were
testament to this. Noting Cherry's sudden movement, his anxiety unwittingly disappeared.
"I'm so sorry I fell asleep on you like that. You might have not rested well. I'll request leave for you from
the crew. Just take some time to relax here today," Cherry said quickly, standing up and looking
mortified at the situation.
Andrew frowned. His mind was a complete mess.
Now, however, he was convinced that she was Cherry, and a murderer.
It did not matter, as far as he was concerned, how or when Kristine had flew under the radar and
changed her identity. What mattered was that she had killed in cold blood.
Such a woman was nothing less than a dangerous criminal!
More importantly, if it were to be uncovered that she was indeed a murderer, his future would be ruined.
Cherry and he had pretended to be in a romantic relationship for him to further his career.
Andrew weighed his options...
He looked at Kristine, whose back was facing him, and responded, "Alan didn't return last night so I
think he will be here shortly."
Just the utterance of Alan's name made Kristine's body seize up.
'Right. Alan had left in an angry huff yesterday. He will be back soon.
Alan - that damn Alan!'
Kristine rationalized the situation in her head, lowering her gaze and biting her bottom lip, fraught with
anxiety. Alan would not let her get away so easily. She knew he would return to deal with her.
Worst of all, Alan had clearly stated that he wanted Andrew to leave.
'So if Andrew doesn't leave...' Kristine began to form a solution in her mind.
"Listen - I really don't know what happened but it's quite clear to me that you are afraid of Alan. He
seemed to have a problem with me being here. Do you still want me to stay?" Andrew said this simply
because he really wanted to leave and thought that mentioning that Alan would not approve would
convince her to let him leave. It was imperative he stay out of their matters for the sake of his own
future.
He had realized that this woman before him was capable of killing people. He had pondered on what
the consequences would be for him if he irritated her.
He thus decided that the way to address her was as he just did. It was better to frame the question in a
way that made Cherry suggest the idea he should leave, herself, rather than at his insistence.
Cherry frowned. She looked up at Andrew.
Over the past few days, Andrew's presence in her home had made her feel a sense of relief.
If he were to leave, there would be no one to protect her if Alan decided to return and mete out his
vengeance.
'But if Andrew doesn't leave, what would Alan do then...?'
Cherry was lost in thought, and lowered her head and let out a heavy sigh. What could she do in this
situation?
In the meanwhile, Anne and the kids were at the airport. They were seeing Kevin off safely.
Several burly body guards surrounded them. Kevin had selected these men personally.
Kevin would be gone for about a week and he worried about their safety in his absence, because of
Alan's presence. So, he hired this team of bodyguards.
These bodyguards were strong and had an ominous presence. He had faith that any one of them could
easily deal with Alan if the need arose.
"It's Children's Day in three days. I'm so sorry that I can't celebrate it with you." Kevin was filled with
guilt as he looked at his children.
"Dad, it's just Children's Day. There's really nothing to be sorry about. Just have a good trip and come
back safely," said Eddy seriously, looking at Kevin.
This comment made Kevin's eyes widen in happy astonishment and his broken heart came together, all
at once. He was flooded with glee.
Finally, his children truly cared about him.
"Eddy is right. As long as Dad comes back safely, everything will be fine. We really don't care about the
Children's Day," Simon blinked his eyes in reassurance, and a sweet smile then appeared on his face.
Kevin nodded and turned to Sally, expectantly.
Sally pouted and looked straight into Kevin's eyes. She then went onto her tiptoes to reach up to
Kevin's chin. She placed a kiss on his chin.
"Dad, I really will miss you." Her soft musical voice was so pleasing to the ear.
Kevin laughed and nodded again. Then he looked at Anne and took her into his embrace.
'The moment could not be more perfect, ' he thought.
Anne observed Kevin. He behaved just like an innocent child sometimes.
It was time to leave. She reminded him, "Well, the plane is about to take off. You should hurry up. Don't
worry about us. With Mom and me around, there won't be any problems."
Plus, Sam and Mark were also around.
Heralded by the airport administrative staff, Kevin knew he could delay no longer. He nodded and
walked to the boarding gate.
This trip should be as short as possible. He needed to finish his work quickly and return to his family.
His heart would only be happy if he were by their side.
Seeing Kevin depart before their eyes, Anne and the kids sighed in acceptance of the situation. He
really had to attend to his work.
"Mrs. Anne, there are many people here. It's not safe. Let's leave," said one of the bodyguards to Anne.
She raised her head to look at the bodyguard, the corners of her mouth twitched.
The only reason Kevin had engaged the services of these bodyguards was to prevent Alan from
causing them any harm.
Apart from him, they had no enemies to avoid.
At the airport, in the midst of so many people, they were still safe, as long as Alan wasn't around.
However, the scene of six burly bodyguards surrounding her and the kids was attracting attention.
Some people even stopped to make a quick video of the scene.
This was a bit of an unusual spectacle.
In the circumstance, Anne didn't really have a choice so she agreed. She gathered Sally into her arms,
while Eddy and Simon followed her as they made their way to the car.
No matter where they went, they would cause a scene. It would be inappropriate. So she decided it
would be best if they went back immediately.
When they arrived at home, they were greeted by Selma seated in the foyer. She beamed at Eddy.
Eddy instantly felt awkward, and looked at Anne for direction.
Raising her eyebrows at Selma, and taking a seat on the couch, Anne asked, "Mom, you've got a
strange smirk on your face. What's happened?"
'Strange?'
Selma looked at Anne. She disagreed. She responded, "Well, it has something to do with Eddy."
Eddy had a sinking feeling. He just wanted to leave and go straight upstairs. But his curiosity overcame
him and he stayed put.
Selma beckoned to Eddy with one hand. He went over to her.
With a doting smile playing on her face, Selma said, "A young lady called just now saying she'd like to
see you."
Eddy froze momentarily when he heard the three words - "a young lady." He massaged his temples as
he already figured out who this could be.
Eddy recalled that he had given his phone number to Ella because she kept pestering him all the time.
But he hadn't really expected her to call him.
Hearing Selma's comment, Anne was quick to conclude the girl must be Ella.
Then she turned to look at Eddy with a slight smile. Eddy lowered his head and murmured, "If I had
known that she would call, I would never have given her the house number."
But it was too late for regret now.
Looking at Selma, Anne asked, "Mom, did Ella say anything else?"
Selma chuckled, "She said there would be a celebration at school on the Children's Day. And she
asked whether you and Kevin would attend."
Children in the kindergarten loved to play. The Children's Day was a festival for children, so it was
natural for the school to host various shows for the day.
"Eddy, have you and Ella signed up for any performance?" Anne looked at Eddy.
Eddy's singing in the contest last time was unforgettable.
Eddy pursed his lips tightly, shook his head sternly, and said, "No."
Last time, Ella had made a mistake by signing up for the singing contest for him, not knowing that he
wasn't good at singing. This time, Eddy warned her in advance so that she would not repeat the same
mistake.
Nodding her head, Anne asked curiously, "Why did she ask about it? Or... do you think Colin put her up
to it?"
Colin was Kevin's business partner. If Colin wanted to become closer to them, he could use Ella as a
means to create that link.
If so, she had to change her view of Colin.
Ella got along well with Eddy. Even though he acted as if he didn't like her, he did take good care of her
at school.
If Colin was using his child to become closer with them, it was despicable. That would be taking
advantage of innocent kids. She would have a low opinion of him.
Anne didn't want to jump to any conclusions.
"Why don't you call her instead of overthinking?" Selma yawned and made this suggestion.
Anne nodded obligingly. It would be better to call and uncover the truth than to overthink the situation.
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