Kept But Beloved: Always Been You

Chapter 7 He Is Back

Anabelle woke up at one in the afternoon, the weariness of the previous night lingering. In haste, she made her way to the studio, but a moment of hesitation gripped her at the entrance.

Two men, dressed in black and exuding an aura of strength, stood in her way. As she drew near, one of them inquired, "Anabelle Blair?"

Before Anabelle could reply, the owner of the studio appeared, stating, "This is she! Go after her! My studio has nothing to do with her!"

Anabelle's mind lagged behind, but her body instinctively moved. She attempted to flee, only to be intercepted by the two men. Swiftly, they seized her hair, pulling it back firmly. "You've offended the wrong people, b***h!"

In this long minute, Anabelle finally realized who were.

They were sent by that bald man!

Anabelle thought she was done for, but then a familiar voice intervened.

"What are you doing to her?!"

Could it be Noah?

The firm grip on Anabelle's hair loosened as the menacing men unexpectedly softened. "Mr. Evans..."

Anabelle's body went slack, and she gazed up at the towering man. As his facial features became distinct, Anabelle's heart skipped a beat. When she finally saw his face clearly, bittersweet memories flooded her.

Nathan Evans, the one who had eluded her when she needed him the most came back.

The day when Faith left the makeup studio, Nathan received a call from an anonymous number.

"Hello?"

"Hi, Nathan. This is Faith Moore, Noah's fiancée."

"Noah's fiancée? Why are you calling me?"

As the woman mention his younger brother, the man who he hated the most, resentment welled up.

Despite being two years his junior, Noah outshone him in every aspect. Even Nathan's leave was closely connected with Noah's growing influence in the company.

At that crucial time when Nathan was about to become the new CEO of Evans Group, Noah had already, at some point, lobbied the influential figures within the company, holding a significantly larger share than Nathan. This forced Nathan to leave the country to collect other shares that could help him.

However, even after putting in three years of effort, Nathan was still no match for Noah!

But Nathan didn't regret leaving for those three years. After all, during that time, he gained a considerable amount of benefits.

As for the woman he abandoned, he couldn't care less.

What he didn't know was that Anabelle had captivated Noah's attention! And she was kept by him!

"I need your help, sir."

Aware of the brothers' discord, Faith knew she should not take the risk but she recalled what these did in the stadio she just could not take it anymore!

So she reached out to Anabelle's ex, Nathan. Hearing no response from the other end, she disclosed, "I think... Anabelle Blair is with Noah!"

As she expected, this revelation ignited Nathan's anger. "What did you say?"

"Yes, I believe something's off with them!"

Nathan cursed, "Damn it! He expelled me from the company so he can screw my woman! That bastard! Wait... Do you have any evidence yet?"

Nathan's frustration grew, but Faith merely chuckled. This was precisely what she wanted!

As long as Nathan cared for Anabelle, Noah couldn't have her. They were brothers and couldn't share the same woman.

"Not yet. I don't know what to do! Any advice, please? I'll do whatever you say!" Faith feigned innocence.

"Well, maybe you could start with..." Nathan came up with a plan.

Back to the present...

Nathan dismissed the two men and approached Anabelle.

Gradually regaining her composure, Anabelle attempted to escape, but Nathan caught her arm.

"Anna."

Struggling to break free, Anabelle couldn't evade as Nathan blocked her path with his chest.

"Anna, let's talk."

"We have nothing to talk about."

What Nathan had done in the past had deeply wounded Anabelle. Even if they were once in love, he was now just a familiar stranger to her.

Or perhaps, she never truly knew him.

Anabelle couldn't comprehend why Nathan, who was once deeply in love with her, would leave her when she needed him the most.

On the other hand, Nathan was in no hurry. "We do have something to talk about... after these scratches have been treated."

Regardless of what Nathan said, Anabelle didn't want any contact with him. The dramatic scene had drawn the attention of everyone in the studio, some even taking out their phones to capture the moment. As a person of Nathan's status, his unclear relationship with Anabelle upon returning to the country was big news.

Anabelle didn't want to be the center of attention, so she reluctantly complied, not resisting even when Nathan put his arm around her waist. Little did she know, inside a car on the roadside, Noah took a drag of his cigarette, squinting his eyes at the scene.

The smoke gradually dissipated as Noah smirked. His assistant sensed his hostility and asked quietly, "Are you still going in?"

Noah frowned. "For what?"

They had arrived early, witnessing the henchmen's intrusion. Seeing Nathan rush in to help Anabelle, Noah returned to his car and took out his cigarettes. His assistant couldn't figure out if Noah intended to help or just enjoyed watching the show.

Regardless, he could sense that Noah had developed feelings for Anabelle.

After all these years, it was the first time he saw Noah willing to waste time on something seemingly insignificant.

But Noah doesn't see it that way, and he's a little flustered in addition to pissed off. 

While Noah was very dismissive one second, the next he did the opposite-- he followed Anabelle's steps.