Chapter 2400:

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“Rupert, I thought you were joking. I never expected you to change so much after she came back,” Erica said, her voice thick with tears, playing the victim as though she had been wronged for years.

Little did she know, it was all her own doing.

“Grandpa, I built the company from the ground up. Now it’s in shambles. Don’t you think you bear some responsibility for this?”

No one could pinpoint when the family bonds had frayed so badly, leaving nothing but cold estrangement.

“Rupert, go ask Annabel to come here. We’ve already forgiven her,” Bruce sighed, acting considerate.

“She did nothing wrong. She doesn’t need your forgiveness!” Rupert snapped before storming out.

𝘛hous𝗮𝗇𝖽𝗌 o𝖿 r𝖾𝘢𝗱er𝘴 on g𝖺lոо𝘷𝗲l𝗌.co𝘮

His priority now was to convince Annabel to reconcile with him.

Erica continued weeping, but Bruce, thoroughly irritated, barked,

“Get out of my face!”

Erica’s sobbing halted instantly.

Flora, who had been upstairs the entire time, listened to the conversation below without intervening.

In the children’s room, Annabel watched the sleeping children, a smile softening her features. This was the sight she cherished most.

“Elma, you must be exhausted. Get some rest,” Annabel said gently.

“Madam, so much turmoil has shaken your family recently. It’s clear Rupert treats you poorly now, while you two were so in love in the beginning!” Elma, straightforward and honest, had always cared deeply for the children.

“Thank you for your concern,” Annabel replied, her gaze softening as she looked at the children.

Suddenly, a familiar piano melody drifted through the air—it was her favorite Chopin waltz. She stepped onto the balcony, peering down, but saw no one. Still, the music played on, enchanting her.

Drawn by the melody, Annabel followed it downstairs. In the distance, she saw a man in a suit playing the piano, each note filled with emotion.

“Beautiful performance!” Annabel couldn’t help but praise.

The moment Rupert turned around, Annabel’s expression shifted dramatically. Without a word, she hurried home, but Rupert quickly caught up with her.

“Please, don’t go. Just give me a chance, okay?”

The night wind carried a chill that made Annabel pull her coat tighter as she retreated further into the house.

Rupert took off his coat and draped it over her shoulders. “Don’t catch a cold,” he said softly.

Annabel threw the coat to the ground with a defiant gesture. “Mr. Benton, I don’t think we have anything to do with each other. From now on, leave me alone!”

What she had thought was a simple musical arrangement turned out to be something orchestrated by Rupert. She felt like a naive puppet, nearly ensnared by the trap he had laid for her.

“When I plunged into the sea, the only thought in my mind was to save our children. I swam to shore with them, but they were weak and developed fevers. Cathy didn’t die either; she followed me the entire time. I had to leave the children’s clothes on the shore to make it seem like they had drowned. I did it all to spare you the agony,” Rupert explained, his voice earnest and steady.

Annabel listened, her mind painting vivid images of the cold sea and the struggle he described.

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Message from Noa: My beloved little oneeeees, just letting you know that there’ll be some revamping on the site soon, with lots of new features that I hope you’ll love so so much. It’s taking a little while, but everything will be ready this week. Hope you like them, and remember that most of the options will only be available to the little ones who are registered and logged in. God loves you and Noa wishes you all the best. (>‿=)✌

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